Congressional Reps Rewrite AT&T's Google Voice Complaint, And Send It To The FCC

from the at-least-try-to-be-creative dept

Fri, Oct 9th 2009 2:17pm — Mike Masnick

A few weeks back, we noted how AT&T was trying to claim that Google violated the very net neutrality rules the search giant is pushing for by blocking calls on Google Voice to various free conference service lines. However, as we explained at the time, the issues are totally different. However, from AT&T's standpoint, they get to try to kill two birds with one stone. First, AT&T would love to kill the regulatory arbitrage situation that allows small rural telcos to charge incoming call providers ridiculous connection fees. So, complaining about Google Voice draws more attention to that issue. Separately, it gets net neutrality questions moved away from AT&T and onto Google, which AT&T generally dislikes.

Still, it's hard not to be even more cynical when a bunch of politicians suddenly pick up interest in this issue, and ask the FCC to investigate Google using language that appears quite similar to the letter AT&T sent to the FCC. As Broadband Reports notes in that last link, it sure looks like AT&T got a bunch of friendly politicians to suddenly express outrage over something most of them didn't understand -- and they just had to rewrite the letter AT&T had already used. It's as if these companies and politicians don't even care how blatant it is that the lobbyists actually set the agenda.

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Filed Under: arbitrage, congress, google voice, lobbying, voice
Companies: at&t, google

59 Comments

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Ronald J Riley (profile), 9 Oct 2009 @ 2:25pm

Google & AT&T Cut From Same Cloth
Hey, I think that they both do evil and that both are arrogant.

Ronald J. Riley,

I am speaking only on my own behalf.
Affiliations:
President - www.PIAUSA.org - RJR at PIAUSA.org
Executive Director - www.InventorEd.org - RJR at InvEd.org
Senior Fellow - www.PatentPolicy.org
President - Alliance for American Innovation
Caretaker of Intellectual Property Creators on behalf of deceased founder Paul Heckel
Washington, DC
Direct (810) 597-0194 / (202) 318-1595 - 9 am to 8 pm EST.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Dark Helmet (profile), 9 Oct 2009 @ 2:31pm

Can we all agree on something?
New Rule: If you're crazy awesome, affiliation-laden signature contains more characters than your comment, the size of one of them needs to be altered....

(Pssst! It's the signature part!)
[ link to this | view in thread ]
:Lobo Santo (profile), 9 Oct 2009 @ 3:05pm

Re: Can we all agree on something?
OOh! Or you could just provide a link to your "signature" page...
[ link to this | view in thread ]
ChurchHatesTucker (profile), 9 Oct 2009 @ 3:20pm

Re: Can we all agree on something?
"... you're crazy awesome, affiliation-laden signature..."

It's the Comic Sans of DC. See how important I am?! THREE LINKS IMPORTANT!!
[ link to this | view in thread ]
yourrealname (profile), 9 Oct 2009 @ 3:30pm

"It's as if these companies and politicians don't even care how blatant it is that the lobbyists actually set the agenda."

according to the Wall Street Journal, you're right...
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704471504574443353532223162.html
[ link to this | view in thread ]
thomas, 9 Oct 2009 @ 3:31pm

Should be interesting
considering that both Google and AT&T "lobby" the FCC. When 2 groups are both giving you money, who wins?
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Benefacio, 9 Oct 2009 @ 3:31pm

Not surprising...
Not surprising since the DoJ considers AT&T an arm of the federal government. :)
[ link to this | view in thread ]
ChurchHatesTucker (profile), 9 Oct 2009 @ 3:33pm

Re: Not surprising...
"Not surprising since the DoJ considers AT&T an arm of the federal government."

I thought it was the other way 'round.

Well, same diff, I guess.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 9 Oct 2009 @ 3:34pm

Re: Google & AT&T Cut From Same Cloth
I'll call Google arrogant when one of their employees signs a sentence with a wall of text.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
bigpicture, 9 Oct 2009 @ 4:40pm

Re: Google & AT&T Cut From Same Cloth
It's "don't be evil" which is a statement of "intent", because any "action" can be judged evil by some party. Even I can judge your comment as evil.

