NetAdmin
join:2008-05-22
| reply to TK Junk Mail
Re: Wanting it a lot doesn't make it a utility
said by TK Junk Mail  :Get your work to pay for it, like they should. Maybe he's a contractor that switches contracts or independent consultant ? Lots of self employed people REQUIRE broadband.
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Drilling for more oil is akin to giving a methhead the keys to the meth lab. |
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TK Junk Mail
Go ahead, make my day
Premium
join:2002-03-03
Margate City, NJ
clubs:
 ·Comcast
| said by NetAdmin :said by TK Junk Mail :Get your work to pay for it, like they should. Maybe he's a contractor that switches contracts or independent consultant ? Lots of self employed people REQUIRE broadband. Then you write it off as a business expense.
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My BLOG .. .. Internet News .. .. My Web Page
Ask yourself one question: 'Do I feel lucky?' Well, do ya punk? |
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S_engineer
join:2007-05-16
Chicago, IL
| Its always been my opinion that broadband is a utility. Our entire economy revolves around Internet access. This is no longer a perk. Think of what would happen to our banking sectors and government if the Web stopped now...
If they've become reliant on it, so have the people that actually paid for it in the first place.
If it's not a utility, then our government has no business promoting any service to the World Wide Web. In essence the government has sub-contracted information about services to the ISP level. To build it and not be able to use it would be ludicrous. In my opinion, a broadband connection should carry the same weight as a library. Maybe even flow into the USF (assuming it gets reformed someday). Now content could be saved for a different argument!
[/rant]
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The "Lifetime" channel is responsible for 83% of all divorces...Robert Ginty |
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MrMoody
Liberal Capitalist
join:2002-09-03
Smithfield, NC
 ·magicjack.com
 ·Embarq
| Right. I think those saying "it's not a utility" don't realize how many people make a living or supplement their income through the internet, much less the quantity of internet commerce going on. Broadband is therefore a utility as much as telephone service is. If you want to argue necessity, electricity and running water aren't things you really NEED, either. You can live without them. You just WANT them so you can live a modern lifestyle. The same is becoming true for broadband.
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"The sacrosanct free market would supposedly regulate itself. The problem with that approach is that regulations are just rules. If there are no rules, the players can cheat." - Ellen Hodgson Brown, JD |
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tschmidt
Premium,MVM
join:2000-11-12
Milford, NH
·Verizon Online DSL
| reply to TK Junk Mail
said by TK Junk Mail :Then you write it off as a business expense. The question is perceived value. Obviously if you need it for work that is an issue, hopefully your employer is paying for all or most of the cost.
But even if it is not required for work question being raised is if have a limited amount of money would you spend it on Internet access or TV. I think for many folks the answer is spend it on Internet access. It is perceived as a better value.
I'd argue Internet access has not quite reached status of utility, however it is close. More an more personal and business activity assumes Internet access, and often high speed access. Those without it are at a disadvantage and that disadvantage will increase over time.
Within our family we would all give up TV before the Internet.
/tom |
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NetAdmin
join:2008-05-22
| reply to TK Junk Mail
said by TK Junk Mail :Then you write it off as a business expense. That's an option, but that still doesn't change the fact that someone _needs_ the connection. Broadband is getting more and more necessary each and every year. Just to compete effectively, businesses need to have it.
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Drilling for more oil is akin to giving a methhead the keys to the meth lab. |
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Maccawolf
Premium
join:2001-02-20
Hillsdale, NJ
| reply to S_engineer
said by S_engineer In my opinion, a broadband connection should carry the same weight as a library.
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I guess you haven't seen the fact that they just closed 3 libraries in a city in NJ (a city BTW, that I'm almost positive does NOT have a lot of broadband). I'm sure NJ isn't the only one......
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Mom and Crockett...... I miss you both! |
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tschmidt
Premium,MVM
join:2000-11-12
Milford, NH
·Verizon Online DSL
| said by Maccawolf : they just closed 3 libraries in a city in NJ (a city BTW, that I'm almost positive does NOT have a lot of broadband). That's sad. Here is NH we are experiencing a lot of city and state budget problems but as far as I know no one plans to close any libraries.
/tom |
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