The Internet: Kiss it Goodbye
They finally have us by the balls. Monopolies are forming online.
eBay. What alternative do we have to eBay in the UK? A garage sale on a damp Sunday? Not quite as far reaching is it? eBay know this and have suddenly doubled their fees to a massive 10%. That’s on top of the listing fees and PayPal fees.
Last year, eBay fees were around the 2% mark. What has prompted the rise?
Greed.
Sheer ugly greed.
Skype. Pretty big - may well end up taking over from mobile phone companies when Wifi and wireless data become more widespread, making 2G and early generation 3G mobile phone voice networks obsolete.
Who bought Skype a few years ago? eBay.
If this isn’t worrying enough for the competition, I haven’t even mentioned the biggest company of all yet - Google.
Google owns search, but not satisifed with ‘just search’ has broadened it’s horizons with mobile phones, maps, online payment systems and numerous other competition threatening giant projects.
Google maps in particular is pretty much the end for Sat Nav and companies like Tom Tom. Soon every mobile phone will have Google maps on it. “Tom Tom? Who cares?” You might say. Well this is just the small tip of the iceberg.
They even take photos of you through your bedroom window, and copyright it.
I think I’ll listen to some music to relax - this is all a bit stressful. Or maybe I’ll watch a movie.
BANG! I’m a criminal. I just watched that movie and now I’m a criminal. I just downloaded a crap pop song from the 80’s but apparently now I’m violating copyright, not simply listening to music.
It’s a bit like buying a CD and playing your friend a track from it through your HiFi whilst a dark shadowy policeman arrives on your doorstep and hauls away your friend, shouting that he’d broken directive 7162 and would have to have his memory cells purged because he heard a song without paying for it.
When presented with free means of enjoying experiences like movies and music, people will use it. It doesn’t make them shoplifters. It means that the old business model is being beaten by a new business model - you might call it piracy, but I call it a legitimate way forward to a flat fee all-you-can-eat music & movie feast.
Who owns the music? Well, it seems some kind of completely unnecessary antiquated ’recording industry’ does, and they don’t want us to hear it unless they bankcrupt us first.
I would have nowhere near as deep enjoyment of music or film if I’d had to pay for each and every track and each and every movie.
On 6th April 2009, the EU ordered internet service providers to keep a track record of every website, email and phone call you and I make. With a search warrant, a policeman can access your private data, without so much as consulting you.
The internet is no longer ours.
It’s the property of big business and governments, and before long so will you be.