seafox

techprod1gy said:

rhinotuff said:

I don't think simply having an internet connection entitles you to free HBO for life...

I agree but at some point there needs to be a consolidation of services. I pay for internet, I pay for cable, I pay for phone data...on and on. I understand I do not have to but in reality I do if I want all of those types of services that are fueled by data.

But those services are all different things. Yes, they are all 1's and 0's today -- but originally they were all run over separate infrastructure and they are still different services really.

• Your phone service allows you to connect to anyone on a copper, cell phone, or VoIP-based telephone,
• Cable TV is a service of programming and the delivery of the service,
• Data is simply access to the Internet -- content provided by someone else.

bdkennedy thinks he should get free TV because he subscribes to Internet -- completely ignoring that TV content has to be paid for somehow, and commercials doesn't provide enough revenue. Especially since you know he's going to want free DVR abilities (with commercial skip) to be a part of the TV service.

Telephones don't magically link up to each other by themselves. If everyone used VoIP phones then I could understand the idea that phone and Internet are the same -- but that's not the case. The majority of telephone calls travel over network bandwidth that is separate from the routing of the Internet, interact with phone switches in local telco offices across the country, get piped into cell phone towers, etc. This is more involved than just plugging into the Net.

Consolidation is honestly the exact opposite of what we need. It's how we got into the current mess.

• When cable companies became broadband providers AND television distributors -- they suddenly had a conflict of interest with people using their internet service to watch Netflix.
• When cable companies went digital and started having to supply cable boxes to homes -- they now owned the service endpoint and had a way to bilk people on a per-TV basis. Remember when folks had to get analog descramblers for their cable TV? People today seem to have forgotten that nice period of time after that but before digital cable. When people bought "cable ready" TVs and they paid one fee for their entire house's services. Cable converters are only a requirement now because of DRM. If you've ever been lucky enough to be in an area that had "ClearQAM" cable service you'll understand. This is just like when Ma Bell used to charge people per-connected telephone in their home.
  
• When telephone companies started offering high speed internet -- they suddenly had a conflict of interest with people using VoIP phone to make LD calls for much cheaper over the Internet.
• When any provider started offering "triple play" services they now had a reason to screw anyone who only wanted one service but not another -- either making a service a requirement for others (need phone for DSL / need cable TV to get cable modem) or making the price of a single service so high a consumer couldn't afford to go with different companies for each.

All situations where power was consolidated in a way that made too much control in the hands of the wrong people. Separating the infrastructure from the provider and from the content goes a long way to leveling the playing field for the consumer.

Woooo. Not treating your employees like dirt makes them want to stay. Maybe one of these days more companies will realize that.