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I was wondering, now that Starlink is getting ready for business, if connectivity white spots on the map could not be closed with it. Now, it's a very expensive

I was wondering, now that Starlink is getting ready for business, if connectivity white spots on the map could not be closed with it. Now, it's a very expensive service, and it might be against the TOS?, but it seems like one Starlink ground subscriber station could serve several households via Wifi or similar. Kinda how some of us shared our connection back in the 1990s, just faster. Perhaps the government of the UK could also make deals with Starlink and similar companies. I mean do that if you don't want to dig holes and put cables in them. Also, btw, do we have to say "Sir Tim Berners-Lee"? Call me postmodern, but idgaf if he's a Knight of the UK or the Jedi, it's just character spam. His name is "Tim Berners-Lee", no? (This man is a legend either way.) We say "Paul Graham" not "Dr. Paul Graham, Comp.Sci." and I would also call Professor Albus Dumbledore just Albus Dumbledore, I mean if there was a blogpost about him. :)

mhh__ 6y ago
A knighthood is a seriously different beast to a PhD e.g. Paul Graham will never be shown off alone to an audience of billions in an olympic opening ceremony.
- ralusek 6y ago
  Right. A PhD is proof that you spent years of your life theoretically advancing the boundary of knowledge in your given field. A knighthood is that an old lady thinks you're neat.
  - mhh__ 6y ago
    Knighthoods are actually usually from the government, often for being a world leading researcher or sportsman etc. The fact that the queen or similar taps you on the shoulders is an implementation detail If you want to be petty all you have to do to get a PhD is pass a viva - Two slightly bizarre french "physicists" come to mind
    - Izkata 6y ago
      > Knighthoods are actually usually from the government, often for being a world leading researcher or sportsman etc. This gets lost in translation. I (in the US) tend to see it more like GP does as well.
  - xondono 6y ago
    You could also get your Phd by doing useless stuff for 3 to 5 years and kissing enough ass.
  - curtainsforus 6y ago
    That's a big 'theoretically', and given the government subsidies involved, the value involved quite strongly depends on the field in question, and is often questionable.
- playpause 6y ago
  That was because he invented the web, not because he's a knight. There are thousands of knights in the UK.
throwaway53453 6y ago
> Knight of the UK Technically he's an " Officer of the Order of the British Empire", a bit anachronistic for sure :)
- ethbr0 6y ago
  The British seem to treasure their anachronisms. "Order of the Garter", indeed. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Order_of_the_Garter https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Order_of_the_Garter (Honi soit qui mal y pense)
- deleted 6y ago
  [deleted]
ralusek 6y ago
I think his title should be "www" rather than "Sir"
deleted 6y ago
[deleted]
tannhaeuser 6y ago
> Also, btw, do we have to say "Sir Tim Berners-Lee"? No, that's "Mylord" to you.
jgrahamc 6y ago
Also, btw, do we have to say "Sir Tim Berners-Lee"? The headline comes from the BBC so it is natural that they use his title. Elsewhere he might be referred to differently.
pferde 6y ago
In a world where people increasingly share one or two line console text output as screenshots, you are bothered by three extra characters being character spam? :) I see it as a harmless thing.
ehnto 6y ago
Given it's a British article, it seems quite fair to do so. Just for fun, I'm going to waffle on about your comment a bit! I think your outlook stems from the "individualist" movement and mindset that encourages everyone to see themselves as individuals separate from society and it's constructs. As we have all become a little bit more disconnected from society because of it, and our place within it has become less important, we don't see such achievements as being as important as they once were. How many people don't even know who their town Mayor is? As well, access to information from the internet means you know exactly what this guy did, you know all his achievements already, he is elevated above his knighthood to you because you care more about his achievements than his place in society. Fair enough, and I'd agree! Imagine instead it's 1890 and you're a foundational part of a strong british community, then as graciously as he disembarked from the train, Sir Tim Berners Lee has greeted you. A sir! My goodness, what must he have done? You don't know, all you know is they hold a very important position in the society you're also strongly part of, so you can respect that achievement. Gosh, how exciting!
- leetcrew 6y ago
  I have to say, I don't see the connection between individualism and not caring about an individual's achievements. in fact, I would draw the exact opposite connection. individualism is very much concerned with the achievements of individuals, whether or not that individual is you. in any case, I don't think GP is disregarding what the good sir has accomplished in life. the quibble seems to be with titles specifically. I think egalitarianism would be a better word to describe this position.
  - ehnto 6y ago
    The detail here is that the achievement is acquiring status in a society with which individualism doesn't care about anymore. The OP cares much more for the real achievements, and not much for their title and place in British society (society of old at least) I think you are right about egalitarianism being part of the outlook, I think egalitarianism is part of individualism though. Everyone is as special as everyone else, so your rank in society isn't as important.
wrycoder 6y ago
Starlink, for me, is the same price as cable internet, once the teaser price on the latter expires.
ectopod 6y ago
Americans are sticklers for titles more than Brits. For example, outside of very formal settings no-one calls the prime minister "The Right Honourable Boris Johnson" but the president is nearly always referred to as "President Biden".