But by and large Google attempts to provide "open" products and services, of a fairly good quality, at zero consumer cost. That is their business model. "delivery of content as an enjoyable experience".

On the other hand AT&T wants closed net services, and control, control, control, and gouge, gouge, gouge the customer. But if you want to see real evil, (which if you want a definition is deception, selfishness and greed) then check out your politicians.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
banjopete, 9 Oct 2009 @ 4:56pm

Re: Should be interesting
Whoever has got the most money to give, I guess.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 9 Oct 2009 @ 5:13pm

Why is congress wasting time investigating google over nothing instead of using the time wisely to investigate the corrupt pharmaceutical corporations and see how much they really spend on R&D.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 9 Oct 2009 @ 5:23pm

Re:
also, does techdirt have a way to view new posts on old threads? I added a comment here and want to know how we're supposed to keep track of people who add comments and responses on old threads.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 9 Oct 2009 @ 5:26pm

Re:
I mean, there are a million other things congress can investigate (ie: corrupt pharmaceutical corporations that cause more harm than good) but instead they choose to investigate corporations that actually do some good for society.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 9 Oct 2009 @ 5:31pm

Re: Re:
Oh, and the high prices of textbooks. Congress was supposed to investigate those a LONG time ago and so far they have ignored the issue completely.

Instead they focus on investigating corporations that actually do good for society over nothing instead of investigating ones that force students to pay astronomical prices on cheap to produce textbooks that keep slightly changing every semester (ie: the chapters simply get flipped around and a few words change). Those that cause more harm than good are ignored by congress, those that actually do good are investigated over nothing.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 9 Oct 2009 @ 5:32pm

Mike you should get a job in mainstream media. You sure love to twist the headlines to make people read your version of the so-called facts (which you lack too often). However however!!
[ link to this | view in thread ]
mcme (profile), 9 Oct 2009 @ 5:41pm

amongst the very many fun things the phone companies do
One of the many reasons why it makes it tough to stand behind the phone companies:

http://gthing.net/the-true-price-of-sms-messages

the gist of which is
-------------------------------------
COSTS OF TRANSFERING 2,560 MP3s:

via my ISP: $1
via SMS: $61,356,851.20
-------------------------------------
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Ronald J Riley (profile), 9 Oct 2009 @ 5:53pm

Textbooks / Re: Re: Re:
I agree that the price of textbooks have become unreasonable. I am pretty sure that colleges and / or professors are being compensated to bleed students.

We have also seen quite a number of academics promote Patent Deform while feeding at the trough of patent pirating companies. Some institutions have done truly horrific things to students and faculty in order to defraud them of their constitutional patent property rights. There is more than a bit of corruption in academia but still far less than corporate circles. Perhaps the FTC could add these kinds of relationships to the disclosure provisions they are proposing for bloggers?

It seems like far too many people on TechDIRT spend a great deal of effort bashing me for disclosing my affiliations while most of them are to chicken **** to sign their name to what they have to say. It seems to me that their time could be better spent addressing the substance of my comments rather than the sig file.

This is one area where Mike Masnick deserves credit, in that he is willing to be associated with what he says. If he didn't have his head stuck where there is little daylight on patent issues I could devote more time to agreeing with him on a number of issues.

Ronald J. Riley,

I am speaking only on my own behalf.
Affiliations:
President - www.PIAUSA.org - RJR at PIAUSA.org
Executive Director - www.InventorEd.org - RJR at InvEd.org
Senior Fellow - www.PatentPolicy.org
President - Alliance for American Innovation
Caretaker of Intellectual Property Creators on behalf of deceased founder Paul Heckel
Washington, DC
Direct (810) 597-0194 / (202) 318-1595 - 9 am to 8 pm EST.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 9 Oct 2009 @ 6:01pm

Re: Textbooks / Re: Re: Re:
"President - www.PIAUSA.org - RJR at PIAUSA.org"

From your site.

