Poor? Lucky you, get internet for 10$ a month

So how many of you started raging on about this topic being yet another tax-payer funded entitlement program for those lucky lucky poor people, without taking the five seconds to see that this is an offer from a private company (Comcast) and has nothing to do with taxes or public funding?

Some members on this site really need to take remedial reading lessons.

Originally posted by Htrowklis82

Originally posted by SeventhSeal
Considering schools require internet to do homework now days, I say this is a good idea. Is it Really bothering some of you that much that kids will have access to the internet now?

This is true! Every one of my college courses has an online component. I was expected to download and print off all labs and lecture notes for Micro and study guides and other assignments for A&P as well. Not to mention the interactive physiology and online textbook.

Not just colleges, but high schools and grade schools. For those who aren't able to do internet work at the school or at a friend's house, it might be extremely annoying and difficult to complete homework assignments.

Eff the haters. This is a great idea and its saddening to see some individuals be so snobby about the INTERNET.

Originally posted by SeventhSeal
Considering schools require internet to do homework now days, I say this is a good idea. Is it Really bothering some of you that much that kids will have access to the internet now?

Give me a break lol The internet doesn't just belong to you. It belongs to everyone.

edit on 8-8-2011 by SeventhSeal because: (no reason given)

Ok, you are right. The Internet belongs to everyone.

But, you should be paying, and not provided by the Govt to access it. It takes money to create and maintain this virtual world.

Originally posted by mjfromga
reply to post by Vitchilo

 

It's easier to organize flash mobs when everyone has Facebook and cell phones. LOL!

Actually, kids not having access to internet for school assignments is an issue. Teachers post many things on line. Much research is not via internet as schools are not updating their expensive encyclopedias. Poor parents usually don't have working phones and connecting via email would be one alternative. Although, as most of these families cannot afford to keep their phones turned on, they probably won't be able to afford the $10 per month internet fee, either.

There are programs out there to keep phones connected for about $10 a month...so for $20 a month total to get phone and internet, from Comcast and it is not subsidized by the government but the companies offering the service...what's the problem?

WOW! I am really hurt to read all the anger in here. My son (12 years old) registered for school today and amongst all the paper work I had to fill out for the school there was a brochure from Comcast offering the $9.95 internet. He picked it up, read through it and asked me with big hopeful puppy dog eyes... "Mom please say we can afford this, I will give up my extra milk money for school and just drink out of the water fountain instead if we can have our own internet" Some of you might say to your self.. "well Lost Sock must have internet since she is posting right now".. but the truth is that we "share internet" with our neighbor along with our telephone and water. My family is one of those poor family's everyone is always speaking of. You know the ones that live below the poverty level. So driving 19 miles to the library to research school papers or create a science project is NOT in our budget. I work full time my husband doesn't. We live so far from town that walking anywhere is impossible.

Maybe you think that we should relocate to a city or closer to town so my children would have access to libraries and a better possibility of my husband finding a job. But who can afford to move??? My home will be payed off in 5 years. Both of my sons are honor roll students and not into drugs, nor do they wear saggy pants. We share expenses with my father who is our neighbor so our family is close knit and takes care of each other.

So please dont judge anyone who is willing to accept Comcast's offer of lower rates. Its a god send for us in our family where every single dollar counts.
Side note: My son will still have his milk money, I will just have to work a little harder at saving a few bucks.

What are the numbers? How much will this cost the taxpayer directly? If you are so mad about this write a blog and update your facebook and twitter. Let the world know about this travesty!!!

reply to post by hadriana


Hi hadriana. Thanks for your post. Here is an article regarding the author of the book "nickle and dimed" - regarding the social stigma (that is on full display here at ATS) of the poor.

Hey everybody! Let's beat up the Poor!

CJ

reply to post by macman

Ok, you are right. The Internet belongs to everyone.

But, you should be paying, and not provided by the Govt to access it. It takes money to create and maintain this virtual world.

Dude, seriously, how many times does it have to be said? This is NOT A GOVERNMENT OR TAX-PAYER FUNDED PROGRAM. This is a private company offering this.

Originally posted by Blackmarketeer
reply to post by macman

 

Ok, you are right. The Internet belongs to everyone.

But, you should be paying, and not provided by the Govt to access it. It takes money to create and maintain this virtual world.

Dude, seriously, how many times does it have to be said? This is NOT A GOVERNMENT OR TAX-PAYER FUNDED PROGRAM. This is a private company offering this.

DUDE, how many times do I have to put that I understand that in a retort???

DUDE, the response you quoted is regarding the idea that access to the internet should be free. Which is crap.

DUDE, thanks for playing.

reply to post by macman


You're the one raging the most about how access to the Web should not be free, even in this case where it's a private company offering to let low-income kids have it.

