PBS | I, Cringely . June 29, 2006 - If we build it they will come

Quote of the Day

"The current system is like buying drinks so you can watch the strippers. It is corrupt and opaque. We should pay for our wires in our communities just like we pay for the wires in our homes."

This article is great because it points out that current lock-in strategies are much more than just that, they are undermining the nation's and ultimately humanity's ability to progress.

"One example of the collateral damage caused by today's approach is the utter lack of simple wireless connectivity. Another is that we have redundant capital-intensive bit paths whose only purpose is to contain bits within billing paths," Frankston explains. "In practice, the telcos are about nothing at all other than creating billable events. Isn't it strange that as the costs of connectivity were going down your phone bill was increasing -- at least until VoIP forced the issue."

I'm not sure that community financed internet is an achievable solution, though it is certainly a viable one. I would love to see communities come together over this, and if they were to do so based on community pride and investing in the future's of our kids and country it could work. If it's just about getting cheaper internet access, their won't be enough pride to produce the requisite watchdogging necessary to prevent the program from going corrupt, or simply fizzeling out.

I would love to see champions emerge in communities all of the US and the world to make this happen.

PBS | I, Cringely . June 29, 2006 - If we build it they will come:
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