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by CocaKoala 4423 days ago
I take this to mean that you're setting up your own ISP which is going to service my area and provide better rates, faster connections, and better service than Comcast, so that I have an alternative for internet?

That's great, I'm really excited to hear that! Let me know what number I can call to sign up!
1 comments
bitJericho 4423 days ago
Why should a competitor charge better rates and have faster connections in order for it to be an alternative? Are you looking for the cheapest provider or the most ethical?
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CocaKoala 4423 days ago
Well, I don't feel like getting to choose between two terrible options is really that much better than being stuck with one terrible option.
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bitJericho 4423 days ago
So you see no/little difference between an unethical ISP that's cheaper than a more expensive ethical one? I'm not sure what you think this debate is about.
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CocaKoala 4423 days ago
I'd love to support a more ethical ISP, but as a practical matter, internet is already expensive and spending more for the same or less isn't really a workable option. Downgrading my connection is also not a great option; if I'm forced to choose between a fast expensive connection and a cheap slow connection, then yeah; it's great that Net Neutrality is a thing, but now I'm stuck in the shitty situation I was trying to prevent anyways.
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bitJericho 4423 days ago
When money's the deciding factor, decisions are easy. There's more to life than money sometimes, though.

I could shop at Walmart and have an extra 20 bucks for my internet bill. Instead, I choose the slower internet with the ethical provider so that I can shop not at Walmart.

Not to say I'm perfect by any means, but this is just an example of the decisions I try to make every day. These decisions are hard sometimes.

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CocaKoala 4423 days ago
There's plenty more to life than money: there's a wedding I'm planning, a wife I'm going to support while she goes to school, pets that I take care of, artistic organizations I support, etc.

Giving up on all of my hobbies that require internet, and having my fiancee to the same, is not practical. Paying more for internet is not practical. This is not an unreasonable position to take, nor does it represent some tragic moral failure on my part.

In any case, it's a thought experiment that's not worth defending myself further, because there are no alternatives to Comcast where I live.

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