Participate in the “Internet Slowdown” with one click

Re:Participate in the “Internet Slowdown” with one click by BashiBazouk on Wednesday September 10, 2014 @11:54AM (#8297174)

Worse than that. The idea that if we don't have net neutrality the internet will suddenly run at dial up speeds is pure hyperbole. Yes, net neutrality is a good thing. Yes, without it will have a certain set of problems associated with it. But simulating a problem that is highly unlikely and annoying is unlikely to get my sympathy and only grudging support.

Reminds me of Critical Mass bicycle protest in San Francisco. As a life long cyclist and general lover of all things bicycle I should support the idea but they are so annoying I find myself pushed in the opposite direction...

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Re:Participate in the “Internet Slowdown” with one click by cbd1984 on Wednesday September 10, 2014 @12:31PM (#8297380)

The worst part about Critical Mass is that they can block people who are trying to save a life.

People who are on-call, like doctors and CRNAs and so on, don't get lights and sirens. They just drive normal cars, but if they don't get to the hospital within a certain short amount of time, someone is likely to die.

Critical Mass cyclists have no way of knowing who's on-call and coming in to a hospital. Even if they do make a path for all obvious emergency vehicles, that isn't enough.

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Re:Participate in the “Internet Slowdown” with one click by AnthonyMouse on Wednesday September 10, 2014 @01:22PM (#8297701)

Not to mention that just because what someone is doing isn't a matter of life and death doesn't mean it isn't important. Depriving a father of an hour he could have spent with his kids is a pretty screwed up thing to do in general.

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Re:Participate in the “Internet Slowdown” with one click by cbd1984 on Wednesday September 10, 2014 @01:36PM (#8297799)

I fully agree with you, but if you point the argument that way, CM supporters have an easier time claiming that their protest is more important than someone's day off.

They have a harder time arguing that their protest is more important than a CRNA going in to make an emergency c-section possible, where the lives of a mother and child are at risk, or a surgeon going in to perform an emergency craniotomy on a husband, father, and grandfather who just fell off a ladder.

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Re:Participate in the “Internet Slowdown” with one click by jessaustin on Wednesday September 10, 2014 @12:07PM (#8297257)

Is Critical Mass a protest? I never noticed it being that. I thought it was just a bunch of folks riding? Maybe you just don't like them personally?

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Re:Participate in the “Internet Slowdown” with one click by BashiBazouk on Wednesday September 10, 2014 @12:18PM (#8297319)

Originally in the 90's it was a protest of "cyclists reclaiming the streets". It may have morphed into something else. Still, causing traffic jams and blocking people from getting home on a Friday evening seems a bit selfish and more annoying than a way of garnering support...

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Re:Participate in the “Internet Slowdown” with one click by bcoates on Wednesday September 10, 2014 @12:10PM (#8297280)

As far as I can tell Critical Mass is propaganda of the deed against pedestrians.

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Re:Participate in the “Internet Slowdown” with one click by jessaustin on Wednesday September 10, 2014 @12:22PM (#8297339)

Well that's not cool. I don't support that either. In my experience (limited to places I've lived), Critical Mass is more about bicycles in the street with the autos than about bicycles in the sidewalk or crosswalk with pedestrians.

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