Pure Evil: Comcastards Paid People to Take Up Seats and Cheer in Net Neutrality Hearing - Gizmodo Comments

Pure Evil: Comcastards Paid People to Take Up Seats and Cheer in Net Neutrality Hearing

badtzmaru99 — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 14:31:36 EST

I live and work in DC and this is a very common practice. Lobbyists and big businesses pay people to stand in line and attend hearings to block others from access.

Lobbyists like to hire homeless people, who will line up at 5am at buildings on Capitol Hill to get into a "hot" hearing.

It's ridiculous yet when a member of Congress wanted to outlaw or limit the practice, she was ridiculed.

badtzmaru99

Pure Evil: Comcastards Paid People to Take Up Seats and Cheer in Net Neutrality Hearing

Coaster — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 21:38:29 EST

Comcast paid people to stand in line. That some of those people actually stayed goes beyond their pay, making them members of the general public. Free Press said that they, unlike Comcast, didn't pay anyone to stand in line. And that's the whole of it. Free Press is mad they didn't think of it first. Besides, what good would having more critics there do? There was no proof that the people sleeping were not Free Press, was there?

Don't get me wrong, I'm switching from the monopoly to FIOS as soon as I can, but Free Press isn't always the nice guys they want to be seen as, either.

Coaster

Pure Evil: Comcastards Paid People to Take Up Seats and Cheer in Net Neutrality Hearing

tobedetermined — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 20:51:12 EST

This article cited with a photo that people Comcast hired were falling asleep.

[www.portfolio.com]

tobedetermined

Pure Evil: Comcastards Paid People to Take Up Seats and Cheer in Net Neutrality Hearing

GOKOR — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 16:22:03 EST

@strider_mt2k: Same here. My 'hood got Fios recently, but that doesn't change the fact that I'm in an apartment without access to that, and my only cable TV option is Comcast.

I can't wait until I can select something else.

GOKOR

Pure Evil: Comcastards Paid People to Take Up Seats and Cheer in Net Neutrality Hearing

Absent Blue — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 14:45:28 EST

I'd take the seat and the money up front and then boo when I got there.

Absent Blue

Pure Evil: Comcastards Paid People to Take Up Seats and Cheer in Net Neutrality Hearing

tuanye — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 14:27:06 EST

@GC736

They practice at Lifestyles.

During football season, the Swashbucklers practiced at the Lifestyles in Old Hyde Park Village. Practices were on Tuesday nights from 7-9 if I remember correctly.

Both of the Lightning and Storm cheerleaders now practice at the new Lifestyles in Citrus Park. The Lightning girls on Monday's from 8-10 and the Storm girls on Wednesday's from 8-10. The Lightning girls are eh but the Storm girls are hot.

Most work out before and after their practice in the same dance shorts and workout bra's. It's the perfect sales pitch for any dude to get a membership at Lifestyles.

tuanye

Pure Evil: Comcastards Paid People to Take Up Seats and Cheer in Net Neutrality Hearing

GenTso — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 14:02:18 EST

I hate the fact that Comcast is the only ISP provider in my area. I don't want a phone line for DSL since I already have a cell phone. Please, FIOS, come to Alabama (yeah, right).

GenTso

Pure Evil: Comcastards Paid People to Take Up Seats and Cheer in Net Neutrality Hearing

Cryper25 — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 13:32:44 EST

Now I just wanna' beat up people with yellow highlighters! Ruined another fine invention for us. Thanks a lot comcast!

Cryper25

Pure Evil: Comcastards Paid People to Take Up Seats and Cheer in Net Neutrality Hearing

slingblade — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 13:24:14 EST

Thats why I'm on DSL...chuggy DSL.

slingblade

Pure Evil: Comcastards Paid People to Take Up Seats and Cheer in Net Neutrality Hearing

GC736 — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 12:37:27 EST

@tuanye:
As a fellow Tampa bay area resident, I must ask - WHICH GYM!!

GC736

Pure Evil: Comcastards Paid People to Take Up Seats and Cheer in Net Neutrality Hearing

SeattleTed — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 12:11:37 EST

Too. Much. Douchebaggery. Ben Afflec wannabe hurts my eyes.

