"So they put the time, money and energy in to influencing the decisions. Same same with all of them since, for the same reason."
Hence, one of the primary drivers behind a need for some level of regulation, no? But there are many strata to consider in the industries in question here: telecoms, WWW, security, the list is long. For starters, issues surrounding rights of way constitute a big one. Interconnectedness and accessibility (which are some of the attributes that define "common carriage" <R.I.P.>) are others.
I opined to a highly-esteemed associate of mine recently that comparisons to earlier paradigms never do justice to what we see taking place in the Internet era. It's by-now the old comparison of bits and atoms. I'd sooner liken today's Internet dynamics, and the Web and its fostering of mind-expanding experiences, in particular, with the vagaries we now associate with alchemy and early psychoanalysis than I would to railroads and oil companies. But that's just me.
Actually, your point is actually more valid than I am acknowledging, since the thinking behind most powers that be today are still being influenced by principles born of the Industrial Revolution, where incumbent service providers and their minions in government look into the rear view mirror for directions, if not for a feeling of safety and solace, whenever a fork appears in the road ahead.
------ |
