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Thursday, November 2, 2006
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 Thursday, November 2, 2006
started 11/2/2006; 9:31:09 AM - last post 11/2/2006; 9:28:30 PM
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Doc Searls - Thursday, November 2, 2006 
11/2/2006; 1:31:09 PM (reads: 4631, responses: 4)
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A whole, not a hole 
| | I'm tired of hearing the Net referred to as a "medium". Same goes for "social media" such as blogs, wikis and IM. Yes, packets go through the Net. In an almost-literal sense, Senator Stevens is right that it's a system of "pipes". |
| | But the Net is pure infrastructure. We work on it, just as we work on the electric power grid, the road system and our water and waste treatment systems — all of which also support the transport of stuff (electrons, cars, water, waste). |
| | Getting clear what the Net is, and what it supports, is critical to finding common ground in what has become a private vs. public debate, and which should go deeper than that. |
Just in time to finish The Reformation
The old turn-around
| | After his cableco — follwing in the bigfoot-steps of telcos that love to turn every interaction with trapped customers into "billing events" — offered "to take my payment over the phone... for a fee" (to correct an error that was not his fault), Chip Hoagland decided to turn the tables: I've taken the position that I will not give positive feedback or help with providers system errors without a payment/service credit. |
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Tom Hespos - Re: Thursday, November 2, 2006
11/2/2006; 5:49:57 PM (reads: 540, responses: 2)
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What's the problem with referring to the Net as a "medium?" Yes, there are many wonderful things built on top of it, but it's still technically a transport mechanism for information.
Or are you objecting to the use of "medium" in the sense that most people from my industry (marketing) tend to use it?
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Doc Searls - Re: Thursday, November 2, 2006
11/2/2006; 6:25:11 PM (reads: 583, responses: 1)
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Problem is, the Net isn't just a medium. By calling it one we risk pidgeon-holing it as something like broadcast, which is trapped in a regulatorium we very much don't want extended to the Net as well — something the carriers and Hollywood would be very happy to see happen. And are working to make happen, right now.
Background, Earlier background.
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Tom Hespos - Re: Thursday, November 2, 2006
11/2/2006; 9:43:47 PM (reads: 662, responses: 0)
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You're right that it's not just a medium. But perhaps rather than concentrating on avoiding the "medium" stigma, maybe the best way to avoid pigeon-holing is to stress the human interaction aspect of it over the pushing "content" aspect of it.
I cringe more when I hear the much-ballyhooed phrase "content is king" than I do when someone calls the Internet a "medium."
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John Quimby - Re: Thursday, November 2, 2006
11/3/2006; 1:28:30 AM (reads: 637, responses: 0)
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Hi guys,
I can definately relate to Chip Hoagland's response.
Can I relate my most recent adventure with Verizon?
I signed up for DSL service at home in SB in 2001. I ordered a package that was not "a" as in asynchronus - I wanted fast upload and download so I could work at home. It cost me appx $100.00 a month to get what I needed. Time went by and my wife (she's a CPA - I can't balance a checkbook) wrote checks...and last week she gave me the bills and asked me to stuff the envelopes. That's when I noticed how much we were still paying for DSL.
I called Verizon to ask about the charges on my bill (which were split between line charges for DSL ($39.00) and some sort of fabricated special internet service charges (59.00).
After hours on the phone trying to find anyone who could explain the charges, (don't you love it when they refer you to their website so you can trouble shoot their problems for them?) I got through to someone who was helpful if unwilling to tell me how long they had been overcharging me.
Bottom line, I'm now getting similar service for $14.95 per month.
And are they rushing me a rebate check for the overage? Hardly.
Any suggestions about what to do next?
My wife suggested contacting the California PUC.
I advise anyone who hasn't checked their service rates lately to call your provider and make sure you're getting the best deal possible.
What do you think?
JQ
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