"The Anti- American innovation evil doers are still plotting to bring new anti-innovation legislation in the new Congress in 2007 (110th Congress) by way of House Bill HR 1908 and Senate Bill S 1145. "

Uhm... We're in 2009 buddy. If your site is so darn innovative then why is it behind the times? Because intellectual property maximists aren't about moving forward and advancing, they are about staying in the past and forcing everyone else to stay in the past by hindering technology because they can't adjust to advancement.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 9 Oct 2009 @ 6:04pm

Re: Textbooks / Re: Re: Re:
"There is more than a bit of corruption in academia but still far less than corporate circles."

Yet they ignore the harmful corporations and go after the least harmful and most beneficial ones instead. How pathetic.

BTW, regarding academia vs corporate circles ... Uhm... , I hate to break this to you but it's CORPORATIONS (ie: publishing companies) that make textbooks and sell them to students via public schools.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
..., 9 Oct 2009 @ 6:07pm

Re: Can we all agree on something?
That's funny :)
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Ronald J Riley (profile), 9 Oct 2009 @ 6:07pm

Google & Evil / Re:
Over the last year Google's conduct has been catching up with them.

Many wildly successful companies have suffered from the corporate adolescent stage as is Google. Corporations have to mature just like individuals. It usually takes a few hard knocks to deflate their egos.

Google is today making the same mistakes with inventors which other companies have made. One example is Microsoft.

Today Google has an entitlement mentality, and they have such a high opinion of their invincibility that they act like they think they can take whatever invention they like. Currently they have a scorched earth , crush anyone who dares object to their property being taken policy. Microsoft had a similar policy, and they have been paying dearly for it. Google will also pay dearly, and eventually they will evolve, if not from ethics then because of fear into a company which acquires rights before using others inventions.

I have yet to see a company who takes liberties with inventors patent property rights who does not suffer from a multitude of other problems in the way they conduct business.

Those companies have a big problem because the inventor community does work collectively to help media and the public understand the full scope of how such companies conduct themselves.

Ronald J. Riley,

I am speaking only on my own behalf.
Affiliations:
President - www.PIAUSA.org - RJR at PIAUSA.org
Executive Director - www.InventorEd.org - RJR at InvEd.org
Senior Fellow - www.PatentPolicy.org
President - Alliance for American Innovation
Caretaker of Intellectual Property Creators on behalf of deceased founder Paul Heckel
Washington, DC
Direct (810) 597-0194 / (202) 318-1595 - 9 am to 8 pm EST.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 9 Oct 2009 @ 6:11pm

Re:
WSJ - 48 character filename
LOL
[ link to this | view in thread ]
FTFY, 9 Oct 2009 @ 6:21pm

Re: Google & Evil / Re:
Over the last year Google propoganda has been catching up with them.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
ChurchHatesTucker (profile), 9 Oct 2009 @ 6:22pm

Re: Textbooks / Re: Re: Re:
"It seems to me that their time could be better spent addressing the substance of my comments rather than the sig file."

Friendly tip, you've got to learn what kind of community you're dealing with. I know the guys who would be impressed with the wall of contact info. We, by and large, ain't them.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 9 Oct 2009 @ 6:22pm

Re: Google & Evil / Re:
"Today Google has an entitlement mentality"

Now you're just making things up. It's companies like Microsoft and pharmaceutical corporations and the RIAA who think they're entitled to ridiculously long monopolies that have an entitlement problem.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
..., 9 Oct 2009 @ 6:23pm

Re:
Care to share any details with the rest of us?
I'm sure everyone would be interested in the facts which you seem to have omitted in your post.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Ronald J Riley (profile), 9 Oct 2009 @ 6:24pm

Re: Re: Google & AT&T Cut From Same Cloth
"It's "don't be evil" which is a statement of "intent"

Do people or companies always say what their true intentions are? There are psychopaths who present themselves very well while being incapable of grasping ethics and morality. In fact, quite a large percentage of humanity falls into this category, perhaps 20-30%.

Much of humanity's social and cultural evolution has been about creating rules, law and enforcement of penalties to set boundaries for these kinds of people.

It is unfortunate that many of the worst players go into positions of authority, and like the scum on bodies of water rise to the top.

The larger and older the organization they more likely they are to be able to rationalize doing things to others which most people would find horrific in a one on one situation.

