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Submission + - What Everyone Gets Wrong in the Debate Over Net Neutrality (wired.com)

Submitted by walterbyrd
walterbyrd writes: “Fast lane is how the internet is built today,” says Craig Labovitz, who, as the CEO of DeepField Networks, an outfit whose sole mission is to track how companies build internet infrastructure, probably knows more about the design of the modern internet than anyone else. And many other internet experts agree with him. “The net neutrality debate has got many facets to it, and most of the points of the debate are artificial, distracting, and based on an incorrect mental model on how the internet works,” says Dave Taht, a developer of open-source networking software.

Submission + - The way we board airplanes makes absolutely no sense (vox.com)

Submitted by walterbyrd
walterbyrd writes: Most US airlines follow the same procedure for allowing non-first-class passengers to board a plane. They let people who are sitting in the back board first, then people in the next few rows, gradually working their way toward the front.

This procedure makes absolutely no sense.

The fastest ways to board a plane are Southwest's boarding method — where people choose their own seats — or a theoretical boarding method known as the "Steffen method" that's not currently in use

Comment How amazingly convenient! (Score 0) 682

by walterbyrd (#47272445) Attached to: IRS Recycled Lerner Hard Drive

The hard crashed right after it was discovered that the IRS was involved in a partisan scam. Perfect timing.

And this from an administration so well known for it's cover-ups - like the Benghazi cover-up.

If this is what the government claims, then it must be true. We never get anything but 100% truth from our government, right?

Comment 1997 and badly disappointed (Score 1) 204

by walterbyrd (#47272279) Attached to: X Window System Turns 30 Years Old

I heard so much about Linux, and how it blew Windows away, in terms of performance.

At the time, Windows 1995 ran acceptably well on a 386. Linux, with Gnome, was so slow, I could practically count the pixels as they appeared on my screen.

These days, I use Linux, nearly exclusively. On modern hardware, I think Linux does just fine. But on 1990s era hardware, not so much.

Submission + - Ask for the resignation of Tom Wheeler (Head of the FCC) (whitehouse.gov)

Submitted by walterbyrd
walterbyrd writes: It is now clear that Tom Wheeler is not a representative of the people, but corporations. Previously to taking his current position Wheeler was the former head of 2 different lobbying organizations, which represented companies like Verizon, Comcast, and At&t. His actions helped turn them into the monopolies that they are today.

Comment Did Apple start the "patent bully" thing? (Score 3, Interesting) 140

Or is that just another idea that somebody else invented, but Apple perfected? Then Microsoft steals the idea from Apple?

In the early 1990s, Apple was suing everybody over this "look and feel" nonsense.

Apple has to be the ultimate patent trolling software company. Especially considering their patents are mostly over silly design issues that Apple did not even "invent."

But as horrible as Apple is, Microsoft comes close.

Submission + - Chinese gov't reveals Microsoft's secret list of Android-killer patents (arstechnica.com)

Submitted by walterbyrd
walterbyrd writes: A list of hundreds of patents that Microsoft believes entitle it to royalties over Android phones, and perhaps smartphones in general, has been published on a Chinese language website.

The patents Microsoft plans to wield against Android describe a range of technologies. They include lots of technologies developed at Microsoft, as well as patents that Microsoft acquired by participating in the Rockstar Consortium, which spent $4.5 billion on patents that were auctioned off after the Nortel bankruptcy.

Comment Getting erroneous statements from ATT for years (Score 1) 65

by walterbyrd (#47229605) Attached to: AT&T Says Customer Data Accessed To Unlock Smartphones

I constantly get statements from ATT saying "we have deducted this money from your bank account" I have been getting them for two years, at least.

ATT tells me it is a glitch in their system, and not to worry about it.

So far, no money has been wrong deducted, that I am aware of.

However, I do not consider this to be confidence inspiring.

Submission + - Cable companies duped community groups into fighting net neutrality (engadget.com)

Submitted by walterbyrd
walterbyrd writes: Last week, it transpired that the big cable companies were bankrolling fake consumer groups like Broadband for America and The American Consumer Institute. These "independent consumer advocacy groups" are, in truth, nothing of the sort, and instead represent the interests of its benefactors, in the fight against net neutrality. If that wasn't bad enough, VICE is now reporting that several of the real community groups (oh, and an Ohio bed-and-breakfast) that were signed up as supporters of Broadband for America were either duped into joining, or were signed up to the cause without their consent or knowledge.

Comment Benjamin Franklin? Daniel Ellsberg? (Score 1) 389

Is Snowden in the same class as these patriots?

> Like Edward Snowden, Benjamin Franklin Was Called a Traitor For Informing the People About the Actions of its Government
http://www.washingtonsblog.com/2013/10/like-edward-snowden-benjamin-franklin-was-called-a-traitor-for-informing-the-people-about-the-actions-of-its-government.html

> Pentagon Papers Leaker Daniel Ellsberg Praises Snowden, Manning
http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/08/03/208602113/pentagon-papers-leaker-daniel-ellsberg-praises-snowden-manning

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