Scary article about the FCC, and "New net neutrality rules"

[Gumboy]

http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2...ency/23882079/

Now, before you go "but its a republican calling for the postponement; surely he is just being a crazy right wing loony!" as I'm sure some people want to...

"A senator who supported the FCC's postponement back then, Chaffetz notes, was then-senator Barack Obama. "He specifically noted while a certain proposal 'may pass the muster of a federal court, Congress and the public have the right to review any specific proposal and decide whether or not it constitutes sound policy. And the commission has the responsibility to defend any new proposal in public discourse and debate,'" Chaffetz said citing the original letter sent by Sen. Obama to Martin."


So, Obama back than was saying "We need to have the right to review any specific proposal and decide whether or not it constitutes sound policy"


So, back than, it was important to review the FCC's new rules; now, it isn't, why exactly? Because it is Obama's appointee? Because he influenced the rule change vote? :

"Originally, Wheeler had planned a different approach, but changed his strategy. His announcement of that shift came after President Obama in November called for tough net neutrality rules based on Title II."


Regardless of your political party, this should frighten you. I don't care if you are the staunchest Democrat of all time, or you don't vote, or you live in England and you do not care in the slightest about American politics, this effects you in the negative.


Other FCC people are even speaking out postponing the "Vote" on rule changes until a 30 day public rule review (Which, if you recall, Barack Obama supported as a senator)

"Also today, FCC commissioners Ajit Pai and Michael O'Rielly too asked for Wheeler to release the proposal to the public and postpone the Thursday vote to allow for 30 days of public comment."

Which, Obama supported just eight years ago, but not now!



The "Defense" against postponing it and making it public is ludicrous; Wheeler claims that it would be a massive policy change, when the FCC itself has done it before, its not like it would be brand new:

"There is precedence for the FCC chairman to make rules public, the commissioners and Rep. Chaffetz said. In 2007, then-chairman Kevin Martin released to the public new media ownership rules and the entire FCC testified in a House hearing prior to the final vote in December."

(Note: Those are the rules that Obama supported in public being released to the public for review, just eight years ago....)



TL;DR:

And one last thing, this is not a political issue for me. I wouldn't care if we had elected a green man from Neptune as our president whose politics were more in line with the ocean people of freaking glagnar 12; this effects the entire world and should not be a secret rule vote by old men who have worked in the phone industry for decades.


Can people put aside political bias for one issue that effects the entire world, and just get the changes made public, so we don't have to be under the roof of new rules, without knowing wtf they are until after they pass?

[Reg]

It should be made public.

And the net should remain neutral. Paid prioritization shouldn't be a thing.

[Gumboy]

It should be made public.

And the net should remain neutral. Paid prioritization shouldn't be a thing.

The funny thing is, that second part is exactly what most people seem to want; its just they don't want 300+ pages of rules nobody has been able to read with all sorts of crap we don't know about attached to it.

And yes, I fully agree it should be public, and this is not even a political issue, period.

[Independent voter]

It should be called the "Netflix Protection Act"

The Republican who said "Congress and the public have the right to review any specific proposal and decide whether or not it constitutes sound policy. And the commission has the responsibility to defend any new proposal in public discourse and debate"

Said that to deflect the fact he's buying time to rally his forces, or to delay the bill as long as possible. It's politics at it's simplest.

[Gumboy]

It should be called the "Netflix Protection Act"

The Republican who said "Congress and the public have the right to review any specific proposal and decide whether or not it constitutes sound policy. And the commission has the responsibility to defend any new proposal in public discourse and debate"

Said that to deflect the fact he's buying time to rally his forces, or to delay the bill as long as possible. It's politics at it's simplest.

Except for the fact that the republican did not say that...he was directly quoting BARACK OBAMA from 2007...did you read the quote? O.o

That is pure political bias, and has no part in the discussion of something that directly effects our entire lives, and the lives of a LOT of people around the world...

Here is the quote again, read the part about who actually said it...

""A senator who supported the FCC's postponement back then, Chaffetz notes, was then-senator Barack Obama. "He specifically noted while a certain proposal 'may pass the muster of a federal court, Congress and the public have the right to review any specific proposal and decide whether or not it constitutes sound policy. And the commission has the responsibility to defend any new proposal in public discourse and debate,'" Chaffetz said citing the original letter sent by Sen. Obama to Martin.""

[Reg]

The funny thing is, that second part is exactly what most people seem to want; its just they don't want 300+ pages of rules nobody has been able to read with all sorts of crap we don't know about attached to it.

And yes, I fully agree it should be public, and this is not even a political issue, period.

The fact it has to be 300+ pages just shows how ridiculous the bureaucratic process really is. It should be one page. Maybe two with a cover.

[Gumboy]

The fact it has to be 300+ pages just shows how ridiculous the bureaucratic process really is. It should be one page. Maybe two with a cover.

And we have NO idea what is on those 300 pages, and they don't want the public to know until after it passes....it is ludicrous that something that effects our entire lives at this point is being used as a political battering ram...

[Puremallace]

He quotes Obama then fails to mention Obama has not allowed Americans to see the TPP trade deal because they know we would revolt

[Gumboy]

http://articles.latimes.com/2007/dec...iness/fi-fcc18

Article from 2007, and people that signed the letter saying it should be delayed until the public and congress could review it:

http://articles.latimes.com/2007/dec...iness/fi-fcc18

"The letter was signed by a bipartisan group led by Sen. Byron L. Dorgan (D-N.D.) and including Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) and Barack Obama (D-Ill.). The senators' letter said they wanted Martin to "understand the consequences of ignoring the need for and the right of the American people to play a constructive role" in revising the media ownership rules."

