COPE

[Msterbeau]

COPE = Communications Opportunity, Promotion, and Enhancement Act of 2006

Congress is getting ready to vote on this. It is a major piece of telecommunications reform legislation currently being considered in the House of Representatives. The primary contraversy is the lack of protection for "network neutrality" but there are other issues as well.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Network_neutrality

This article does a good job of explaining things from both sides but ultimately makes the case for the importance of network nuetrality:

http://www.comtechnews.net/telecom/the-fut...-net-neturality

This summerizes things pretty well for those in opposition:

http://www.commoncause.org/site/pp.asp?c=d...52907#munibband

Of note is the breadth of interests that oppose this. Many leading corporations.. small business, political groups, and of course private citizens. Pretty much anyone that uses the internet should be concerned and do a little research on this.

A final link:

http://www.savetheinternet.com/=faq

[Shade Everdark]

I've been following this controversy for a couple of weeks.

I have to agree with the peole who say this seems suspiciously like a setup for a protection racket, only without the kneecap smashing.

"Yes, you pay to send out your content, but who is to say that your content will get where it's going? Now, if you pay for our premium content service, you'll get faster pipes and your content will be guaranteed to reach its destination."

What a bunch of bullshit.

The telcos and cablecos need to suck it up, quit their whining for special privileges, and go die in a fire.

[Msterbeau]

The telcos and cablecos need to suck it up, quit their whining for special privileges, and go die in a fire.

:laughing

I've been doing the same and come to the same conclusion. They're looking to double dip on service charges AND have the ability to deny services to whomever they please. They say they won't and that it's ALL about being able to offer new services and recoup the costs of building out their networks.. Yeah.. right.

[Hellion]

:devil Sounds Like"Money Lust and Greed" this is bullshit.

[Shade Everdark]

This is pure, soulless corporate greed.

It is a perfect illustration of why the corporate model is fundamentally flawed. There is no sense of ethics or restraint involved. People can say that coroprations don't exist to follow morality, they exist to make money. The problem arises when making money interferes with everyone else's senses of morality.

[Jarodaka]

Ask a Ninja about Net Neutrality.

FYI: Hot Dog on a Stick is a real place, not some kinky porn video. (Well, if it is, I don't know about it.)

EDIT: Scrolling down is hard.

Thanks, Masterbeau. I deleted your link to here since I merged the topics.