You do know that the Internet was a creation by the government - that it was invented and built with PUBLIC tax dollars (look up DARPA). Originally it was all free - albeit limited to the university environment for most people outside the military. My tax dollars helped build the Internet, your tax dollars helped build it. But I guess according to your rationale we should be on our knees begging our corporate masters for the privilege of paying them an arm and leg to have access to it.

You also seem stuck with the mind-set that everyone should have to go through a major carrier like AT&T to get access to the Web. You can access the Web for free with Net-Zero, you can use dial-up to access the Internet for just the cost of your local phone service. Heck public libraries offer free Web access too, but then maybe they should start charging admission, eh?

Kudos to Comcast for offering Web access to under-privileged kids.

reply to post by Blackmarketeer

Originally posted by macman

Originally posted by beezzer

Originally posted by InnerTruths
Why are you guys so mad? This is not coming out of your tax money.

This is a company trying to do some good PR. They are paying for it, sucking up the costs (probably going to pass it to their existing subscribers).

It's not a government hand out... it's a company reaching out to the community.

Read the previous posts.

We are ALL paying for it.

I gotta say, if the company is doing it, with no Govt deductions or reimbursement, then let the company do it.

If it is subsidized by the tax payer in any way, then it is an entitlement just being added to the already overloaded list.

edit on 7-8-2011 by macman because: (no reason given)

Just for you DUDE.


And no, the idea that because it was developed by the Govt means it should be free is bunk.
The Govt funded the creation of the F16, yet I don't get one. Meh!!!

If it takes money to provide a connection, then Thou Must Pay.

If it takes money to provide a connection, then Thou Must Pay.

Except when a private company offers it for free to the underprivileged - which is entirely their prerogative. There's even a handful of cities that now offer free Wifi access to their downtown areas. I guess they're subverting corporate profit structures in your dream of making the Web access limited only to the wealthy.

The government with our tax dollars created the Internet - and as an technological invention it should remain in the public realm - not locked up in some for-profit scheme of major telecomms. Yes you have to pay to access their equipment, but you don't have to go through a major telecomm or use their equipment outside of basic POTS (plain old telephone service). Major ISPs have been conditioning people to pay more and more for less and less. The least some of them can do is lower the barrier so low-income families with school children to get on the information highway.

reply to post by Blackmarketeer


Honestly, am I speaking martian, or can you just not read.

Or is it ignorance?

It is like banging my head into a retarded wall.

Look above.
Yes, if the company wants to do it, by all means, go ahead.



I want my F16 and M1 Abrams tank, the Govt funded the project and building.

reply to post by macman


The only person acting willfully ignorant here is you.

The "Internet" is, as it should be, open source technology that was created by DARPA with our tax dollars. It is not even remotely the same as a tank of fighter plane.

Access to the Internet should not have to be through some major for-profit ISP with an expensive plan. Anyone with a phone line can, and should be, able to access it for free with dial-up. If you insist on streaming videos then go ahead and pay your $70 or $150 a month, but don't demand that low-income people be forced to give up free dial-up access because you seem to feel they should have to pay for more than just their phone line.

reply to post by Blackmarketeer


Ok, I still want my F16. It was funded by the Govt.

Can't close off technology, can we.

For those of you against the idea of a "free internet", I personally would be willing to partake in a 2 to 5 minute "commercial intermission" in my browsing, say...every 30 minutes or so. Not really a fan of NetZero and the software that they require you to use, in order to intrude on your browsing.

Fortunately I'm not in a situation where I'll never have to really "pay" for high speed wireless internet anyways, but I'm sure there will always be those less-informed or less capable who shell out unnecessarily, and could have used that 50 or so bucks a month on more important things, like feeding their families. -_-

I believe there are currently a few US cities now that have free city-wide wi-fi internet. Correct me if I'm wrong, but two of those would be Milpitas and Philadelphia, no? (I've actually lived in both of these cities in the past, ironically)

I found this online and it's pretty interesting:
www.dslreports.com...

It states that there's 3 conditions that you have to meet to get it - and few will meet them.
The first is the school lunch thing - that's going to take homeschoolers and those out that don't take govt. assistance.

The 2nd tho - really interesting - you can't be a current customer! You can't have had service for 90 days.

The 3rd, your bill has to be current and you can't have any non-returned equipment. I get that

I had thought this might help my next door neighbors - he's an unemployed single dad who's unemployment ran out - now living on a 401k with 2 kids. He's had comcast basic level interenet so he can buy car parts online - his only income is when he gets work fixing cars & motorcycles for friends and family.

This isn't going to help a lot of folks. Like my family - when my husband lost his job, we decided to do away with the phone bill and tv - because we could use the internet for calls with a magic jack and watch hulu and stuff. Think it is that way for a lot of folks - so who exactly will be able to get this? I guess maybe people where comcast is not the only provider (it is here)...so they have lower prices in those areas anyway.