Re:“Google Is as Close to a Natural Monopoly as the Bell Sys...
by zeteo on Wednesday May 10, 2017 @04:10PM
(#14311201)
Well how do we define a necessity? Running water, electricity and telephone service were all a luxury at some point. But now people have come to rely on them, to the point where it would be socially devastating to stop providing these services. Using an Internet search engine is no longer a luxury either. At the very least, Google should have a more transparent and accountable process, since a lot of people and companies have come to depend on its search engine functioning properly.
Re:“Google Is as Close to a Natural Monopoly as the Bell Sys...
by rayiner on Wednesday May 10, 2017 @03:33PM
(#14310930)
Municipal sewer/water isn't a material necessity, they're a convenience. There are million dollar houses in the D.C. suburbs that have well water/septic.
Re:“Google Is as Close to a Natural Monopoly as the Bell Sys...
by fixermark on Wednesday May 10, 2017 @05:01PM
(#14311679)
That's true. "Any water" is a material necessity (I think I'd argue "any sewer" too, if you plan to not pick up and nomad yourself around every few weeks). If you can self-supply it, that's fine.
(The flip side would be "Are you saying Google should be a nationalized, government-regulated search engine?")