4 ms·

I was with you up until "The solution is to have ten CloudFlares so that the path between consumers and websites isn't regulated by a single organization." Thi

I was with you up until "The solution is to have ten CloudFlares so that the path between consumers and websites isn't regulated by a single organization." This is hardly a solution, it just spreads the pain around. A solution would be a democratically planned organization, or group thereof, which is responsible to all shareholders including users, employees, executives, and investors.

lbotos 5y ago
Uh, I still don't one one company to be between me and most of the internet, no matter how it's governed. (And if you wanna be snarky and say "what about your ISP" I can choose to use different ISPs. And even that is getting threatened.)
- Aeolun 5y ago
  There is one company between you and gas, water and electricity. By all measures those seem a lot more important. How is this different?
  - adib 5y ago
    ... Technically for us at least the _gas_ company is different. In fact there are a number of companies providing gas.
  - ajsnigrutin 5y ago
    Basically all of those companies are regulated, and none of them can cut you off, because you did something stupid. You can even murder someone, and they can't cut you off.
    - qweqwweqwe-90i 5y ago
      They can easily cut you off if you dont pay.
      - ajsnigrutin 5y ago
        Well yeah, sometimes. In some countries (i believe france), they can only limit power to lightning (a couple of hundred watts limit, so not totally off) if you don't pay, and if your only cooking appliance is using electricity (electric stove), they can't even limit that.
    - plankers 5y ago
      Right. So when a company has a natural monopoly on a resource or a service, it makes sense to regulate them strictly. Which company are we talking about again?
    - aftbit 5y ago
      I thought that before the pandemic too. Apparently the mayor of LA has the ability to cut off power and water though. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/los-angeles-cuts-utilities-pandemic-party-house-hollywood-hills-n1237363 https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/los-angeles-cuts-utilit...
dredmorbius 5y ago
Part of the solution to monopoly is in fact multiple providers. I did say part. Regulation and transparency also help. None are individually sufficient.

lbotos 5y ago

Uh, I still don't one one company to be between me and most of the internet, no matter how it's governed. (And if you wanna be snarky and say "what about your ISP" I can choose to use different ISPs. And even that is getting threatened.)

Aeolun 5y ago
There is one company between you and gas, water and electricity. By all measures those seem a lot more important. How is this different?
- adib 5y ago
  ... Technically for us at least the _gas_ company is different. In fact there are a number of companies providing gas.
- ajsnigrutin 5y ago
  Basically all of those companies are regulated, and none of them can cut you off, because you did something stupid. You can even murder someone, and they can't cut you off.
  - qweqwweqwe-90i 5y ago
    They can easily cut you off if you dont pay.
    - ajsnigrutin 5y ago
      Well yeah, sometimes. In some countries (i believe france), they can only limit power to lightning (a couple of hundred watts limit, so not totally off) if you don't pay, and if your only cooking appliance is using electricity (electric stove), they can't even limit that.
  - plankers 5y ago
    Right. So when a company has a natural monopoly on a resource or a service, it makes sense to regulate them strictly. Which company are we talking about again?
  - aftbit 5y ago
    I thought that before the pandemic too. Apparently the mayor of LA has the ability to cut off power and water though. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/los-angeles-cuts-utilities-pandemic-party-house-hollywood-hills-n1237363 https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/los-angeles-cuts-utilit...

dredmorbius 5y ago

Part of the solution to monopoly is in fact multiple providers. I did say part. Regulation and transparency also help. None are individually sufficient.