Most certainly the telecom industry has a long history of less than ethical conduct. But it is amazing how fast success breeds arrogance and a sense of being invincible in young companies.

Ronald J. Riley,

I am speaking only on my own behalf.
Affiliations:
President - www.PIAUSA.org - RJR at PIAUSA.org
Executive Director - www.InventorEd.org - RJR at InvEd.org
Senior Fellow - www.PatentPolicy.org
President - Alliance for American Innovation
Caretaker of Intellectual Property Creators on behalf of deceased founder Paul Heckel
Washington, DC
Direct (810) 597-0194 / (202) 318-1595 - 9 am to 8 pm EST.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
..., 9 Oct 2009 @ 6:25pm

Re: amongst the very many fun things the phone companies do
"One of the many reasons why it makes it tough to stand behind the phone companies:"

Reason# 238: Taco Bell Friday
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Ronald J Riley (profile), 9 Oct 2009 @ 6:32pm

Re: Re: Should be interesting
"Whoever has got the most money to give, I guess."

Not always. Inventors have over the last fifteen years spent a small fraction of the money which the Coalition for Patent Fairness (better known as the Piracy Coalition)and the Coalition for 21st Century Patent Reform (the HARMonization crowd) spend and year year after year we have managed to toss one monkey wrench after another into their plans.

My point is that lobbyists cannot project bring the kind of conviction which those of us who have actually walked the invention path bring to our presentations. These groups outspend inventors by about a thousand fold yet they keep losing.

Ronald J. Riley,

I am speaking only on my own behalf.
Affiliations:
President - www.PIAUSA.org - RJR at PIAUSA.org
Executive Director - www.InventorEd.org - RJR at InvEd.org
Senior Fellow - www.PatentPolicy.org
President - Alliance for American Innovation
Caretaker of Intellectual Property Creators on behalf of deceased founder Paul Heckel
Washington, DC
Direct (810) 597-0194 / (202) 318-1595 - 9 am to 8 pm EST.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
HolaJohnny (profile), 9 Oct 2009 @ 6:37pm

Re: Re: Re: Google & AT&T Cut From Same Cloth
Do you just ignore everyone who requests that you back up your statements with some evidence or even just some factual examples? It seems you like to leave long winded opinion rather than joining the discussion honestly. IMO.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
teknosapien (profile), 9 Oct 2009 @ 6:37pm

I'd like to see the
list of politicians that plagiarized AT&T's work along with any campaign contributions made to them by AT&T.

In Short if I had to choose between the lessor of two evils Google would be my choice AT&T is only competitive because they were made to be competitive by the Government. let us not forget they are the ones that got away with pocketing the federal tax for the war of 1812. their morals are non-existant
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Ronald J Riley (profile), 9 Oct 2009 @ 6:40pm

Re: Re: Google & Evil / Re:
I have little use for Microsoft. I think that they are a very efficient predator.

I also think that Google is walking the same path.

Maybe Google started with good intentions, I don't know. But I do believe that it is best to evaluate people and companies based on their actions and Google's actions seem to be taking quite a toll on the public's perception of the company.

Ronald J. Riley,

I am speaking only on my own behalf.
Affiliations:
President - www.PIAUSA.org - RJR at PIAUSA.org
Executive Director - www.InventorEd.org - RJR at InvEd.org
Senior Fellow - www.PatentPolicy.org
President - Alliance for American Innovation
Caretaker of Intellectual Property Creators on behalf of deceased founder Paul Heckel
Washington, DC
Direct (810) 597-0194 / (202) 318-1595 - 9 am to 8 pm EST.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Ronald J Riley (profile), 9 Oct 2009 @ 6:51pm

Re: Re: Re: Re: Google & AT&T Cut From Same Cloth
I suggest that you study the Carterphone decision and the history following it.

Information about Google's fall from grace is easy to find with a search engine. There has been quite a bit of news coverage about this.

One good example is that Google is hosting ads for companies who have been busted for invention promotion fraud. Is it ethical for any advertiser to profit in this way? Legal yes, ethical - I don't think so. After all, they do represent themselves as not having to do evil to make money so if that is the case should we expect them to avoid doing evil where it is possible. It seems to me that refusing to take money from companies and their successors who have been the subject of enforcement actions is in order.

