Comments on: The Empire Has no Clothes http://peteashdown.org/journal/2005/09/20/the-empire-has-no-clothes/ Fast Forward the Future Sun, 14 Mar 2010 20:39:03 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Hammer of Truth » Profile: Pete Ashdown, US Senate 2006 http://peteashdown.org/journal/2005/09/20/the-empire-has-no-clothes/comment-page-1/#comment-88 Hammer of Truth » Profile: Pete Ashdown, US Senate 2006 Thu, 01 Dec 2005 18:49:12 +0000 http://peteashdown.org/journal/?p=23#comment-88 [...] OK, the million dollar question, is he libertarian? Short answer: no, democrat. Longer answer: he’s a left-of-center libertarian with free market views that tip him more left of center than most purist libertarians will like: The march towards privatizing and deregulating everything is where I depart with my Libertarian friends. The free-market only works if there is robust competition. The “invisible hand” becomes “invisible clothes” when you start looking at infrastructure, health care, and energy. If the market is dominated by a powerful entity or if entry is cost-impossible, then how does competition have a chance? In fact it doesn’t and guess who suffers? [...] [...] OK, the million dollar question, is he libertarian? Short answer: no, democrat. Longer answer: he’s a left-of-center libertarian with free market views that tip him more left of center than most purist libertarians will like: The march towards privatizing and deregulating everything is where I depart with my Libertarian friends. The free-market only works if there is robust competition. The “invisible hand” becomes “invisible clothes” when you start looking at infrastructure, health care, and energy. If the market is dominated by a powerful entity or if entry is cost-impossible, then how does competition have a chance? In fact it doesn’t and guess who suffers? [...]

]]> By: Jeff Poole http://peteashdown.org/journal/2005/09/20/the-empire-has-no-clothes/comment-page-1/#comment-17 Jeff Poole Sun, 02 Oct 2005 18:32:56 +0000 http://peteashdown.org/journal/?p=23#comment-17 Wireless is a horrible last mile solution in metropolitan areas. It works great in rural areas, and I am looking forward to WiMax use for that purpose. But when you get too many people on a wireless network, you lose speed dramatically, just like any other shared medium network (Ethernet). If we were planning on never needing more than a couple hundred kilobits/sec for each person, it could work. But, trust me, once the infrastructure is in place, we will be using our net connections as the sole source of information transmission in our homes. Phones, TV, everything will be over IP because you only need one strand of fiber to support everything you could possibly need. I am looking forward to 2006 when we might have a chance of having a Senator who isn't openly hostile to technology. Wireless is a horrible last mile solution in metropolitan areas. It works great in rural areas, and I am looking forward to WiMax use for that purpose. But when you get too many people on a wireless network, you lose speed dramatically, just like any other shared medium network (Ethernet). If we were planning on never needing more than a couple hundred kilobits/sec for each person, it could work. But, trust me, once the infrastructure is in place, we will be using our net connections as the sole source of information transmission in our homes. Phones, TV, everything will be over IP because you only need one strand of fiber to support everything you could possibly need. I am looking forward to 2006 when we might have a chance of having a Senator who isn’t openly hostile to technology.

]]> By: Justin http://peteashdown.org/journal/2005/09/20/the-empire-has-no-clothes/comment-page-1/#comment-16 Justin Fri, 30 Sep 2005 05:52:50 +0000 http://peteashdown.org/journal/?p=23#comment-16 I wonder if there is an inherent problem in using One style of economy in such a large country as the US. Having everything (infrastructure, manufacturing, business, etc) only state or privately owned both have advantages, but on such a massive scale, the disadvantages loom very large. Just as a hybrid petro/electric engine does a very good job of powering a car, a balanced gov/private economy seems to do a better job of powering sustainable growth than an either/or solution. As we're learning in Australia with some strong moves towards a more privatised health system, perhaps organisations whose primary focus is the bottom line don't really have a patient's long-term best health interests in mind when making decisions. Just in terms of having Wireless as last-mile technology, wouldn't that make it easier to eavesdrop on your neighbor's surfing habits and/or private e-mails? Even 802.11g isn't perfect, it's just much harder to crack than previous standards. I wonder if there is an inherent problem in using One style of economy in such a large country as the US. Having everything (infrastructure, manufacturing, business, etc) only state or privately owned both have advantages, but on such a massive scale, the disadvantages loom very large. Just as a hybrid petro/electric engine does a very good job of powering a car, a balanced gov/private economy seems to do a better job of powering sustainable growth than an either/or solution. As we’re learning in Australia with some strong moves towards a more privatised health system, perhaps organisations whose primary focus is the bottom line don’t really have a patient’s long-term best health interests in mind when making decisions.

Just in terms of having Wireless as last-mile technology, wouldn’t that make it easier to eavesdrop on your neighbor’s surfing habits and/or private e-mails? Even 802.11g isn’t perfect, it’s just much harder to crack than previous standards.