SeattleTed

Pure Evil: Comcastards Paid People to Take Up Seats and Cheer in Net Neutrality Hearing

pevans34 — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 11:55:07 EST

@martini1179: lol please dont vote for nader, what a waste

the telecomumunications companies really are getting out of hand. and as we continue further into the future they are only going to get more powerful, and more dastardly

pevans34

Pure Evil: Comcastards Paid People to Take Up Seats and Cheer in Net Neutrality Hearing

Bokusatsu_Tenshi — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 11:26:52 EST

The ideal thing would be only a dozen of people cheering for that shit, all the crowd turning eyes on them with that "WTF is wrong with you morons?" face.
Then they eventually admit they got payed to do that.

THAT my friends, would be awesome.

Unfortunately, that's not how things usually happen.

Bokusatsu_Tenshi

Pure Evil: Comcastards Paid People to Take Up Seats and Cheer in Net Neutrality Hearing

axiomatic — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 11:24:18 EST

Well lets see... the choices in my new neighborhood are...

Comcast - P2P throttling, incompetent, fluctuating price, shared bandwidth.
AT&T - VDSL is capped at 6mb, violates my privacy, bundle packages forced upon me to get low prices.

Is there an option #3?!?!?!

nope...

axiomatic

Pure Evil: Comcastards Paid People to Take Up Seats and Cheer in Net Neutrality Hearing

tuanye — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 11:21:19 EST

This is also like lobbyists sitting in on congressional hearings. They aren't paid to attend that specific hearing but it's almost a requirement that they attend and play the "cheerleader" role.

Random thought; if I ever were to open a gym, I would pay hot chicks to constantly work out in skimpy outfits. Membership levels would skyrocket. On the nights that we have the Bucs, Storm and Lightning cheerleaders practice, it's ridiculously packed.

Oh yea, glad I don't have to deal with Comcast.

tuanye

Pure Evil: Comcastards Paid People to Take Up Seats and Cheer in Net Neutrality Hearing

YodaMac — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 11:12:23 EST

Comcastipated.

YodaMac

Pure Evil: Comcastards Paid People to Take Up Seats and Cheer in Net Neutrality Hearing

wetworker — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 10:53:30 EST

Democracy at work.

wetworker

Pure Evil: Comcastards Paid People to Take Up Seats and Cheer in Net Neutrality Hearing

Murdermonkey — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 10:49:48 EST

I seriously thought that was a picture of matt damon and ben affleck for a few minutes.

Murdermonkey

Pure Evil: Comcastards Paid People to Take Up Seats and Cheer in Net Neutrality Hearing

stryder100 — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 10:48:30 EST

Maybe gizmodo could alert us when another such meeting is scheduled and we could attend and boo Comcast. I'd be up for it if it was reasonably nearby.

stryder100

Pure Evil: Comcastards Paid People to Take Up Seats and Cheer in Net Neutrality Hearing

martini1179 — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 10:38:28 EST

As far as I know, AT&T/Bellsouth is not AS evil, unless you guys can tell me differently.

martini1179

Pure Evil: Comcastards Paid People to Take Up Seats and Cheer in Net Neutrality Hearing

egonpax — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 09:44:06 EST

@egonpax: FCC and NY Attorney General 'Bout to Stomp on Comcast for BitTorrent Throttling

[gizmodo.com]

egonpax

Pure Evil: Comcastards Paid People to Take Up Seats and Cheer in Net Neutrality Hearing

egonpax — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 09:43:38 EST

@egonpax: FCC and NY Attorney General 'Bout to Stomp on Comcast for BitTorrent Throttling

[gizmodo.com]

HAHA!

egonpax

Pure Evil: Comcastards Paid People to Take Up Seats and Cheer in Net Neutrality Hearing

egonpax — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 09:41:43 EST

I've always known that Comcast was deceptive... but that's just evil!

What internet companies are NOT evil? I need to know!

egonpax

Pure Evil: Comcastards Paid People to Take Up Seats and Cheer in Net Neutrality Hearing

001 — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 09:38:51 EST

@NotJonGreco:
No Noo, I got a better one: comcastrated

001

Pure Evil: Comcastards Paid People to Take Up Seats and Cheer in Net Neutrality Hearing

FThorn — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 09:09:06 EST

I have never been to a meeting like this that is not more than just a formality. These meeting don't change or decide anything. They are shows for the public and media.