Ronald J. Riley,

I am speaking only on my own behalf.
Affiliations:
President - www.PIAUSA.org - RJR at PIAUSA.org
Executive Director - www.InventorEd.org - RJR at InvEd.org
Senior Fellow - www.PatentPolicy.org
President - Alliance for American Innovation
Caretaker of Intellectual Property Creators on behalf of deceased founder Paul Heckel
Washington, DC
Direct (810) 597-0194 / (202) 318-1595 - 9 am to 8 pm EST.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
..., 9 Oct 2009 @ 7:43pm

Re: Re: Re: Google & Evil / Re:
"Google's actions seem to be taking quite a toll on the public's perception of the company."

care to share
or is this just more bs
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 9 Oct 2009 @ 8:00pm

Re: Textbooks / Re: Re: Re:
It seems like far too many people on TechDIRT spend a great deal of effort bashing me for disclosing my affiliations while most of them are to chicken **** to sign their name to what they have to say.

I don't think you're who you say you are either. Come on, tell us your real name.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 9 Oct 2009 @ 8:09pm

Re: Re: Re: Google & AT&T Cut From Same Cloth
...like the scum on bodies of water rise to the top.

Heh, that's really funny when someone then looks at your ridiculous sig: President, Executive Director, Senior Fellow blah blah blah. You tryin' to tell us you're scum? Well OK, if you say so.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Ronald J Riley (profile), 9 Oct 2009 @ 8:41pm

Re: Re: Re: Re: Google & AT&T Cut From Same Cloth
Anonymous Coward,

Why don't you tell us something about yourself? What is your job function? What is your title? What have you accomplished which is notable?

Ronald J. Riley,

I am speaking only on my own behalf.
Affiliations:
President - www.PIAUSA.org - RJR at PIAUSA.org
Executive Director - www.InventorEd.org - RJR at InvEd.org
Senior Fellow - www.PatentPolicy.org
President - Alliance for American Innovation
Caretaker of Intellectual Property Creators on behalf of deceased founder Paul Heckel
Washington, DC
Direct (810) 597-0194 / (202) 318-1595 - 9 am to 8 pm EST.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
HolaJohnny (profile), 9 Oct 2009 @ 9:11pm

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Google & AT&T Cut From Same Cloth
He clearly was just having a little fun at your expense with your own earlier words. A little quick on the defensive.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 10 Oct 2009 @ 12:18am

Re: Re: Re: Re: Google & Evil / Re:
The problem is that Google's actions are taking a toll on corporate perception by offering the public a good product for a decent price without ripping off the customers like the corporations want to do and this competes with large corporations.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 10 Oct 2009 @ 12:20am

Re: Re: Re: Google & Evil / Re:
"But I do believe that it is best to evaluate people and companies based on their actions and Google's actions seem to be taking quite a toll on the public's perception of the company."

I don't know where you get this silly little idea that you can simply come over here and start making things up and expect people to suddenly believe you. I have news for you, it doesn't quite work that way, at least not around here. This isn't the mainstream media in case you haven't noticed.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
The Idiot, 10 Oct 2009 @ 2:15am

RJR
Let me guess, Mr Riley.

You wrote one of the letters sent to the FCC.

Also, if Google were so evil, why ahven't they taken over the economy yet? Oh wait, that's because they generally OBEY THE LAW (even when it's abused by the people you work with).

Also, I'm a single father who's bringing up a full-blown ADD child with no help from Welfare or other income.

Props, however, for disclosing your identity. Most of the shills we normally get are indeeeed ACs.

Dó chuid.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Luci, 10 Oct 2009 @ 4:46am

Re: Textbooks / Re: Re: Re:
'while most of them are to chicken **** to sign their name to what they have to say'

You see, that's the wonder of anonymity. Big Bad Ron can go ahead and tout his name and affiliations as much as he wants. The rest of us can go ahead and do what we want. It isn't chickenshit to not sign your name, or not brag about what you've done. It is, however, arrogance to think that doing so makes you better or more believable.

Come, now, Ron. Ignore the moaning of the others. They are just trying, successfully it would seem, to get a rise out of you.

