Verizon's Diabolical Plan to turn the Web into pay-per-view

Probably this is not a wise thing to say publicly, but look at the history of things. When the internet gets overblow, oversold, over-commercialized, and over-patrolled, it's only natural that an alternative would eventually replace it. What we need is a 100% new, open standard, overhauled framework that enforces privacy and availability of all content. Delivery would be the big issue, as the current methods and lines are all owned by corporations. Probably radio or satellite will be the only logical choice.

I love the internet, but I suspect it's days are numbered in the form it is now. People will always produce a new, better alternative when the current choice becomes undesirable.

And yes, I am a programmer and web designer, and I realize that what I am saying would involve tremendous effort to accomplish ;)

I work in the tech industry too.

But if the Internet turns into some sort of cable tv packaged crap, I will cease to use it. Think 1993 AOL. I won't go back to that.

They want to create bandwidth lanes with more speed and access the more you pay.

So you're saying that Verizon wants to gain control of the access to the internet, not the content.

Sounds really shitty regardless.

Remember the big selling point of cable TV was that there were no ads because you paid a regular fee? Now you pay the fee and have to watch ads too. It'll be the same with PPV internet: people may pay with the promise of better quality and less spam, but the spam will return eventually. Bait and switch.

I remember also a meeting some years ago between Oblamebush and all the heads of the tech giants such as Apple, Microsoft, PayPal, etc. I'm sure now that involved not only spying but also ultimately control. And as long as we depend on ISPs and their cables and satellites, any new internet would be just as vulnerable to the control freaks.

But just as I stopped paying for cable years ago and bought a digital antenna, I'd stop using non-free internet and fina another way to communicate. My business is web development, but there's a line I won't cross.

Right there with you. I think it's time we learned from the mistakes of this iteration and try again. I love the tech behind it all (I am writing a CMS as we speak), but I could say goodbye to it for a more viable alternative.