FThorn

Pure Evil: Comcastards Paid People to Take Up Seats and Cheer in Net Neutrality Hearing

IrisMR — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 08:20:13 EST

Wow... That's pretty sad. I mean, it's like the people that hire folks to cry at their funerals.

IrisMR

Pure Evil: Comcastards Paid People to Take Up Seats and Cheer in Net Neutrality Hearing

strider_mt2k — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 07:58:13 EST

I have few choices at the moment, although they pulled fiber through my neighborhood last year.

strider_mt2k

Pure Evil: Comcastards Paid People to Take Up Seats and Cheer in Net Neutrality Hearing

NotJonGreco — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 06:47:01 EST

It's Comcastic!

NotJonGreco

Pure Evil: Comcastards Paid People to Take Up Seats and Cheer in Net Neutrality Hearing

Monsterdog — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 05:28:06 EST

Pick an internet provider who does not throttle your encrypted bandwidth, etc. As was said above, punish them in the market and tell your friends and family to do the same.

Use the argument that they are not getting the service they pay for, its like buying a gallon of gas, and the pump only putting half a gallon in there without telling you. Most people should understand that one.

Monsterdog

Pure Evil: Comcastards Paid People to Take Up Seats and Cheer in Net Neutrality Hearing

Blaze6181 — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 04:53:59 EST

After seeing this article I'm glad to have moved to a new house as I am never going to have to pay Comcast another penny. Go Cox! :D

Blaze6181

Pure Evil: Comcastards Paid People to Take Up Seats and Cheer in Net Neutrality Hearing

martini1179 — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 03:26:51 EST

Please tell me that there's some kind of lawsuit /public outcry/ planned terrorist attack against Comcast LOL ;) Kidding (but just barely).

Although this is hardly surprising if you've seen The Corporation, an excellent documentary about just how much we're getting screwed, how it happened, and what we can do about it. Please download it off of Bittorrent (its legal since its a "shareware" version of the film), watch it and spread the world.

Also, vote Nader. votenader.org

martini1179

Pure Evil: Comcastards Paid People to Take Up Seats and Cheer in Net Neutrality Hearing

sxr71 — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 02:33:42 EST

Oops, sorry. Comcast are the assholes that throttle bandwidth.

sxr71

Pure Evil: Comcastards Paid People to Take Up Seats and Cheer in Net Neutrality Hearing

sxr71 — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 02:31:39 EST

What's wrong with you people? We want net neutrality.

sxr71

Pure Evil: Comcastards Paid People to Take Up Seats and Cheer in Net Neutrality Hearing

ninjatales — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 02:25:39 EST

@VNSROCK: There's 3 of em out there in that picture. Will the real SATAN please stand-up?

ninjatales

Pure Evil: Comcastards Paid People to Take Up Seats and Cheer in Net Neutrality Hearing

Darkest Daze — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 02:17:48 EST

Two things that are so messed up that they should never be mixed; Politics and cable companies.

Darkest Daze

Pure Evil: Comcastards Paid People to Take Up Seats and Cheer in Net Neutrality Hearing

spaceman37 — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 02:09:42 EST

sigh.. I never thought I'd be hoping and wishing to switch from crapcast to verizon.. Oh FIOS where are you?!!?!?

spaceman37

Pure Evil: Comcastards Paid People to Take Up Seats and Cheer in Net Neutrality Hearing

Brian Lam — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 02:03:40 EST

@graffiksguru: Apparently, in political arenas.

Brian Lam

Pure Evil: Comcastards Paid People to Take Up Seats and Cheer in Net Neutrality Hearing

graffiksguru — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 02:00:20 EST

holy shit, this is a common practice?

graffiksguru

Pure Evil: Comcastards Paid People to Take Up Seats and Cheer in Net Neutrality Hearing

equicade — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 01:47:54 EST

God, I hate Comcast. Be careful, if you use too much bandwidth they threaten you. And what is worse, if you happen to win the argument on the phone, they throttle your bandwidth hardcore. So you endup paying money for a naked DSL server.

Stay away from Comcast, alternatives:

TV - DirectTV
Phone - Anyone but Comcast.
Internet - SpeakEasy or some other competing service.

Again, stay away from Comcast.

equicade

Pure Evil: Comcastards Paid People to Take Up Seats and Cheer in Net Neutrality Hearing

xXxRHINOxXx — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 01:35:26 EST

I applaud Comcast for their ingenuity. They're very clever and everyone should buy their services. *Cha-ching*

Now where's my 20 bucks?

