Big Cable Wasting Money On Ads That Look Like They're Supporting Internet Slowdown
from the rather-incredible dept
Today, as you may have heard, is Internet Slowdown Day, in which a bunch of folks are calling attention to the fight at the FCC concerning net neutrality. The basic idea -- as you may have seen on this very site -- is to host some "spinning wheel" banners, highlighting the kind of internet that we may have to live with if the big broadband providers get their way and are allowed to set up tollbooths online, picking winners and losers based on who will pay the most. We've been hearing that the big broadband players are a bit nervous about this -- as often seems to happen when it comes to real grassroots efforts. They've attempted to set up some fake grassroots efforts. We've even heard rumors that they've been trying to "infiltrate" planning meetings for Internet Slowdown Day. But this one takes the cake. In response to this campaign, cable's main lobbying arm, NCTA, has launched an advertising campaign that... um... looks kinda like the Internet Slowdown Day campaign, reminding people that they're nervous about Big Cable cutting off access. Here are two of the ads NCTA is currently running:So, either this a case where some ad designer at NCTA is a subversive double agent really helping "Team Internet," or the folks at NCTA and Big Cable are really so buried in their own wonkdom, they don't realize just how much this ad appears to support the other team. Either way, thanks, Big Cable and your lobbyists for highlighting exactly what most of us fear. An internet where we are "unable to connect" to sites because the FCC has killed off net neutrality...
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Filed Under: ads, big broadband, cable, failure, internet slowdown, net neutrality, open internet
Companies: ncta
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I do like the Mother Night interpretation.
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From the cable companies' perspective... (ew)
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tl;dr: NoScript might block them, but AdBlock & Ghostery probably aren't.
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Playing to the ignorant
Hence "regulating the Internet" is bad. Hence these ads.
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show me
When utilities were NOT on the stock market, and REQUIRED them to make a profit..Using 20+ year old tech and only upgrading after something broke, maybe..
WHEN utilities WERE controlled by an office that was controlled by YOU, and Balanced for the area...That wasnt REQUIRED to make a profit, and be bought on the STOCK MARKET.. was REPAIRED by your tax dollars and FIXED/UPGRADED when needed.
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LOTS of good charities
Hey, how about #MDFC (More Democratic Funding Campaign) options after such articles. There would be 3 to 5 links to SOLUTIONS for the problems. Aren't you just too tired of hearing about all these problems? I could look at the options and pledge some money to support one (or more). If enough people agree with me that the project is good--which includes SUCCESS criteria, in stark contrast to Kickstarter--then the project gets the money.
Not sure if I would support TechDirt to hold the money, however... Maybe I just don't know them well enough, but I think I'd prefer a charitable foundation, though they could give TechDirt a small return for their support. (In other words, if 5,000 people pledge to support some specific project after arriving from TechDirt, then there would be a monetary incentive.)
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Re: LOTS of good charities
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Otherwise, I'll just dismiss you as part of the problem (or problems), which mostly seems to be the way of the world lately.
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Nice
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