[PLUG-TALK] Google Fiber - delayed

[Keith Lofstrom]

On Tue, Jul 19, 2016 at 02:54:06PM -0700, Pete Lancashire wrote:
> http://www.oregonlive.com/silicon-forest/index.ssf/2016/07/google_fiber_will_delay_portla.html

On Tue, Jul 19, 2016 at 04:39:08PM -0700, Michael Rasmussen wrote:
> Understatement:
> "The surprise delay represents a big disappointment to Portland's
> internet surfers, who had nurtured hopes for more than two years that
> Google would bring its superfast service to the region."

I think this is our lucky chance to refocus on growing 
our own local capabilities, free of Google snooping.

Superfast service does not require Google.  We can buy
the same equipment they can.  "We" meaning those of us
who do the work, and our neighbors who pay us to do it.

While I have some issues with the "public utility"
aspect of Russell Senior's proposals, I agree much
more with his ideas than Google's approach.  

Make no mistake.  Google makes big profits from delivering
free/subsidized internet to individuals, because they sell
individual data to their real customers:  the government
spies and corporate marketers who are stripping us of
our freedom, savings, and self-improvement. 

How many of you have enough money saved to buy a house,
raise a family, and retire?  How many of you can imagine
doing something audacious like developing the skill,
relationships, reputation, and confidence to build
Portland's network infrastructure LOCALLY?  Portland
was founded by pioneers, but is mostly populated with
wage-slave consumers, subservient to corporate and
government masters.

The internet-provisioning triumverate of "municipality,
private utility, google" needs a new competitor, growing
out of the unique talents of our community.  I'm not
smart enough to invent that, but some of you reading
this are.  When you invent a scalable new solution, we
will help deploy it, and we will keep deploying it to the
far corners of the globe.  By doing this great good for
the world, will earn the local community wealth that will
pay for our homes and families and retirement - and for
richer public spaces we can share with the poor.

Fuck "free as in beer".  Aim for "free as in freedom!"

Keith

Keith Lofstrom          keithl at keithl.com