[LINK] HANDS OFF NICK ROSS: Conroy warns the ABC and The Australian

[Frank O'Connor]

Mmmm ...

The ABC of late seems to have trouble with distinguishing between science and opinion, fact and politics, technical realities and ideology. From what I've seen on Nick's articles on the NBN he's pointed out the huge technical disadvantages of mandating that fibre not be built to the network end-points ... and those disadvantages are manifestly obvious.

Sure it's possible to penny-ante our way into a second rate network, hey ... we can penny ante out way into a  supremely second rate FTN network that works slower than the current copper network if Malcolm Turnbull really puts his mind to it ... a third rate network. WHilst we're at it, why not go for a fourth or fifth rate network ... fibre to the node, and carrier pidgeon from the node.

Mandating equal exposure of both is ridiculous. 

Alan Kohler wrote an NBN article last week that exhibited the ABC's dedication to equal exposure perfectly. The Kohler idea? Fibre to the node, pole mounted WiFi to the house? Not new. Not original. Subject to that many technical, operational and performance limitations as well as ongoing operational maintenance, hardware upgrade and other issues that would prove far more expensive than fibre over the life of the project whilst providing a fraction of the performance, reliability, and scalability of the FttH NBN's current design.

But of course, Kohler is an economist ... so in our modern world, he's a technical expert on everything and the network technician, the scientist, the technical expert just proffers 'airy fairy' opinion which they adapt to their audience in the interests of gaining more funding. Science, fact, hard data ... they're nothing in the face of politics, opinion and prejudice.

I assume Kohler gets his plumbing and electrical work done by politicians, and his house built by gingerbread bakers, and his car made by lawyers and bankers .... because what the heck, he's a real expert, an uber technician, and can make these judgements.

I mean what sort of reception would these ABC editorial people give me if I stated that newspapers and media were the tool of the devil, that all media executives were lower than child molesters and responsible for all the world's ills, and that all ABC bureaucrats were warlocks and witches who should be immediately burned at the stake. How much exposure would they give me?

None. Which is a pity ... because that sort of opinion should shape media policy a hell of a lot more responsibly in this country.

Just my 2 cents worth ...
---
On 12/03/2013, at 7:51 AM, Kim Holburn <kim at holburn.net> wrote:

> http://delimiter.com.au/2013/03/08/hands-off-nick-ross-conroy-warns-the-abc-and-the-australian/
> 
> 
> -- 
> Kim Holburn
> IT Network & Security Consultant
> T: +61 2 61402408  M: +61 404072753
> mailto:kim at holburn.net  aim://kimholburn
> skype://kholburn - PGP Public Key on request 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Link mailing list
> Link at mailman.anu.edu.au
> http://mailman.anu.edu.au/mailman/listinfo/link