4 ms·

Writing laws feels a bit like a monkey's paw. No matter how well written a law is they often have unintended consequences or are implemented manners that weren'

Writing laws feels a bit like a monkey's paw. No matter how well written a law is they often have unintended consequences or are implemented manners that weren't imagined. I don't think the bill's author/sponsor is fully to blame (they aren't guiltless either). Centurylink certain did not have to implement this requirement in the way it was done. The most depressing aspect to this is the lack competition. The author is unable to move to a competitor which did not behave this way.

peteradio 8y ago
Laws should be written specifically. It should be expected that they will go obsolete and it should be routine to expunge/replace laws as tech changes. If they meant email they should have put email.
- JohnFen 8y ago
  "If they meant email they should have put email." If they put email, then that would have required the use of email. That's certainly more narrow than they intended, as it would exclude other acceptable methods such as sending a physical letter, including a notice with the invoice, etc. This is 100% on CenturyLink.
  - pwg 8y ago
    clause (B) of the statute specifically authorized "notice with the invoice" - which if the invoice were physical postal mailed, would have then included "sending a physical letter".
- jjuhl 8y ago
  Have you ever engaged with politicians much? I think not. What you wrote is very naive. Yes, laws should be specific, but they never will be.
  - peteradio 8y ago
    I used the word "should" 4 times, never stating any expectation. What is naive about that? I realize how fucked is our current system of laws and lawmaking.
- chrisweekly 8y ago
  Disagree. Lawmakers are so clueless about technology. Insisting that they take in more responsibility for specifying precise technical details is the last thing we should do.
  - theandrewbailey 8y ago
    Writing a law that says "send an email" is the exact detail needed. In this situation, that is not the technical details that legislators should be staying away from.
gronne 8y ago
However: This particular law was not well written.
- jjuhl 8y ago
  Are they ever?
- donarb 8y ago
  No laws are written in a vacuum. Century Link most likely even participated in having this law drafted. No doubt they have lawyers in every state capital watching for laws that affect their business.
ryanlol 8y ago
>they aren't guiltless either How is the bill's author/sponsor at all to blame for centurylink doing this? They could just as well be doing this without the bill existing.
- gameswithgo 8y ago
  It isn't, but hackernews is full of people who have fully bought into the idea that all government things are bad.
  - acdha 8y ago
    There’s been a huge propaganda campaign since the 1930s trying to roll back the New Deal. So many familiar faces and concepts owe their familiarity to a stream of corporate money which started flowing to Christian libertarian pastors, magazines, etc. and, later, televangelists and movements pushing for Eisenhower-era introductions of public displays of business-friendly Christianity. Kevin Kruse wrote a great book outlining the history: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22928900 https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22928900

peteradio 8y ago

Laws should be written specifically. It should be expected that they will go obsolete and it should be routine to expunge/replace laws as tech changes. If they meant email they should have put email.

JohnFen 8y ago
"If they meant email they should have put email." If they put email, then that would have required the use of email. That's certainly more narrow than they intended, as it would exclude other acceptable methods such as sending a physical letter, including a notice with the invoice, etc. This is 100% on CenturyLink.
- pwg 8y ago
  clause (B) of the statute specifically authorized "notice with the invoice" - which if the invoice were physical postal mailed, would have then included "sending a physical letter".
jjuhl 8y ago
Have you ever engaged with politicians much? I think not. What you wrote is very naive. Yes, laws should be specific, but they never will be.
- peteradio 8y ago
  I used the word "should" 4 times, never stating any expectation. What is naive about that? I realize how fucked is our current system of laws and lawmaking.
chrisweekly 8y ago
Disagree. Lawmakers are so clueless about technology. Insisting that they take in more responsibility for specifying precise technical details is the last thing we should do.
- theandrewbailey 8y ago
  Writing a law that says "send an email" is the exact detail needed. In this situation, that is not the technical details that legislators should be staying away from.

gronne 8y ago

However: This particular law was not well written.

jjuhl 8y ago
Are they ever?
donarb 8y ago
No laws are written in a vacuum. Century Link most likely even participated in having this law drafted. No doubt they have lawyers in every state capital watching for laws that affect their business.

ryanlol 8y ago

>they aren't guiltless either How is the bill's author/sponsor at all to blame for centurylink doing this? They could just as well be doing this without the bill existing.

gameswithgo 8y ago
It isn't, but hackernews is full of people who have fully bought into the idea that all government things are bad.
- acdha 8y ago
  There’s been a huge propaganda campaign since the 1930s trying to roll back the New Deal. So many familiar faces and concepts owe their familiarity to a stream of corporate money which started flowing to Christian libertarian pastors, magazines, etc. and, later, televangelists and movements pushing for Eisenhower-era introductions of public displays of business-friendly Christianity. Kevin Kruse wrote a great book outlining the history: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22928900 https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22928900