Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: Ya rly

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  • Russell Brown,

    Yeah, alright, couldn't help myself ...

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Geoff Lealand,

    We all understand, Russell...I also heard Bozo Bruce on MR and, to me, he seemed to be arguing for closed shop monopolies. Who does he represent exactly?

    Screen & Media Studies, U… • Since Oct 2007 • 2562 posts Report Reply

  • Grant McDougall,

    I was astonished at the man's ignorance. He clearly failed to realise that the reason the gov'ts splitting T/com up is because T/com has been far too monopolistic and have sat on its arse.

    As a result, the public's had to suffer a mediocre IT system, despite it having the ability to upgrade. It's only when the govt's waved the big stick has Telecom pulled finger. It wouldn't have otherwise.

    That's the reason why, not to take a pop at Telecom's profits or whatever, as Brucey seemed to reckon.

    Dunedin • Since Dec 2006 • 760 posts Report Reply

  • insider outsider,

    I think the $1.5 b loss in share value is what motivated him.

    I've never understood why councils haven't insisted on the installation of cable ducting every time they dig up the roads or laid a new one, which they can rent out to fibre layers. Seemed like a potential revenue stream at low cost. But maybe the business case doesn;t stack up.

    nz • Since May 2007 • 142 posts Report Reply

  • InternationalObserver,

    </off topic>

    Does anyone have any insight as to whether the separation of Telecom Networks might resolve the stand-off over peering?

    Does anyone have any clue why I can't send attachments? It's been this way for years, even when I switched to Orcon. If I switch 100% to Orcon (ie ditch Telecom's homeline) and take their $100 package will that solve the problem? The nice man on the phone (who rang me to get me to switch) seemed to infer that maybe Telecom were limiting my access and that was why I couldn't send attachments.
    or is it just my Intel Mac? I can't seem to find any settings to change to allow attachments. Should I ring 0800GEEK or are they all PC users?

    </back to topic>

    Here's a stock tip for y'all: DON'T BUY ANYTHING RIGHT NOW - NO SHARES NO GOLD NO PROPERTY NO EUROS - WE'RE ALL GOING TO HELL IN A HANDBASKET - CASH IS KING/QUEEN - SPEND WHAT YOU'VE GOT AND ENJOY IT - PUT ALL YOUR SPARE MONEY INTO PAYING OFF YOUR MORTGAGE - MY PORTFOLIO IS F@#KED!

    </gibbering mess>

    Since Jun 2007 • 909 posts Report Reply

  • Gary Hutchings,

    Maybe he was thinking about this thing he heard of called Wimax, that was, like, you know, really really fast, and would give blazingly fast internet everywhere, for like nothing,

    Perhaps he should talk to Buzz Comm in Aust. they appear to have a different take on it.

    http://www.commsday.com/node/228"

    wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 108 posts Report Reply

  • Mike Graham,

    I think I heard Bruce Shepherd say something along the lines of: 'it might be good for the customers, but it's no good for the shareholders".

    I guess most of us are customers, not shareholders of Telecom, so we are happy with the changes. He is representing the shareholders, but if the customers aren't happy then the shareholders will ultimately suffer.

    Thank goodness Williamson isn't Telecoms minister anymore or we'd still be waiting for some action.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 206 posts Report Reply

  • BenWilson,

    Does anyone have any clue why I can't send attachments?

    Email attachments?? That's real strange. Your ISP (I'm assuming XTRA) can't help?

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

  • Danielle,

    MY PORTFOLIO IS F@#KED

    You have a *portfolio*?

    Charo World. Cuchi-cuchi!… • Since Nov 2006 • 3828 posts Report Reply

  • Tom Semmens,

    From Mr. Shepard's utterance's over the Auckland Airport offer from the Canucks I concluded he was probably an unreconstructed Bourbon of the Rogernomics era. His latest comments only reinforce that.

    And while we are at it about this mornings Morning Report, why must my morning 6.50am shower be disturbed by RNZ reporting every thought and press release of the ANZ's Cameron Bagrie as if it were passed on down from on high carved on a stone tablet? I googled Mr. Bagrie, and discovered that before his appointment at the ANZ was - Quelle Surprise! - a treasury gnome. I am not doubting his integrity, but he works for a foreign owned bank for crying out loud!!!! Why doesn't someone at RNZ twig that the ANZ might have their own reasons for trying to set the economic tone in the land?

    Sevilla, Espana • Since Nov 2006 • 2217 posts Report Reply

  • Emma Hart,

    You have a *portfolio*?

    That's where he keeps his etchings. Wanna see?

    Christchurch • Since Nov 2006 • 4651 posts Report Reply

  • BenWilson,

    Everyone's got a portfolio. $20 in your wallet is a portfolio.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

  • Danielle,

    That's where he keeps his etchings. Wanna see?

    Pssst: I don't know if you guys were aware of this, but often, an offer to see someone's etchings means you end up examining *so much more* than you bargained for...