Why, exactly was it important back then, but not now? o.o

[Rukentuts]

The fact it has to be 300+ pages just shows how ridiculous the bureaucratic process really is. It should be one page. Maybe two with a cover.

You'd be surprised how fast specifications blow up in scope when you have to explain the how. Especially if it gets anywhere remotely technical.

[Gumboy]

He quotes Obama then fails to mention Obama has not allowed Americans to see the TPP trade deal because they know we would revolt

I don't know about revolt :P

I just don't understand how you can go from demanding it be public when you are not in charge, to attempting to rush it through in private when you are in charge...its complete hypocrisy.

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You'd be surprised how fast specifications blow up in scope when you have to explain the how. Especially if it gets anywhere remotely technical.

Meh, the mere fact that it is 300+ pages is not a HUGE concern to me, though it will probably be insanely boring reading for the most part, and most people, if they DO postpone it to allow the public to see it.

[Rukentuts]

Meh, the mere fact that it is 300+ pages is not a HUGE concern to me, though it will probably be insanely boring reading for the most part, and most people, if they DO postpone it to allow the public to see it.

There's probably a whole bunch of requirements in the regulations "specification" (for lack of better word) they have to touch on, even if to explain that they didn't have to touch on it.

[Nadiru]

You'd be surprised how fast specifications blow up in scope when you have to explain the how. Especially if it gets anywhere remotely technical.

Lawyers ought to do a rotation writing for SimpleWiki. Maybe a requisite to take the bar?

[Rukh]

It will be public when its ready to be made public. It would be bad to make a draft public and have people make their decisions based on things that may totally go away or be changed.

In the meantime, here's a summary:
http://transition.fcc.gov/Daily_Rele...C-331869A1.pdf

It gives you enough information to know what its going to do without having to wade through all the lawyereese that has to be in there so comcast doesn't find some arcane loophole when they sic their 10,000 lawyers on it.

[Gumboy]

"At a September 2007 public hearing in Chicago, Senator Obama submitted a statement that he ‘strongly requested’ the FCC ‘put out any changes that they intend to vote on in a new notice of proposed rulemaking,’” Chaffetz wrote.

A month after his September 2007 statement, Sen. Obama submitted a letter to then-FCC Chairman Kevin Martin arguing that the “proposed timeline and process” used by the agency to adopt rules are “irresponsible,” noting that while a specific proposal “may pass the muster of a federal court, Congress and the public have the right to review any specific proposal and decide whether or not it constitutes sound policy.”"


Why exactly should it have been open back then, but now it is just fine to rush it through with no public/congressional viewing?

[Daez]

So in short...

You are complaining about regulations when you do not even know what they are because they have not been made public. You have NO idea (nor do any of the rest of us) what those regulations are that you are complaining about, and you are just complaining because... Obama.

[Gumboy]

It will be public when its ready to be made public. It would be bad to make a draft public and have people make their decisions based on things that may totally go away or be changed.

In the meantime, here's a summary:
http://transition.fcc.gov/Daily_Rele...C-331869A1.pdf

It gives you enough information to know what its going to do without having to wade through all the lawyereese that has to be in there so comcast doesn't find some arcane loophole when they sic their 10,000 lawyers on it.

"It will be made public after we pass the rules" is not a good excuse...

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So in short...

You are complaining about regulations when you do not even know what they are because they have not been made public. You have NO idea (nor do any of the rest of us) what those regulations are that you are complaining about, and you are just complaining because... Obama.

I am *NOT* complaining because its obama, if you had actually read the OP you would realize that.

Obama was one of the strongest opponents of this process being private.....when he wasn't in power. Why change now?

[Rukh]

"It will be made public after we pass the rules" is not a good excuse...

Not after, when. It will be submitted for the vote. As I said before, giving people a draft that may have things that are not present in the version that gets voted on, or things that are not yet added to the final version are going to mislead people.

[Reg]

So in short...

You are complaining about regulations when you do not even know what they are because they have not been made public. You have NO idea (nor do any of the rest of us) what those regulations are that you are complaining about, and you are just complaining because... Obama.

He's complaining that the proposed regulations aren't being made public, not the regulations themselves. That would be tough to do without seeing them. I support Obama more often than not and I agree. Any proposed regulations on net neutrality should be made public, or on any propositions for that matter.

[Gumboy]

I wouldn't care if it was a Republican saying those things. Or a communist. Or a nazi. This is not a political issue, that is being attempted to be FORCED into a political issue....for reasons I don't think anyone understands.


This is simply not a political "Side" or partisan issue. This effects every single person reading this, whether you are from the US or not.

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Not after, when.

So when the rule changes go live, we will know the new rules. that makes NO sense. None.

And Obama himself agrees with me. Or at least he used to.

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He's complaining that the proposed regulations aren't being made public, not the regulations themselves. That would be tough to do without seeing them. I support Obama more often than not and I agree. Any proposed regulations on net neutrality should be made public, or on any propositions for that matter.

I mean, this is not some podunk rule change that changes basically nothing for daily life of the american (And, the world). This is a MASSIVE change, that is being made in secret, by a commitee of old men that have worked in the phone industry for decades.