On another note, perhaps you'd care to share some of these evils Google has done? Since I've not heard of these, it should be interesting.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Ronald J Riley (profile), 10 Oct 2009 @ 9:32am

1) No letter to the FCC but I do think it is long past time for Google and other like minded companies to get a bit of anti-trust scrutiny. I agree that AT&T is far worse than Google but it seems to me that Google needs to be reminded that there are boundaries.
2) I am an inventor and yes inventors to work together on some issue. We do obey the law. The law is that we get a right to exclusive use in exchange for teaching our invention via the patent process. The problem is that big companies steal our patent property rights. Our recourse is sue for recovery of your property. We exercise those rights as provided by law.
3) ADD, dyslexia, Asperger and numerous other conditions are very common in the inventor community. It seems that they may well play a factor in driving the left handed approach which drives people to produce inventions. We are all born with strengths and weaknesses, the key is to learn to use the strengths to prevail. Your job as a parent is to help your child achieve their maximum potential regardless of the hand they are dealt. Work constantly to teach your child how to cope, you will probably be pleasantly surprised by the outcome.

Ronald J. Riley,

I am speaking only on my own behalf.
Affiliations:
President - www.PIAUSA.org - RJR at PIAUSA.org
Executive Director - www.InventorEd.org - RJR at InvEd.org
Senior Fellow - www.PatentPolicy.org
President - Alliance for American Innovation
Caretaker of Intellectual Property Creators on behalf of deceased founder Paul Heckel
Washington, DC
Direct (810) 597-0194 / (202) 318-1595 - 9 am to 8 pm EST.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Ronald J Riley (profile), 10 Oct 2009 @ 9:33am

Strive for the best outcome.
1) No letter to the FCC but I do think it is long past time for Google and other like minded companies to get a bit of anti-trust scrutiny. I agree that AT&T is far worse than Google but it seems to me that Google needs to be reminded that there are boundaries.
2) I am an inventor and yes inventors to work together on some issue. We do obey the law. The law is that we get a right to exclusive use in exchange for teaching our invention via the patent process. The problem is that big companies steal our patent property rights. Our recourse is sue for recovery of your property. We exercise those rights as provided by law.
3) ADD, dyslexia, Asperger and numerous other conditions are very common in the inventor community. It seems that they may well play a factor in driving the left handed approach which drives people to produce inventions. We are all born with strengths and weaknesses, the key is to learn to use the strengths to prevail. Your job as a parent is to help your child achieve their maximum potential regardless of the hand they are dealt. Work constantly to teach your child how to cope, you will probably be pleasantly surprised by the outcome.

Ronald J. Riley,

I am speaking only on my own behalf.
Affiliations:
President - www.PIAUSA.org - RJR at PIAUSA.org
Executive Director - www.InventorEd.org - RJR at InvEd.org
Senior Fellow - www.PatentPolicy.org
President - Alliance for American Innovation
Caretaker of Intellectual Property Creators on behalf of deceased founder Paul Heckel
Washington, DC
Direct (810) 597-0194 / (202) 318-1595 - 9 am to 8 pm EST.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Dark Helmet (profile), 10 Oct 2009 @ 6:38pm

Re: Re: Textbooks / Re: Re: Re:
"I know the guys who would be impressed with the wall of contact info. We, by and large, ain't them."

Plus we enjoy getting a rise out of elitist spank-tools....
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 10 Oct 2009 @ 11:07pm

Re:
"No letter to the FCC but I do think it is long past time for Google and other like minded companies to get a bit of anti-trust scrutiny."

1: Google didn't do anything wrong to steal the market share that they have, they EARNED it by providing a good service at a reasonable price.

2: There is competition, look at Yahoo and many other search engines

3: Anyone can start a search engine, even you, Google isn't stopping you.

But what you want is you want to force people to use an inferior search engine that has a lot more advertisements and where the search results are all commercialized instead of using Google in order to channel as much money away from the public as possible and exploit them for every penny they have. Google didn't do anything wrong but you just can't stand the fact that they offer a good service at a decent price and you want to optimally monetize any bit of utility they offer by exploiting the public.

