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by luckylion 2565 days ago
> For search providers, I have a choice among a much larger variety.

I'm from EU, Google has 95%++ market share here and there are not other serious options (besides Google's resellers, which are a bit slower, and not quite as good, but close). Bing exists, but the quality is abysmal, so it really isn't an option, just as satellite internet probably isn't for most US states (I assume - it is an option in Europe, albeit not a great one).
1 comments
berbec 2565 days ago
A counterpoint to that is that Bing's quality or accessability is not effected in any way by Google. Microsoft made a shitty search engine no one wants to use. Everyone CAN use it, so it is a viable option. Just like Le Bernardin is a viable option to McDonalds. (ignore the price difference, as it is immaterial to this discussion)
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luckylion 2565 days ago
> ignore the price difference, as it is immaterial to this discussion

If you ignore the price, you have plenty of options for wired internet: hire a company to lay fiber straight to your home, connect it to a data center on the other end. Price and quality are the big factors in whether something is an alternative. Dial up or GPRS isn't an alternative to broadband, not because it's much more expensive, but because of the quality of service. Satellite internet can provide you with all the bandwidth you need, where ever you need it, but the price is prohibitive.

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the_watcher 2565 days ago
That is definitely not an option for the vast, vast majority of people in the US. Doesn't matter how much money you offer, good luck digging up Pacific Street to lay a fiber cable directly from a data center to your mansion on billionaire row.
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luckylion 2565 days ago
Your neighbor on billionaire row where most Americans apparently live will gladly allow you to tunnel under his land, I'm sure. Since money isn't an issue, offer him a billion or two.

I do agree with you though: saying money isn't an issue when looking for alternatives is absurd. You can pretty much solve anything by throwing money at it. "You have an option if you consider it an option to pay 10x or 100x the price" misses the point entirely imho.

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the_watcher 2564 days ago
It's not just your neighbors, it's the city, and the activists who know their way around the labyrinth of regulations (not all of whom can be bought off without someone else just taking their place).
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