Net Neutrality

Apple bans an app for detecting net neutrality violations from their app store, claiming it has "no direct benefit to the user".

Fucking TRAITORS.

Was Apple ever with us to begin with? I'd be more incensed if Google or Mozilla pulled something like this.

They're a for profit corporation, their entire purpose is profit and as such are only ever on society's side if the benefits outweigh the costs. So no they weren't on our side on any level beyond the practical.

edited 18th Jan '18 9:45:49 AM by Fourthspartan56

Oh. Yeah. They aren't a net company

UPDATE: Apple has apparently allowed it back up. Good for them.

edited 18th Jan '18 1:15:51 PM by TroperOnAStickV2

So...any news on the vote?

I think we're still one person short.

edited 18th Jan '18 7:16:25 PM by TroperOnAStickV2

Hope that person comes in anytime soon. It's like waiting for that last 1% to load

A thought: reversing the government shutdown might be a good opportunity to push net neutrality through, as a condition of the spending bill, if riders can be attached to those, I don't know/remember.

So any news on the vote?

I think we're still one person short.

... Kyon-kun, denwa.

edited 20th Jan '18 4:42:51 PM by TroperOnAStickV2

When we get the last person we'll know.

And besides, with the shutdown, I think they've got bigger things to worry about right now. Not that this isn't important because it is, but still.

Point.

Out of curiosity, is there any way of getting rid of Pai before Trump is gone that doesn't involve extralegal activity?

Not that Trump will necessarily be an office for much longer.

Only if Trump himself got rid of him.

Shit. We all know the asshole-in-chief isn't going to do that.

... I apologise to any assholes I may have offended.

Unlike Trump they serve a very important function

edited 20th Jan '18 6:19:35 PM by Fourthspartan56

Oh, I don't know. Make him an offer, I'm sure he would consider it. Or, even more likely, Pai himself could say something that randomly pissed Trump off one morning, and poof, he's gone. Then again, I'm sure Trump would just appoint someone even more blatantly arrogant and entitled, just to piss everyone else off.

The problem isn't that Pai is arrogant and entitled, the problem is that he's arrogant and entitled while also being a puppet for the telecom industry. As long as his replacement doesn't also try to destroy the internet as we know it, they can be as much of a dick going about their duties as they like.

Well, see, that's the thing. Pai isn't acting this way just for the evulz. Business has a strong incentive to maximize profits, and that incentive will never go away. Given who and what Trump is, the likihood is that whoever he appointed would be serving that incentive, regardless. The problem isn't really Pai, is what I'm saying (and isn't even really Trump).

I would say it is Trump in that he's choosing to cater to this incentive, the impulse will exist regardless but the state should be restricting it instead of aiding and abetting it.

edited 20th Jan '18 6:49:28 PM by Fourthspartan56

As I've said before, the advantage on this particular issue is that "business" in this case is not a monolithic block. And between the rise of online retail and digital distribution for software, repealing Net Neutrality is a direct attack on the profit margins of a decent chunk of the business community. The problem with Pai is that he is so completely in the pocket of the IS Ps and only the IS Ps to the point where even another Trump appointee would have to work be as bad as he is.

And the problem there is that the businesses that stand to lose the most when NN is repealed, the high tech firms, generally support Democrats, so the Republicans could care less about them.

I was thinking for the online retail sector more would probably the best bet. Sic a bunch of Amazon execs on the Republican party.

And do what, get even more tax cuts for setting up HQ2 in their town?

Ok so I’m concerned about what my isp (suddenlink communications) will do if net neutrality does go.