Dearest Real,

I know you and I have gotten along so well for all of these years. As far back as there has been video on the internet, you have been there. When I survived on dial-up, you were there. Whenever I installed a new mp3 player, you were there. Whenever my computer was acting up, you were there. When I moved to broadband and didn’t need streaming video anymore, you were there. When i would take a class in music history that had obvious audio that was stored on a CD, you were there. When I took this job and began to focus on what we gave to the world, you were there. Throughout this internet life, you have been here.

Knowing our long history, you might be surprised by how I feel. It might shock and amaze you; I know it doesn’t to me. But, let us look back at the “good” times.

When I first started looking at video on the internet, you were unwelcome, but required. When I survived on dial-up, you made my computer and thus, my connection slower than it needed to be. Whenever I installed a new mp3 player, you fought it for access to my files, even though I had already told you many times I did not want you to have them. Whenever my computer was acting slow, your system was attempting to gain self awareness. Once I had broadband, you refused to let go and took my downloaded video and garbled it. I deleted you after that. When my music class required your presence, I made sure to do all of my coursework on my work machine after work, just so my personal computer could be free of your influence.

With my current job, I have to have you installed on this machine. I didn’t want to, but somethings are unavoidable. You offered new features, like Message Center. You tell me I can turn it off, just like I could give my mp3 files to another player. But, in the end, you lied, just like when you told me I could give my mp3 files to another player. You cause this machine to hang for ten minutes every time I boot up. You cause me great frustration, just like every other time. And just like every other time, I wish you gone. You are the computer killer, the ultimate in virus technology. Hollywood couldn’t make up your destructive potential every day. Every day, I wonder why Symantec doesn’t see you for what you are.

I’m getting a new workstation next week, Real. And you won’t be invited to the party. I’m going to spend my time converting all of my offices video into a format free from you. I’m not looking forward to the pain of that task, but it is completely required. Our relationship is over, and it makes me joyful to be able to say that. Next time you see me lurking on the internet, go bug someone else. if they are lucky, hopefully someone who doesn’t know you will see this love letter and learn it is completely allowable to simply not get into a relationship with you.

Now, go away.

Your Own Personal Internet (wired blogs)

I sually avoid politics on this blog (part of the reason why I have not yet stepped into the whole netneutrality nonsense), but I have a few excerpts from Senator Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) that I would like to address so bear with me.

I just the other day got, an internet was sent by my staff at 10 o’clock in the morning on Friday and I just got it yesterday. Why?

Because it got tangled up with all these things going on the internet commercially.

So you want to talk about the consumer? Let’s talk about you and me. We use this internet to communicate and we aren’t using it for commercial purposes.

So, because you, Sen. Stevens, do not consider your job commercial, those with jobs that would follow such a consideration cannot use the internet?  Regardless of the elitism that you so quickly espouse, there are other problems with your argument here:

1. Unless the United States Government is using phone lines to route governement traffic, I can personally assure you as an IT professional that your email wasn’t delayed due to being “tangled up,” but due to poor management by your System Administrator.  For once, you can blame IT.
2. Also, unless you never visit eBay, Amazon, Fox News, or any other non-government web site, you are actually using the “commercial web.” How would you feel if you had access only to Cox Communications Bidding and couldn’t from those on Verizon Bidding?

And some more…

They want to deliver vast amounts of information over the internet. And again, the internet is not something you just dump something on. It’s not a truck.

It’s a series of tubes.

And if you don’t understand those tubes can be filled and if they are filled, when you put your message in, it gets in line and its going to be delayed by anyone that puts into that tube enormous amounts of material, enormous amounts of material.

Now we have a separate Department of Defense internet now, did you know that?

Do you know why?

Because they have to have theirs delivered immediately. They can’t afford getting delayed by other people.

Amazingly enough, the tubes isn’t that far off, but let’s simplify the metaphor even further.  The internet is a network of roads.  This metaphor allows me to really explain it fairly well.  Your ISP is, say your automobile manufacturer. 

So, let’s say that you drive a Ford and want to meet me at a McDonalds off of 95.  McDonalds is owned by Ford’s parent company (sounds odd, but this is common with media companies), so you have no problem driving there.

Now, I happen to own a Chevy and their parent company also owns Burger King.  The parent company wants me to eat at Burger King, so they make it so that I can’t drive on 95 to McDonalds.  They make me drive the backroads with express cut offs every mile to Burger Kings.  If they are nice, I will get to McDonalds at some point, but it will take me a whole lot longer than you, with much more work.

The internet is a commercial net and an individual net.  It is a wonderful tool, allowing for people to communicate without regard to borders, race, age, or anything that would divide us elsewhere.  Limiting access is an act of tyranny, pure and simple.  We call it that readily when it is a government that would do such a thing, such as the Great Firewall of China.  Why is it any different for corporations?

In a democracy, if a significant minority, not even a majority of the population does something, then it is immoral to legislate against it. If that something is theft, then perhaps instead of legislating a significant minority into felons, a better system should be implemented.

The internet is interesting due in no small part to the international communications it enables. For example, I know that I have readers from all over the world (including places that if you had asked me, I would have said they didn’t even have electricity let alone internet access). I and many others like me believe that this cross-cultural discussion battles ignorance and xenophobia.

If during discussions (active or otherwise), a television show or music artist is mentioned or recommended, I want to experience what is being spoken of. While the United States is probably the single biggest producer of media content, we are far from the only producer of such content. In fact, an unfortunate side effect of our massive production is that there is a great degree of inertia regarding other counry’s content, an issue most apparent in television.

It is through the internet that I discovered a number of clever foreign television programs: The I.T. Crowd from the UK and ReGenesis from Canada. Out of desire to view these wonderful programs, I was forced into using a now siezed bittorrent tracker site, known as ThePirateBay. I tried to find other avenues in both cases, but there weren’t even DVDs sold in the native countries (although I would be breaking other laws by viewing those DVDs).

It’s not that I want to deprive the actors, producers, and crews of these television shows. It is that I wanted to experience exactly what they had to offer and bask in the experience. I enjoy movies, TV, and music. I spend a great deal of money on all three (about half of my income). It is not that I begrudge them really anything, except that I do find myself thinking about the repercussions of my purchases more and more. Can I ethically support and finance organizations that work to remove
and hamper my cross-cultural experiences.

I have purchased all of the software I use (that can be purchased). I have spent (as of this publishing) over $40 on media this week. And, yes, I am a pirate. But, to be fair, I was forced into the position.