Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Technology Stocks : AUTOHOME, Inc -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Brian S. McWilliams who wrote (12909)	7/23/1999 11:29:00 PM
From: E. Davies	Respond to of 29970

I very highly recommend to everyone that they listen to the RealAudio debate. I've never heard a better detailed description of the issues involved including the relationships between the MSO and ATHM. If you want to learn, listen to Milo. If you want to hear the stupidity of OpenNet, its there too. Eric

To: Brian S. McWilliams who wrote (12909)	7/24/1999 12:25:00 AM
From: yihsuen	Respond to of 29970

Wow, what an excellent piece! This makes me feel confident about MSOs and cable ISPs future. Interestingly enough, what makes me feel confident is not something coming from Milo but from Marc of Prodigy. Marc made it very clear that open access is to open EVERYTHING! Milo was skillfully using both AOL and MCI (both are openNET members) heavy investments on the infrastructure to question him, and Marc's answer was YES, they should all be opened up for access too. Wow, this guy just shot openNET Coalition in the foot. First, how the hell that the government going to regulate ALL of them, some not even exist yet. Secondly and most importantly, who is going to be such an idiot to spend big money investing in something only to be share by everybody later. Marc of Prodigy just committed every error that FCC was trying hard to avoid. I really couldn't believe what I just heard.

To: Brian S. McWilliams who wrote (12909)	7/24/1999 2:22:00 AM
From: FR1	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 29970

Great post Brian. Everyone should hear it. Loved to hear Marc of Prodigy say that AOL, his buddy in arms, should allow their satellites to be open to all ISPs (I would love to hear what Steve thinks about this). Also every other venture now existing and being dreamed up should be open to everyone. I expected Marc to stick a flower behind his ear, start dancing on the table top and sing to us that it is gods earth and everything belongs to the people. What's yours is mine and what's mine is yours. Let's see ..... you got everything and I got nothing ... so gimme half of what you got and we are even.

To: Brian S. McWilliams who wrote (12909)	7/24/1999 2:58:00 AM
From: KailuaBoy	Respond to of 29970

Milo dropped kicked him. It was a drubbing.

To: Brian S. McWilliams who wrote (12909)	7/24/1999 2:19:00 PM
From: sillen	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 29970

Excellent debate Brian! Prodigy didn't see the cable modem access option coming and now they want in for free. Prodigy (Mark) said it himself: "It's not a content (regulating the Internet) issue, its access to the pipes (infrastructure) issue." All for the consumer to be able to choose to access the unregulated content of the Internet. So does the consumer have any other options today? Yes, and xDSL length limitations will be solved soon enough anyway as the technology improves. The cable MSOs just needs to add some new servers and routers to let Prodigy in...pay up and I'm sure Prodigy can get a alliance with some MSOs. 30 000 counties with 30 000 different rules/laws also a good solution to provide broadband access to the consumers...NOT! It's too early in the game to regulate/deregulate. Later Sillen

To: Brian S. McWilliams who wrote (12909)	7/25/1999 10:45:00 AM
From: E. Graphs	Respond to of 29970

Thanks Brian. Milo thinks clearly, doesn't he? And, he speaks so that just about anyone can understand him. Marc Jacobson sounded like he was about to cry. He must know that he isn't going to get something for nothing. Poor baby. <g> E-Graphs

To: Brian S. McWilliams who wrote (12909)	7/25/1999 3:01:00 PM
From: Thomas C. Kimmel	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 29970

Excellent debate. Milo is why I bought ATHM and a good part of why I hold. But I thought that they obfuscated the real point: There is only one advantage to the customer of having a different ISP over cable: the monthly fee. That is how the dial-up ISPs have largely competed. The marginal aspects of dialup competition: the number of mail boxes, the megabytes of home page, etc. are obtainable independently of the provision of Internet service. What Prodigy wants, what AOL wants, is to be the Internet Portal Provider. And they can be that today by selling a cable customer a tailored browser which starts them off in the "right" place. But they are competing with portals such as Excite, which charge zero for their service. So they need to get people locked in by some other means. Like many others, I have had cable Internet service for quite some time and I wouldn't even know how to get to their home page. But my ISP (MediaOne) would dearly love to have me install their customized Explorer. I say: Let the content providers compete on the Internet and let the access providers compete to provide the best means of access. If everybody gets a piece of the cable pipe then they won't come up with other, hopefully superior, methods.