Profit is becoming evil. Maybe even illegal.

[wilbur]

Sorry folks... the cellcoms are not companies worth praising. They are whores... every single one of them.

You might say they have a right to charge exorbitant fees for SMS messaging...

But then you realize many of them have worked very very hard to artificially restrict the technologies and software that can be used on their networks in order to force people to use their unnecessary 'value added services' like SMS and MMS. Theyve done everything they can to fight the internet on phones tooth and nail... This is a major reason why the cellphone technology in the US lags so far behind the rest of the world. Both SMS and MMS were hold overs from a time when phones couldnt email... the tech should have died long ago, along with the fees. There's nothing close to a free market in the cellcom business... which is why the fees are so ridiculous. Its a sick market that survives at our expense.

[wilbur]

I think we should start getting used to any profitable business being scrutinized as anti-competitive and/or illegal. Microsoft was called a monopoly - absurd by any definition. Then the oil companies were anti-competitive, and now its the cell phone companies.

And yes, Microsoft was and still is a monopoly power, although it's not at its peak any more... and as far as regulation smackdowns go, they got continual slaps on the wrist because of their lobby power in government. Not exactly the stuff wonderful capitalist societies are supposed to be made of.

[PoliCon]

hey wilber - can you say something good about business? ANY business?

[wilbur]

hey wilber - can you say something good about business? ANY business?

Absolutely... silicon valley and the startup culture is a perfect example of American pioneer-ism.

But I dont simply praise any and all businesses as holy demigod of goodness as many conservatives and especially libertarians (alas, their biggest fault) seem to do... even while the business is happily f******g them in the a**, all the while they are smiling about it and singing their praise just so happy its not the government thats ram-rodding them.

I especially don''t praise business such as Microsoft and the cellcoms who have so abused lobbyism and our system of government...

[PoliCon]

Absolutely... silicon valley and the startup culture is a perfect example of American pioneer-ism.

But I dont simply praise any and all businesses as holy demigod of goodness as many conservatives and especially libertarians (alas, their biggest fault) seem to do... even while the business is happily f******g them in the a**, all the while they are smiling about it and singing their praise just so happy its not the government thats ram-rodding them.

I especially don''t praise business such as Microsoft and the cellcoms who have so abused lobbyism and our system of government...

So you're a fan of the Dot-com bubble?

[Goldwater]

I especially don''t praise business such as Microsoft and the cellcoms who have so abused lobbyism and our system of government...

I'd say thats more down the nature of todays government, these companies even at their peaks didn't have lobbyists until it was clear that Washington was going to do them favors.

[marinejcksn]

First of all:

WHO THE F*** PAYS FOR EACH TEXT MESSAGE INDIVIDUALLY?

Seriously....almost every cell carrier in the US offers an unlimited text plan for no more then $9.99 per month. Many regional carriers (like Mobi PCS in Hawaii, for example) give out unlimited texting in their monthly plan anyway.

So the Political morons are once again going to "save you from yourself" (just like they do with the Unconstitutional smoking bans, seatbelt laws, making prostitution illegal and the laughable "war on drugs") and declare a new "War on Texts"? What's next? Where does this bullshit end, people?

[PoliCon]

First of all:

WHO THE F*** PAYS FOR EACH TEXT MESSAGE INDIVIDUALLY?

Seriously....almost every cell carrier in the US offers an unlimited text plan for no more then $9.99 per month. Many regional carriers (like Mobi PCS in Hawaii, for example) give out unlimited texting in their monthly plan anyway.

So the Political morons are once again going to "save you from yourself" (just like they do with the Unconstitutional smoking bans, seatbelt laws, making prostitution illegal and the laughable "war on drugs") and declare a new "War on Texts"? What's next? Where does this bullshit end, people?

Good point. And here is what I wonder - why are they after the cellphone companies over their fees when the banks screw us coming and going with fees and get away with it??? I got charged $2.00 to use a mac machine to check my balance!!

[wilbur]

Good point. And here is what I wonder - why are they after the cellphone companies over their fees when the banks screw us coming and going with fees and get away with it??? I got charged $2.00 to use a mac machine to check my balance!!

They've tried to go after banks as well, in various ways... At least a few states have put a price cap on the ATM fees.

[wilbur]

First of all:

WHO THE F*** PAYS FOR EACH TEXT MESSAGE INDIVIDUALLY?

Seriously....almost every cell carrier in the US offers an unlimited text plan for no more then $9.99 per month. Many regional carriers (like Mobi PCS in Hawaii, for example) give out unlimited texting in their monthly plan anyway.

So the Political morons are once again going to "save you from yourself" (just like they do with the Unconstitutional smoking bans, seatbelt laws, making prostitution illegal and the laughable "war on drugs") and declare a new "War on Texts"? What's next? Where does this bullshit end, people?

Part of the scam is that you get charged for messages you receive.... so they get to charge twice for every message if the message goes through the same carrier.

And you generally cannot disable your phones ability to receive text messaging even if you don't have the plan.

Not saying government intervention is the thing to do though... they need to all be sued into oblivion. Hell, government intervention will be useless anyways.... because they will simply grease the right palms, as usual.