Those bastards!

xXxRHINOxXx

Pure Evil: Comcastards Paid People to Take Up Seats and Cheer in Net Neutrality Hearing

AJ_Syrinx — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 01:25:49 EST

@AJ_Syrinx: Let me add, if they were chicks. Phew!!

AJ_Syrinx

Pure Evil: Comcastards Paid People to Take Up Seats and Cheer in Net Neutrality Hearing

AJ_Syrinx — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 01:24:54 EST

@SeraSera: Not a bad deal for "head".

AJ_Syrinx

Pure Evil: Comcastards Paid People to Take Up Seats and Cheer in Net Neutrality Hearing

SeraSera — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 01:06:52 EST

This is fairly common. $20 an hour per head.

SeraSera

Pure Evil: Comcastards Paid People to Take Up Seats and Cheer in Net Neutrality Hearing

Kaiser-Machead's Chips Ahoy! — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 00:49:12 EST

What's even sadder is that this will be forgotten. It's our tendency to dismiss what is ultimately trivial yesterday's news that will allow this sort of crap to happen tomorrow, and the day after that, and the day after that. I wish there was a Milton in that place that would burn the building down and disappear in the islands, complaining about the salt in his drink.

Kaiser-Machead's Chips Ahoy!

Pure Evil: Comcastards Paid People to Take Up Seats and Cheer in Net Neutrality Hearing

Hypenotist — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 00:44:13 EST

Punish them in the markets or they will continue with plans for interweb fascism.

Hypenotist

Pure Evil: Comcastards Paid People to Take Up Seats and Cheer in Net Neutrality Hearing

Altanader — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 00:37:47 EST

I love america

Altanader

Pure Evil: Comcastards Paid People to Take Up Seats and Cheer in Net Neutrality Hearing

lafond66 — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 00:35:42 EST

Talk about smart management.

lafond66

Pure Evil: Comcastards Paid People to Take Up Seats and Cheer in Net Neutrality Hearing

brenkes — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 00:35:23 EST

Ok so basically their intention was to deceive about the public perception of net neutrality to those who are making decisions about its future.

This in itself shows that companies cannot be *trusted* when it comes to the public interest. This action was self serving and corrupt and I hope Comcast pays a heavy price.

brenkes

Pure Evil: Comcastards Paid People to Take Up Seats and Cheer in Net Neutrality Hearing

P3nnst8r — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 00:28:15 EST

And to Comcast i leave... a boot to the head.

P3nnst8r

Pure Evil: Comcastards Paid People to Take Up Seats and Cheer in Net Neutrality Hearing

--Tito-- — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 00:20:04 EST

What idiots. . .

--Tito--

Pure Evil: Comcastards Paid People to Take Up Seats and Cheer in Net Neutrality Hearing

Kaiser-Machead's Chips Ahoy! — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 00:08:14 EST

@VNSROCK: Satan wouldn't waste his time being a worthless tool of Comcast. He'd be busy building Everex Cloudbooks and possessing Steve Ballmer during every keynote.

Kaiser-Machead's Chips Ahoy!

Pure Evil: Comcastards Paid People to Take Up Seats and Cheer in Net Neutrality Hearing

Kaiser-Machead's Chips Ahoy! — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 00:01:23 EST

They should've staged a fake terrorist takeover and have one of the Comcast execs take him down. At least that would've been amusing.

Kaiser-Machead's Chips Ahoy!

Pure Evil: Comcastards Paid People to Take Up Seats and Cheer in Net Neutrality Hearing

VNSROCK — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 00:00:53 EST

Hey, I recognize that guy. Red eyes, blank stare, let me think....Oh yeh, now I remember...S_A_T_A_N

VNSROCK

Pure Evil: Comcastards Paid People to Take Up Seats and Cheer in Net Neutrality Hearing

pastrychef — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 00:00:53 EST

That's really fucked up.

pastrychef

Pure Evil: Comcastards Paid People to Take Up Seats and Cheer in Net Neutrality Hearing

danielsmi — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 23:57:47 EST

That's FUCKING sick!

danielsmi

Pure Evil: Comcastards Paid People to Take Up Seats and Cheer in Net Neutrality Hearing

EaGle1337 — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 23:57:17 EST

wow..... Sad.

EaGle1337