Re: Should we oppose the Data Superhighway/NII?

[doug@netcom.com (Doug Merritt)]

Mike Godwin <mnemonic@eff.org> said:
>First of all, EFF's Open Platform says outright that the government is not
>going to build the data superhighway. Check again if you don't believe me.

Ah...do you mean "should not build", or do you really mean that it contains
a discussion outlining the logic behind predicting that they *won't*
build?

>The only question is whether you get something like what the interactive
>cable companies promoted at Hackers--just an enhanced version of the Home
>Shopping Network--or whether you get something like the current public
>switched network, in which individuals can use a phone line for whatever
>they like.

<shudder> I skipped that session because I was already bored to tears with
the prospect of "playing football from home while watching it on tv"
and by that of 500 pay-per-view-channels. Were they really boosting
HSN-type stuff? How completely evil!

I'm still dismayed by the recent FCC decision that HSN channels are included
in the category of (paraphrased) "for the public good". Was this due to
corruption, or merely a sharp drop in collective FCC IQ?
	Doug