mhh__ 6y ago

A knighthood is a seriously different beast to a PhD e.g. Paul Graham will never be shown off alone to an audience of billions in an olympic opening ceremony.

ralusek 6y ago
Right. A PhD is proof that you spent years of your life theoretically advancing the boundary of knowledge in your given field. A knighthood is that an old lady thinks you're neat.
- mhh__ 6y ago
  Knighthoods are actually usually from the government, often for being a world leading researcher or sportsman etc. The fact that the queen or similar taps you on the shoulders is an implementation detail If you want to be petty all you have to do to get a PhD is pass a viva - Two slightly bizarre french "physicists" come to mind
  - Izkata 6y ago
    > Knighthoods are actually usually from the government, often for being a world leading researcher or sportsman etc. This gets lost in translation. I (in the US) tend to see it more like GP does as well.
- xondono 6y ago
  You could also get your Phd by doing useless stuff for 3 to 5 years and kissing enough ass.
- curtainsforus 6y ago
  That's a big 'theoretically', and given the government subsidies involved, the value involved quite strongly depends on the field in question, and is often questionable.
playpause 6y ago
That was because he invented the web, not because he's a knight. There are thousands of knights in the UK.

throwaway53453 6y ago

> Knight of the UK Technically he's an " Officer of the Order of the British Empire", a bit anachronistic for sure :)

ethbr0 6y ago
The British seem to treasure their anachronisms. "Order of the Garter", indeed. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Order_of_the_Garter https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Order_of_the_Garter (Honi soit qui mal y pense)
deleted 6y ago
[deleted]

ralusek 6y ago

I think his title should be "www" rather than "Sir"

deleted 6y ago

[deleted]

tannhaeuser 6y ago

> Also, btw, do we have to say "Sir Tim Berners-Lee"? No, that's "Mylord" to you.

jgrahamc 6y ago

Also, btw, do we have to say "Sir Tim Berners-Lee"? The headline comes from the BBC so it is natural that they use his title. Elsewhere he might be referred to differently.

pferde 6y ago

In a world where people increasingly share one or two line console text output as screenshots, you are bothered by three extra characters being character spam? :) I see it as a harmless thing.

ehnto 6y ago

Given it's a British article, it seems quite fair to do so. Just for fun, I'm going to waffle on about your comment a bit! I think your outlook stems from the "individualist" movement and mindset that encourages everyone to see themselves as individuals separate from society and it's constructs. As we have all become a little bit more disconnected from society because of it, and our place within it has become less important, we don't see such achievements as being as important as they once were. How many people don't even know who their town Mayor is? As well, access to information from the internet means you know exactly what this guy did, you know all his achievements already, he is elevated above his knighthood to you because you care more about his achievements than his place in society. Fair enough, and I'd agree! Imagine instead it's 1890 and you're a foundational part of a strong british community, then as graciously as he disembarked from the train, Sir Tim Berners Lee has greeted you. A sir! My goodness, what must he have done? You don't know, all you know is they hold a very important position in the society you're also strongly part of, so you can respect that achievement. Gosh, how exciting!

leetcrew 6y ago
I have to say, I don't see the connection between individualism and not caring about an individual's achievements. in fact, I would draw the exact opposite connection. individualism is very much concerned with the achievements of individuals, whether or not that individual is you. in any case, I don't think GP is disregarding what the good sir has accomplished in life. the quibble seems to be with titles specifically. I think egalitarianism would be a better word to describe this position.
- ehnto 6y ago
  The detail here is that the achievement is acquiring status in a society with which individualism doesn't care about anymore. The OP cares much more for the real achievements, and not much for their title and place in British society (society of old at least) I think you are right about egalitarianism being part of the outlook, I think egalitarianism is part of individualism though. Everyone is as special as everyone else, so your rank in society isn't as important.

wrycoder 6y ago

Starlink, for me, is the same price as cable internet, once the teaser price on the latter expires.

ectopod 6y ago

Americans are sticklers for titles more than Brits. For example, outside of very formal settings no-one calls the prime minister "The Right Honourable Boris Johnson" but the president is nearly always referred to as "President Biden".