Bruce Perens' crystal ball looks clear

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Free vs Open World

If you don't like Verizon's cellular service (or any other telco's), don't buy it.

If no telcos offer the service you want, but together a business plan and start chasing venture capital.

There are two key parameters to providing "good" cellular service: Cost and reliability.

I bet "walled gardens" help telcos deliver more reliable service in a more cost effective way, because it reduces the number of unknowns on the network. Do we really want a bunch of cell phones transformed into spam-spewing zombies by luddite users? No, we don't. We want our phones to work.

In fact, if telcos want to start locking DSL into a walled garden, I'm pretty it's because they think they're customers will be happier there (meaning they'll be less likely to switch providers or consume technical support).

I can see the value to a couple hundred million Americans of pursuing cost effective reliable service. I can see a pursueing more open networks benefitting a few hundred thousand American techies, maybe a few million at most.

As far as I can tell, with your examples, Americans are better off because their insitutions pursue profits rather than openness.

But if you think profits will follow openness, go for it.

Posted by: Erik1234   Posted on: 12/16/05 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use

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