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[Duuvian]

Should internet be free, the best it can be and paid for by the government while extended to all citizens? Every house connected through a wire if they so wish it? Should we have something like regulated internet booths, sort of like phone booths?

LATE EDIT:I'm not talking right now, that would be silly. I forgot to say that. I'm thinking by 2100 a goal of global internet access would be an excellent goal.

After all, infrastructure is one of the core jobs of a useful government.

I think it would be a step forward in America at least. It would be an excellent infrastructure project the government could run. They would simply have to start signing up workers, like here in Michigan, to start running wires. It's somewhat similar to running roads or the post office.

EDIT: As for libraries, yes, they have free computers. What if you aren't at a library? What if you want to download or upload something that they simply cannot handle. Or, what if you live 30 minutes away from the nearest, small town library? I'm sure there are places in the plains states where that's understandable. What if you want to post on forums about theories for several hours? Then you are monopolizing a limited resource for that day and keeping others from updating their facebook page or whatever.

The problem with libraries is that not everyone lives in cities.

[smjjames]

Isn't the internet already free? Its just the connection we have to pay for because people need money to keep the servers running. Its just the way the economy works.

Besides, with the US government the way it is, I wouldn't trust them to keep up the internets infrastructure very well.

[Enzo]

Free internet in libraries here. You guys not have that?

Also, Re: Thread Title:
No, take a look at the internets.

[Lumbajak]

Would people be smarter if internet was free?

Most people I meet on the internet don't seem 'smart enough' to know how to breathe, so probably not.

[Zangi]

You can hand feed people information. 
Doesn't mean they'll get any smarter from it.

Proliferation of stupid stuff will be epic... including an unmeasurable level of meme-spill-over into reality.

No.

[Euld]

No, the government should not hand out free internet, because they would then control it while regulating it like idiots.

Now if college was free... 

[Duuvian]

No, the government should not hand out free internet, because they would then control it while regulating it like idiots.

Now if college was free... 

Yea. I know there is other stuff out there that needs to be fixed but I thought I'd bring it up because I thought it would be an interesting idea. It just seems like giving people who can't currently afford the internet a way to have their voice heard would be a way forward in the future.

Also, you're probably right about the politicians. They fuck everything up. The thing is, if everyone's voice can be heard and organized over a free internet then the politicians would have to be influenced by it or look stupid in front of anyone who cares. That would be the point of giving everyone internet really. You would be able to see what that jackass politician is spouting much more clearly through text, since with text you can spend a little time and really clarify your ideas in a way that vocal debate can't match. If he doesn't respond to your questions through text, it makes it more obvious he's hiding something. That's why politicians are so loathe to actually say anything for those little soundbites video news like to play. You don't have enough time to think about what you say, and in a situation where a single poorly chosen word can be overblown out of proportion, you tend to try to say nothing meaningful at all in the most deceptive way possible. That's why people hate most politicians. They are so afraid of saying something that would hurt them politically that they can hardly speak as a normal human being does in conversation.

[Enzo]

EDIT: As for libraries, yes, they have free computers. What if you aren't at a library? What if you want to download or upload something that they simply cannot handle. Or, what if you live 30 minutes away from the nearest, small town library? I'm sure there are places in the plains states where that's understandable. What if you want to post on forums about theories for several hours? Then you are monopolizing a limited resource for that day and keeping others from updating their facebook page or whatever.

I don't live in what anybody would call a big city, and I see the point you're trying to make. But realistically, I don't think it's feasible for the US government to maintain free, unlimited wireless internet access to all rural regions of the country. Which is what you're talking about, right?

Well, unless they upped taxes. And we all know how much Americans like that, I think. Especially if they're paying for someone to update their facebook page.

[Duuvian]

EDIT: As for libraries, yes, they have free computers. What if you aren't at a library? What if you want to download or upload something that they simply cannot handle. Or, what if you live 30 minutes away from the nearest, small town library? I'm sure there are places in the plains states where that's understandable. What if you want to post on forums about theories for several hours? Then you are monopolizing a limited resource for that day and keeping others from updating their facebook page or whatever.