"Our recourse is sue for recovery of your property."

Stop pretending that society owes you a monopoly on anything, they do not. Get over yourself. You haven't accomplished nearly as much as the ENGINEERS at Google. The people who started Google went to school and studied hard, they weren't business majors they were engineering and computer science majors, you have absolutely nothing on them in terms of innovation or your ability to create such a useful and beneficial search engine. You're worthless and so you want to freeload off of those that studied hard to start and continue Google who probably know way more math, engineering, programming, and every other related subject MUCH better than you ever will. You only pretend to contribute to society but you really just want to freeload off of those who do contribute.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 10 Oct 2009 @ 11:08pm

Re:
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 10 Oct 2009 @ 11:09pm

Re:
"I am an inventor and yes inventors to work together on some issue."

This is a darn insult, you and your retarded friends probably don't have half the education and knowledge as the engineers and computer scientists who started and maintain Google. What a stupid joke.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 10 Oct 2009 @ 11:10pm

Re: Textbooks / Re: Re: Re:
"There is more than a bit of corruption in academia but still far less than corporate circles."

So we should just presume that Google is guilty until proven innocent then?
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 10 Oct 2009 @ 11:16pm

Re:
"I am an inventor and yes inventors to work together on some issue."

Ok, mr. Inventor, lets compare you and your accomplishments and education to those who founded Google.

"Page attended a Montessori school in Lansing, and graduated from East Lansing High School. Page holds a Bachelor of Science degree in computer engineering from the University of Michigan with honors and a Masters degree in Computer Science from Stanford University. While at the University of Michigan, "Page created an inkjet printer made of Lego bricks"[7], (actually a line plotter) served as the president of the HKN, [8] and was a member of the solar car team.

After enrolling for a Ph.D. program in computer science at Stanford University, Larry Page was in search of a dissertation theme and considered exploring the mathematical properties of the World Wide Web, understanding its link structure as a huge graph.[9]"

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

"Larry and Sergey, now Stanford computer science grad students"

http://www.google.com/corporate/history.html

and who the HECK are you? What the heck have you accomplished that they stole ANY of your ideas. You're probably to stupid and ignorant on any of the relevant subject matters concerning search engines to even UNDERSTAND how they work yet alone have any of them steal your ideas. They don't need to steal any of your ideas and they haven't, they've made technology the likes of your primitive brain is equivalent to that of a monkey in terms of understanding yet alone being able to invent any such thing. What's obvious to them is innovative and too advance for your primitive understanding.
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Anonymous Coward, 10 Oct 2009 @ 11:26pm

Re:
"The Anti- American innovation evil doers are still plotting to bring new anti-innovation legislation in the new Congress in 2007 (110th Congress) by way of House Bill HR 1908 and Senate Bill S 1145."

http://www.piausa.org/

Heck, you patent maximists can't even update your stupid website yet alone innovate anything. Your website is obsolete and you call yourself innovative?

Also found this

http://www.rjriley.com/about-rjriley/

Yeah, you're such an innovator all right, especially in comparison to Google. The people who work at Google are grad students in subjects like programming, engineering, etc..., where do you stand? Like they need to infringe upon your alleged intellectual property to figure anything out. What a joke, the notion that you deserve any consideration from these people is an insult to academia.
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Anonymous Coward, 10 Oct 2009 @ 11:49pm

Re: Re:
Also, another example of intellectual property maximists not even updating their website is the RIAA

(read post Aug 21st, 2009 @ 10:21am)
http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20090820/0218425942.shtml

""The RIAA lists its member labels on their website [1]. However, their website lists not only includes RIAA labels but non-RIAA labels that are distributors that report to the RIAA. The site is outdated and has not been updated since 2003.""