]]> By: Pete Ashdown http://peteashdown.org/journal/2005/09/20/the-empire-has-no-clothes/comment-page-1/#comment-15 Pete Ashdown Thu, 29 Sep 2005 16:45:03 +0000 http://peteashdown.org/journal/?p=23#comment-15 Wireless is a good solution for in-house or area mobility, not last mile connections. In no way does it carry near the potential that fiber carries. I don't view current single-fiber capacity of 1.6 terabits as a "short term" solution. Wireless is a good solution for in-house or area mobility, not last mile connections. In no way does it carry near the potential that fiber carries. I don’t view current single-fiber capacity of 1.6 terabits as a “short term” solution.

]]> By: Ken Eltinge http://peteashdown.org/journal/2005/09/20/the-empire-has-no-clothes/comment-page-1/#comment-14 Ken Eltinge Thu, 29 Sep 2005 02:54:49 +0000 http://peteashdown.org/journal/?p=23#comment-14 The Empire has no clothes position would be fine if everything we had was hard wired for broadband. A trip to the CES would show you that wireless is taking over. Last mile solutions should all be wireless and with new technology allowing existing copper wire to carry more band width the "fiber optic road" may be a very expensive short term solution. The Empire has no clothes position would be fine if everything we had was hard wired for broadband. A trip to the CES would show you that wireless is taking over. Last mile solutions should all be wireless and with new technology allowing existing copper wire to carry more band width the “fiber optic road” may be a very expensive short term solution.

]]> By: Travel Blog http://peteashdown.org/journal/2005/09/20/the-empire-has-no-clothes/comment-page-1/#comment-13 Travel Blog Thu, 22 Sep 2005 02:50:45 +0000 http://peteashdown.org/journal/?p=23#comment-13 <strong>The Empire Has No Clothes</strong> Another view on Amtrak funding.... The Empire Has No Clothes

Another view on Amtrak funding….

]]> By: Loretta Gale http://peteashdown.org/journal/2005/09/20/the-empire-has-no-clothes/comment-page-1/#comment-12 Loretta Gale Wed, 21 Sep 2005 21:48:44 +0000 http://peteashdown.org/journal/?p=23#comment-12 I am also a strong supporter of UTOPIA. A few years ago, I was at the Taylorsville City Council meeting when Paul Morris approached the City Council regarding funding the feasibility study. (Incidentally, I believe that Taylorsville voted for the money for the feasibility study, but have now withdrawn from UTOPIA. Regardless of all the techno-mumbo jumbo (sorry Pete, but sometimes Techies do speak their own language), one analogy stood out in my mind. At this meeting, Paul said that the fiber optics would be just like the streets & roads that the cities, states and federal government maintain. Many people travel those roads. Businesses have locations right by those roads. All pay taxes, in some form or another, to maintain and build those roads. Paul continued stating that various ISPs, cable companies, telecom companies and more (some businesses that might not even have been invented yet) would use these fiber optic “roads” to conduct business. Residential folks would travel the roads just like Mom and Pop driving down the freeway—doing whatever they do. I am not an expert on UTOPIA, but I have followed the issue during the legislative sessions. It appears (please correct me if I’m wrong) that the main opposition to UTOPIA comes from the big telephone and cable companies (ex. Qwest, AT&T, Comcast, etc). I’m not sure I want those guys building our digital freeways! I want to travel fast and unencumbered by profit seeking entities. There is a reason our physical highways are build and maintained by governmental entities. I love our free market system, but I also firmly believe this is an example where tax payer dollars should be used to pay for public services. I believe it is imperative that UTOPIA, or some other governmental entity, build these high speed digital roads. It will prevent monopolies and corporate gluttony—give small businesses a chance and give our citizens and students the opportunities they so deserve. I am also a strong supporter of UTOPIA. A few years ago, I was at the Taylorsville City Council meeting when Paul Morris approached the City Council regarding funding the feasibility study. (Incidentally, I believe that Taylorsville voted for the money for the feasibility study, but have now withdrawn from UTOPIA.

Regardless of all the techno-mumbo jumbo (sorry Pete, but sometimes Techies do speak their own language), one analogy stood out in my mind. At this meeting, Paul said that the fiber optics would be just like the streets & roads that the cities, states and federal government maintain. Many people travel those roads. Businesses have locations right by those roads. All pay taxes, in some form or another, to maintain and build those roads.

Paul continued stating that various ISPs, cable companies, telecom companies and more (some businesses that might not even have been invented yet) would use these fiber optic “roads” to conduct business. Residential folks would travel the roads just like Mom and Pop driving down the freeway—doing whatever they do.

I am not an expert on UTOPIA, but I have followed the issue during the legislative sessions. It appears (please correct me if I’m wrong) that the main opposition to UTOPIA comes from the big telephone and cable companies (ex. Qwest, AT&T, Comcast, etc). I’m not sure I want those guys building our digital freeways! I want to travel fast and unencumbered by profit seeking entities. There is a reason our physical highways are build and maintained by governmental entities. I love our free market system, but I also firmly believe this is an example where tax payer dollars should be used to pay for public services.

I believe it is imperative that UTOPIA, or some other governmental entity, build these high speed digital roads. It will prevent monopolies and corporate gluttony—give small businesses a chance and give our citizens and students the opportunities they so deserve.

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