I don't live in what anybody would call a big city, and I see the point you're trying to make. But realistically, I don't think it's feasible for the US government to maintain free, unlimited wireless internet access to all rural regions of the country. Which is what you're talking about, right?

Well, unless they upped taxes. And we all know how much Americans like that, I think. Especially if they're paying for someone to update their facebook page.

What I'd suggest is our American government needs to reorganize is priorities a little bit. Namely do whatever it takes to get us out of these wars and focus on economy and improving the life of the people. We're sliding backwards at the moment in my opinion,

[Zangi]

It just seems like giving people who can't currently afford the internet a way to have their voice heard would be a way forward in the future.

Anonymous.
Yea, hearing more voices you say? 

What are you expecting?  Please elaborate.

[Duuvian]

Does an anonymous quote make it any less true if it is true?

The flip side would be that anonymity allows people to lie. This is evidenced by the mass amount of trolling and manipulation of such things as yahoo news.

This is balanced out by the fact that people have their own minds and like minds think alike. If someone is wrong, then they will be informed by more people who can supply factual evidence, as people are also rational. Theoretically it would become clearer over time.

[Lumbajak]

Now if college was free... 

University is free...

..If you join the military.

[Zangi]

Does an anonymous quote make it any less true?

Its not about the truth.
Its the fact that there will be more people out to troll shit.  Flinging hate filled words behind fabricated names and persona.
Civil debate and the like are easily drowned out by that stuff.  And in a sense stifles the voice of those who rather not take part in stupid arguments over the internet.

As I asked, what are you expecting?

[Nikov]

EDIT: As for libraries, yes, they have free computers. What if you aren't at a library? What if you want to download or upload something that they simply cannot handle. Or, what if you live 30 minutes away from the nearest, small town library? I'm sure there are places in the plains states where that's understandable. What if you want to post on forums about theories for several hours? Then you are monopolizing a limited resource for that day and keeping others from updating their facebook page or whatever.

I don't live in what anybody would call a big city, and I see the point you're trying to make. But realistically, I don't think it's feasible for the US government to maintain free, unlimited wireless internet access to all rural regions of the country. Which is what you're talking about, right?

Well, unless they upped taxes. And we all know how much Americans like that, I think. Especially if they're paying for someone to update their facebook page.

What I'd suggest is our American government needs to reorganize is priorities a little bit. Namely do whatever it takes to get us out of these wars and focus on economy and improving the life of the people. We're sliding backwards at the moment in my opinion,

Since when was there an American government?

I think that the U.S. federal government should focus on cutting debt, spending and income taxes. I believe strongly that the role of government is in policies, not programs. It should be a policy to have all US households able to gain internet access if they so desire. The best way to do that is policies, like tax incentives to telecom companies to run new infrastructure, rather than policies, like massive federal spending to build a T3 cable line to Podunk Kentucky. Additionally, I don't see why this should be a federal project in the first place. States should deal with the daily needs of their citizens, not the federal government.

Also college should not be free. The first thing every college board is going to do is raise their prices since now the unlimited pockets of Big Gubmint will empty to fulfill a blank check program like that.

[HideousBeing]

Maybe we should give everyone laptops, then they could just walk down to their local starbucks. The internet by itself will probably not make a significant impact on the average intelligence of people because the average person probably spends the majority of their time on silly forums, facebook, 4chan, watching porn, etc. If people don't actually use the internet to pursue knowledge, then they will not benefit significantly from it even though they've joined 20 facebook groups for saving whales. As another poster said, college would be a much wiser investment (hell, I prefer college over health care).

As for what I think we should do now since everyone is saying it (as if I'm an expert...) we should make large social security and medicare cuts and use that to focus on the economy, reduce our debt and generally get our shit together (lowering taxes is nice...).