Profits, politics and the information pipeline - FReeper PHDs Needed!

The Milford Daily News ^ | Sunday, March 04, 2007 | Rick Holmes-Opinion editor

[Tunehead54]

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Dear FReepers - Please help!

I need 5 survey answers BY ACTUAL PhD's to the following 10 questions. Once I have 5 responses FReepmailed to me I'll put a bad 3 letter word that begins with an "a", ends with an "s" and a moderator will pull the post (just ask Pokey78!) - so if its still up I still need more responses.

Sorry about the questions - they're developed in class and cannot be altered (sigh).

If you need instructions on how to cut, paste and FReepmail you're probably not really a PHD. ;-)

Your responses could save the internet from being destroyed by the "megacorps" or government bureaucracy depending on your point of view but regardless you'll be able to tell your grandchildren how you fired your two cents in when it really counted.

Yes, I'm pinging all the smart FReepers I know as this is a rush project - if I missed you - its not that I don't think you're smart its just that I didn't know you had a PhD. Honest! ;-)

Answers can be long or short but when you FReepmail your answers please give me a last name and first initial, the area of your PhD and your age.

Many thanks in advance!

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Interview Questions

1) What is your definition of Net Neutrality?

2) What would government intervention do to the Internet in the US?

3) How does Net Neutrality impact the public?

4) Do you see taking away the neutrality of the internet as stopping the flow if information?

5) How expensive will these "tolls" be?

6) Was the internet intended to be a source of taxes?

7) What is the worst case scenario regarding Net Neutrality?

8) What is the best outcome?

9) How will Net Neutrality in the United States affect the rest of the world?

10) How does Net Neutrality relate to political beliefs?

[ml/nj]

Anyone over 40 can remember a time when you could count the available TV channels on the fingers of one hand.

Only if they lived in the provinces. In 1951 on Long Island, near NYC, we had seven.

ML/NJ

[traviskicks]

"What has AT&T ever done for the Internet?" he asked last week. AT&T chose not to bid on the contract to build the World Wide Web. "What has Comcast ever done for the Internet?"
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lol, what has government ever done for the internet is the more pertinent question, IMO. Butt out Congress. :)

[Tunehead54]

With entities like Ted Kennedy and Moveon.org championing net neutrality I'm comfortable on the other side of the fence on that basis alone. ;-)

[Tunehead54]

I'm 52 and grew up out west - we had the big three and that was it as I recall - ABC, NBC and CBS. Saturday mornings were "big" as that was the only time they had cartoons on! ;-)

[Kirkwood]

Why are you asking only PhDs?

[Tunehead54]

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Stupid class project. The English Composition prof must think only Phds have intelligent opinions or feels sorry for them and figure they'll enjoy the company during the interview. We're just following orders ... ;-)

[Tunehead54]

Blam!

Whenever I run across threads on ancient history, odd facts etc. I always think of pinging you but then I see that you've already posted your thoughts or posted the thread itself!

Know any true Phds? A ping would be appreciated. ;-)

[Kirkwood]

I'm a PhD, but I'm not doing the survey. You can tell your teacher I was a nonrespondent.

[Tunehead54]

Blam

If I'd been a PhD I probably would have remembered to address you in the ping (sigh). Please see #8. Thanks. ;-)

[Tunehead54]

Check. :-(

[blam]

"Know any true Phds? A ping would be appreciated. ;-)"

FReeper 'Charge Carrier', has a PhD in physics. I've pinged him.

[Tunehead54]

FReeper Folks:

This is a one-time ping to a net neutrality article and a request which only applies to FReepers with a PhD:

I still need some PhD responses to a simple survey - short answers are fine - please see my comments at the end of the article.

I do not have a choice in limiting responses to PhDs - of course, if you really wanted to you could probably fool me - you know, not using "you know" a lot; using capitals appropriately, a little punctuation here and there ... ;-)

Anyway its late but some FR help would be great! Ping any PhDs you may know.

Thanks,

TH54

[Tunehead54]

ShadowAce:

A net neutrality article for your review. If you think it warrants a Tech Ping please do. You'll see I have an ulterior motive but I'm just following the rules - note how requiring PhDs denies MDs, JDs, Seasoned Citizens; etc. a "voice" - sigh.

Thanks,

TH54

[HAL9000]

I know the correct answers to those questions - but I don't have a PhD.

[napscoordinator]

Good luck in your quest...no PHD here, but do wish you the best. If you need an MBA guy someday let me know.

[antiRepublicrat]

what has government ever done for the internet is the more pertinent question, IMO.

I'll take "Fund it from the beginning" for $500, Alex.

[Tunehead54]

Thanks much. My own thought is that the PhD requirement almost guarantees a response - if any - from the education field - inserting a bias for no apparent reason. The PhD requirement eliminates large numbers of potential opinions from BA/BS holders and especially graduates of the School of Hard Knocks.

No "mere" college graduates, MBAs, Doctors, lawyers, or Hard Knockers ... Sigh. :-(

[napscoordinator]

No problem. Thanks for responding and I sincerely wish you the best of luck on the project and your pursuits!!!!

[elmer fudd]

"What has AT&T ever done for the Internet?" he asked last week. AT&T chose not to bid on the contract to build the World Wide Web. "What has Comcast ever done for the Internet?"

They've both run thousands of miles of fiber and coax, employed small armies of technicians and linemen and spent tens of billions of dollars installing and upgrading their equipment to provide highspeed internet service to millions of Americans.