    Everyone's got a portfolio. $20 in your wallet is a portfolio.

    Oh Ben, that's cute. You think I have $20 in my wallet!

    (I'm starting to feel a little Eliza Doolittle-esque, at this point.)

    Charo World. Cuchi-cuchi!… • Since Nov 2006 • 3828 posts Report Reply

  • Tom Beard,

    Does $1000 left of my Visa credit limit count as a portfolio?

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1040 posts Report Reply

  • BenWilson,

    Tom, that would be a highly geared portfolio

    Danielle, I'm thinking you've probably got a purse in your portfolio.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

  • Shep Cheyenne,

    I was taken a back by his statement that "people who make things earn less than paper shufflers" - like the Share holders maybe?

    Since Oct 2007 • 927 posts Report Reply

  • Matthew Poole,

    Does anyone have any insight as to whether the separation of Telecom Networks might resolve the stand-off over peering?

    Yes, it should result in a fairly swift resolution.

    Peering was originally stopped, according to the multitude of cynics in the NZ internet operators' community (of which I am one), because it allowed Telecom to push ISPs to purchase expensive domestic connections to allow them to exchange traffic with Xtra. The alternative was to have to send the traffic over even-more-expensive international links (which many did, giving some indication of just how wildly expensive those domestic links were). It's interesting that the only other ISP to de-peer was Telstraclear, which is also the only other ISP attached to a company that sells physical data links.

    Now that Xtra has to pay for domestic and international connectivity at the same rates as everyone else, there is a very strong incentive for them to re-peer. In fact, I'd go as far as to say that if Xtra doesn't re-peer, it's evidence that the separation isn't actually working properly.

    Auckland • Since Mar 2007 • 4097 posts Report Reply

  • Mark Thomas,

    this should give you tech geeks wood

    40 gigabit internet connection

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 317 posts Report Reply

  • davidamstalden,

    Oh, Russell, how could you have ever fallen into the notion that a 'spokesperson' would ever consider 'the truth' more valuable for dissemination than 'what's best for the creepies who have crawled up my arse and are talking out of my mouth.'?

    I thought only the NZ Herald was that naive.

    Also, what would a 40 gig connection do for global warming, I have to wonder?

    New Plymouth • Since Mar 2008 • 45 posts Report Reply

  • Emma Hart,

    Pssst: I don't know if you guys were aware of this, but often, an offer to see someone's etchings means you end up examining *so much more* than you bargained for...

    Or so much less. I quite like etchings.

    Christchurch • Since Nov 2006 • 4651 posts Report Reply

  • Kumara Republic,

    Does Mr Sheppard seriously think that broadband is something that keeps his pants from falling down? I'll give him credit for helping to extract the $27m out-of-court settlement from Fay Richwhite, but he really should save his energy for recovering the remaining $240 million-plus from them.

    The best, if not the only, alternative to unbundling would have been to take the cargo cult approach, wait for a white knight to write a $5 billion cheque, and watch fibre-optic wires magically plant themselves in the ground. Competitors like TelstraClear tried hard but threw in the towel.

    I wonder how familiar Mr Sheppard is with anti-trust law, particularly the DOJ VS Ma Bell lawsuit that sued the monopoly out of existence?
    The impact on Telecom shareholders' value is a given, but it's short-term pain for long-term gain.

    The southernmost capital … • Since Nov 2006 • 5446 posts Report Reply

  • Shep Cheyenne,

    DeepRed it sounds a little imperalist to use the term Cargo Cult. I quite like their tapa but can't afford it.

    Since Oct 2007 • 927 posts Report Reply

  • Kumara Republic,

    In addition to my post above, I'm going to re-work a famous Ronnie Reagan quote:

    "A laissez-faireist reads Adam Smith. A non-laissez-faireist understands Adam Smith."

    In particular, these little gems from Smith's The Wealth of Nations:

    Monopoly...is a great enemy to good management. (Book I Chapter XI Part I)

    The monopolists, by keeping the market constantly understocked, by never fully supplying the effectual demand, sell their commo-dities much above the natural price. (Book I, Chapter VII)

    The southernmost capital … • Since Nov 2006 • 5446 posts Report Reply

  • linger,

    DR: Wow. One well-placed hyphen and the mysteries (and internal class struggles) of the music industry are revealed: Commo-ditties.

    Emma: I suppose taking someone up on that etchings line is one quick way to distinguish real from bullshit artists.

    Tokyo • Since Apr 2007 • 1944 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    __Does anyone have any insight as to whether the separation of Telecom Networks might resolve the stand-off over peering?__

    Yes, it should result in a fairly swift resolution.

    Really? Well halle-freakin'-lujah!

    It's obvious, really, but it hadn't occurred to me till today that a separated Telecom Networks would behave differently in the market.

    If this comes to pass, it's a great result. And a much more rational market.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

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