Intellectual property maximists can't even update their websites yet alone innovate. They don't want to innovate, just seeing how far back they are with the times demonstrates this and their problem is that they don't want to adapt to innovation so they want to force everyone else not to innovate.
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Anonymous Coward, 10 Oct 2009 @ 11:56pm

Re: Strive for the best outcome.
Oh, and if those people at Google do have any patents their patents are probably too advance for you to understand yet alone infringe upon. The only reason patents you have maybe infringed upon is because they are general common sense patents since your ignorance in relevant fields is too primitive to come up with anything more specific and advanced. But your inability to understand a subject well enough to innovate is no excuse for acquiring general common sense patents whereby just about anything someone does is infringement.
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HolaJohnny (profile), 11 Oct 2009 @ 9:46am

Mr. Riley you are an inventor
You consistently invent new bullshit to hope people believe. Do everyone a favor and take your ball and go home. Wait a minute, that is not your ball you just invented the lie it is. Leave the ball and just go home.
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Anonymous Coward, 12 Oct 2009 @ 7:52am

Or why don't they investigate the banks like Bank of America instead of Google "A District Judge has ordered the Securities and Exchange Commission to explain its investigation, or lack thereof, on Bank of America and whether the bank misled shareholders and omitted information in regard to Merrill Lynch bonuses." Because in America offering customers a decent product for a decent price is punishable by law yet ripping off customers is encouraged by our corporate controlled government.
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james b, 13 Oct 2009 @ 5:44am

Money!
i would just like too voiceover my opinion!! Its all about Money Money Money!
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anonymous, 23 Feb 2010 @ 11:46pm

I ask this question. What has been done to correct this, and this is all I got.
"This report has been closed."

Follow-Up Statements
The organization sent these questions or comments before report was closed. You cannot respond.
1/20/2010 7:50 PM - Dear Reporter,

Thank you for bringing this matter to our attention. Flextronics takes all reported allegations seriously, and I will be investigating this complaint. Updates on the progress of this investigation will be posted here periodically.

In the meantime, if you have any additional information or evidence in support of your allegation, please feel to contact me directly through this medium.

Sincerely,
Paula Kutansky-Brown
RTS Sr. HR Compliance Manager
Paula.KutanskyBrown@Flextronics.com

2/4/2010 5:02 PM - Dear Reporter,

This note is to give you an update on the status of this investigation. A few witness interviews have been conducted and several more are scheduled to take place this week. We anticipate being able to conclude this investigation by early next week.

In the meantime, if you have any additional information you believe is relevant to this investigation, please do not hesitate to contact me directly or through this medium.

Sincerely,
Paula Kutansky-Brown
Paula.KutanskyBrown@Flextronics.com

2/15/2010 7:05 AM - Dear Reporter,

Thank you for bringing this matter to our attention. Fletxronics takes all reported allegations seriously, and after conducting a thorough investigation, we are taking appropriate steps to address any issues.

At this time we are closing this investigation, however, should you have further questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me directly or through this medium.

Sincerely,
Paula Kutansky-Brown
RTS Sr. HR Compliance Manager
Paula.KutanskyBrown@Flextronics.com

Report Submission Date
1/20/2010

Reported Company/Branch Information
Name Flextronics International Ltd.
Location 20725 S. Western Ave STE 132
City/State/Zip Torrance, CA, 90501, United States
Violation Information
Issue Type
Misconduct / Inappropriate Behavior
Please identify the person(s) engaged in this behavior:
Tabatha Villalbazo - Supervisor
Nikos Enfiedjian - CSR
Do you suspect or know that a supervisor or management is involved?
Do NotKnow/Do NotWishToDisclose
Is management aware of this problem?
Do NotKnow/Do NotWishToDisclose
What is the general nature of this matter?
At times when both come back from break, they have a stong smell of marihuana.
Where did this incident or violation occur?
Torrance AT&T Device support Center
Please provide the specific or approximate time this incident occurred:
Friday, January 15, 2010
Monday, January 18, 2010
and a few times prior to these days.
How long do you think this problem has been going on?
3 months to a year
How did you become aware of this violation?
Told to me by someone outside the company
If other, how?
Heard customer say "Wow it smells like marihuana in here".
Details
Both have come back from break with red eyes, very slow responsive and confusion.
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Malcom Reynolds, 13 Oct 2010 @ 5:43pm

JWH-018 | We carry JWH-018 where every order receives 10% free!
that is very interesting. AT&T is actually hurting its case by trying to smash Google. Should have thought that one out before huh? http://www.jwh018free.com
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