![[small-web-version_harperfree_poster.jpg]](https://1.bp.blogspot.com/_WGczmWu7Wwc/SdCJyy2LN1I/AAAAAAAABWE/ABYCkbJaKaQ/s1600/small-web-version_harperfree_poster.jpg)
Yeah, yeah, I know. A coherent policy framework may be too much to expect, given the Harper government’s predilections.
But one of the most important steps in building that framework is clearing away the bullshit. We need to dispense with the straw men, and the false assumptions, and the phony analogies, and the red herrings, because all they do is cloud the issue and make intelligent discussion impossible.
I’m talking about the debate over internet access and billing, of course, but those observations could apply to pretty well any policy debate. So, henceforth: anyone who uses the term “bandwidth hog” or suggests that “light users shouldn’t have to subsidize heavy users” is guilty of deliberately distorting the issues and attempting to poison the discussion. I’m sorry, but unless you’re Ted Stevens, it’s not mere ignorance any more.
Emotionally loaded terms such as those are calculated to shift the conversation away from reason and evidence and into volatile territory wherein people are more vulnerable to manipulation. Using them is prima facie evidence of an intention to hijack the discussion, and anyone who keeps throwing them around is not arguing in good faith.
More to come.
(Cross-posted from over here.)
Excellent post. Bell & Shaw use those comments repeatedly, in an attempt to gain the support of “light users”. Preying on naive, non-tech savvy people, to believe their ridiculous comparisons of “bandwidth to hydro” etc. Looks like the CRTC fell for it, though! Consumers need to understand that Bell/Shaw have no reason to care about Canadians. They have a duopoly, and are taking FULL advantage of the situation to misrepresent information, and spread deceit, to buff up their year-end profits.
UBB is like buying gasoline at the pump for $50, and then paying $1 for every mile that you drive. Then at the end of the month, if you have any gas left in your tank, you don’t get to keep it.
ISPs are charging us $50 per month, which easily covers our usage, plus a huge profit, and then expecting us to pay for our usage a SECOND TIME! It costs less than a penny per GB, and they charge $2-$5 per GB!
It’s time to prove our ISPs claims of “network congestion” with independent research. UBB is just an excuse to limit our access to their web-based cable TV competitors, such as Netflix.
The people who are in power in Canada need to read this article:
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Canadian-Caps-Arent-Economically-Justified-112535
http://www.openmedia.ca/meter