Interesting post ....

[David Farber <farber@central.cis.upenn.edu>]

from an IPer
Dave:


This is a post I saw on the Communet mailing list.


Could we get some IPers from the cable industry to react to this?
[attributed or not .. djf]


>The following is an unsolicited testimonial from a University of Central
>Florida student that lives in the Orlando FL neighborhood selected for Time
>Warner Cable's interactive cable testbed.  His sentiments, so purely
>expressed, are indicative of the gap between the intent of the commercial
>providers the NII is putting its hopes on, and the desires and
>expectations of the computing public.
>
>BTW, we have a nascent startup committee forming for GO-Net (Greater
>Orlando Network)...)
>
>                *%*%*%*%*
>
>             Tom Bayston Jr.
>            Executive Director
>         UCF Computer Users Group
>       University of Central Florida
>        bayston@pegasus.cc.ucf.edu
>
> Greater Orlando GO-Net Steering Committee
>                *%*%*%*%*
>
>...........................
>
>Tom, you won't believe this. I was on the phone with Time Warner Cable
>today. I was hoping to find out about the fiber optic services and
>getting my modem connected to the network of interactivity. What a let
>down!!! I was informed that there are no plans to allow an interface with
>a computer neither through a direct link or through a modem!!!! As it was
>put to me by the FSN (Full Services Network), the division running this
>whole deal, is that the fiber optics are merely to handle the TWC
>incresed load! Excuse me while I throw up!
>
>Then I asked "What about the information super highway that TWC is
>boasting about?" Are you sitting down Tom? Good, the information
>superhighway that TWC is talking about is the interactivity with the
>program network. In other words, you can order movies from your house. Oh
>wooopie!!! So now when Im too damn lazy to get in my car and drive two
>blocks to my local video store, I can sit on my fat ass, and have movies
>and pizza delivered to my house.
>
>I think this should be called the ripoff superhighway. It seems to me that
>there is a huge promise for a service that will do little more than
>provide a means for Time Warner Cable to pump more crap into my home and
>charge me more money for doing it!! If you look at pay per view, that is a
>joke. They offer movies that are out on video cassette for about $5.00 a
>movie. The video store is about $2.00. I can just imagine what this
>service is going to cost when we have to pay for all this fiber optic line
>and equipment.
>
>Well its sad to see that a service that seemed to have so much promise for
>the consumer, has turned out to be nothing more than a way to increase
>subscription rates and eliminate the jobs of TWC service personnel
>(because all connects and disconnects can now be done via a computer, and
>cut lines can be rerouted).
>
>I guess now I will concentrate on finding a way to get a SLIP connection
>to my house. It is a shame that ignorance and greed can slow the growth of
>a nation. No wonder we are no longer the technologically supperior nation
>that we once were. It is a shame to see that the same thing is going on
>with our own school!!!
>
>Well I must go to class and learn how to do stuff manually that my
>computer would do quicker and more efficiently. Talk to you later.
>
>      ****************************************************
>      * Dean Krekos              *   U.C.F. ENGINEERING: *
>      * Computer Engineering     *                       *
>      * and Mathematics          *   Where Busines       *
>      * University of            *   Majors are made.    *
>      * Central Florida          *    :>    :>    :>     *
>      * Orlando, Fla.            *                       *
>      ****************************************************
>
>


****************************************************************************
Thomas Kalil                                      "The NII - just do it!"
tkalil@arpa.mil
National Economic Council
The White House
Washington DC 20500
(p) 202-456-2801
(f) 202-456-2223


"Your taxpayer dollars at work."
****************************************************************************