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I'm in the camp that the astroturf is running high right now; but moreover, the claim that "we haven't seen it!!" is also, I think, meaningless and irrelevant.

by Frondo 12y ago

I'm in the camp that the astroturf is running high right now; but moreover, the claim that "we haven't seen it!!" is also, I think, meaningless and irrelevant. I keep thinking about that Richelieu quote, "If you give me six lines written by the hand of the most honest of men, I will find something in them which will hang him." My suspicion is, the people clamoring about not seeing the regulations, given a chance to see them, would still find something to object to, because, like a lot of other people here suspect, the point isn't a rational objection, the point is to collect a paycheck by faking widespread grassroots outrage.

kijin 12y ago
Trying to discredit a good-enough proposal by yelling "But it's not perfect!" is typical of modern politics. And the tactic is terrifyingly effective. We in the hacker community should know better than anyone else that iteration, not a once-and-for-all solution, is the key to ultimate success. Unfortunately, it is difficult even for well-educated people to throw off the influence of the dominant political rhetoric. The fact that our political systems are designed to make iteration difficult doesn't help, either. But the U.S. government ain't going anywhere for the foreseeable future, and neither is Comcast. Today's announcement is little more than an MVP. There'll be plenty of opportunity for iterative --and sometimes even revolutionary -- improvement in the years and decades to come.
- Frondo 12y ago
  There's even a saying that gets at what you're going for: The perfect is the enemy of the good. Is this the perfect government regulation? Probably not. Better than the old way? Oh yes. Same thing for Obamacare. Perfect way to give health care to a nation? Definitely not. Better than it was before? As someone who was ineligible for health insurance due to a surgery I'd had in my 20s, oh yes. (On a side note, and as a general rule, I look to see: are big, entrenched, unpopular companies fighting a regulation? If they are, that's a sign that it's probably a regulation that's good for consumers, probably one I'd support.)

by Frondo 12y ago

kijin 12y ago

Trying to discredit a good-enough proposal by yelling "But it's not perfect!" is typical of modern politics. And the tactic is terrifyingly effective. We in the hacker community should know better than anyone else that iteration, not a once-and-for-all solution, is the key to ultimate success. Unfortunately, it is difficult even for well-educated people to throw off the influence of the dominant political rhetoric. The fact that our political systems are designed to make iteration difficult doesn't help, either. But the U.S. government ain't going anywhere for the foreseeable future, and neither is Comcast. Today's announcement is little more than an MVP. There'll be plenty of opportunity for iterative --and sometimes even revolutionary -- improvement in the years and decades to come.

Frondo 12y ago
There's even a saying that gets at what you're going for: The perfect is the enemy of the good. Is this the perfect government regulation? Probably not. Better than the old way? Oh yes. Same thing for Obamacare. Perfect way to give health care to a nation? Definitely not. Better than it was before? As someone who was ineligible for health insurance due to a surgery I'd had in my 20s, oh yes. (On a side note, and as a general rule, I look to see: are big, entrenched, unpopular companies fighting a regulation? If they are, that's a sign that it's probably a regulation that's good for consumers, probably one I'd support.)