Prediction - YouTube = Google's Demise

I've been meaning to post this one for a while...

I have to say that I was stunned by Google's idiocy buying YouTube for an astronomical amount of money (what was it? $2b?). Is this a sign that the money hungry been counters are now in charge?

Google has always inspired because of it's ability to create wonderful web applications out of nothing: Gmail, Google Earth, Writely, etc. Yet it went out to market and purchased YouTube - why the sudden change of direction? Worse, it's hardly a unique idea - proven by the vast number of competitors in the market - and worse, it's vapourware. YouTube is only fashionable - it's not going to be a long-term product. What happens when the next YouTube hits the market? Google will be left with a $2b dead duck around its neck.

Worse, it now appears to have become a target because now there's someone to blame. Previously, valuing YouTube was difficult so there was really no-one to sue. Now Viacom et al have an easy target - one of the biggest tech stocks in the market!!!

So, will this really bring Google to its knees? Time will tell I suppose...

What The? Same Survey - Two Interpretations?

I'm a little staggered to work out how this happened:

BBC - Pessimism 'growing among Iraqis' vs The OZ: It's better than Saddam, say hopeful Iraqis

How can the same survey be seen in completely different ways? "Lies, damned lies and statistics" I suppose?

Double Speak - Telstra's "NowWeAreTalking.com.au"

Ah, the nerve of the biggest monopoly in the country!

We received a brochure from Telstra today regarding their propaganda site www.nowwearetalking.com.au which is arguing for regulation to be removed so Telstra can provide proper Broadband for "Australian's".

And how does it propose that Telstra should be "unshackled"? By regulating the price of ULL so they can fuck off all the leaches stealing their cream in the capitals. What a load of old shit!

Don't you love it? It's called competition Telstra - you guys bought into this shit, now wear it. They use language like "our competitors like cherry picking" and "they make good profits from the city customers" and then argue this is reducing their ability to meet the obligations of the Universal Service Obligation.

They even have a whole section arguing that Telstra shareholders are subsiding 90% of the USO! Fuck you idiots - it was hardly a fucking secret when you took this on!

They also complain of having to "hand over" the ULL to their competitors. Look you idiots, the network is a national monopoly - if you don't like this responsibility, then sell the network back to the government and let them run it. You can stay in shitty services because that's about all your good for.

God they pricks have some gaul!!! Made worse by all these "notable Australian's" (all of whom have significant stakeholdings in Telstra) arguing the case for reduced regulation.

So, here's my spin on what will happen. If Howard is returned, the regulation will evaporate. We're already seeing an outright, government sanctioned attack on ISPs so stripping back the regs will be next. Once Telstra have anchored themselves and won back their monopoly, just watch how quickly they stick out their hands for regional/rural service provision. "Oh, it costs shareholders too much still" or "if you want national coverage, it should be paid for by the nation".

Oh, and I'm still waiting for Countrywide to be shutdown - my guess it will come once the regs are removed...

Suggestion - Parity Pricing Road vs Rail

Why is it that the Rail industry is only group seemingly forced to pay for "Externalities"?

• For example, the UK govt agrees to push up Lorry Tares to 40tonnes. The knock on, every bridge in the UK needs to be strengthened. Who pays? The trucking industry? No, the Rail industry!
• In Qld, a ruling is made that QR must fence railway lines to "protect children" (or some rot). As a consequence, QR has outlaid MILLIONS on fencing throughout the state. Yet these same fences often run along side busy roadways - you guessed it - that are UNFENCED!

We see this sort of bullshit time and time again and then there's the right wing mantra - full cost recovery - viz, the railway must pay its own way. Yeah, like the truck industry "pays its own way" - the whole lot is massively subsidised.

But I have a solution. Whilst road users continue to enjoy toll free roads, the rail users should enjoy the same privileges. What I suggest is a simple flat "vehicle" registration charge so that the more a "vehicle" is used, the more profitable it is - which is exactly the same logic that sees trucks plying our roads everyday. If EVERY truck journey incurred the same horrendous costs that rail users are levied, watch them clear the roads faster than you can imagine.

So, lets stop the imbalance and lets:

• Open Rail to FULL Competition (operators)
• The only charge on rails should be a per vehicle charge
• Make the State fund the contruction, maintenance and care of the railway network (rails and signals) but get out of operations (i.e. sell off the bit of QR that drives and operates trains).

And then sit back, watch rail prosper and watch the trucks leave the roads in the thousands!!!

What The: Australia Post Advertising?

Okay, what's going on here?

Over the last week, we've had a barrage of ads for Australia Post - a different ad for every day of the week. They're pretty good ads (as far as ads go) but what the bloody hell are they for?

Aussie Post have a monopoly (well, they currently do), so why the need to advertise? My guess is as follows:

a) Howard is about to strip Aussie Post of its monopoly and "deregulate" the postal system in OZ. Tony (Blair) did it in Blighty, so it must be good for us.
b) Howard is about to sell off Aussie Post.
c) Both the above is going to happen.

Is this going to slip in undetected? Time will tell...

EDIT (4/6): Oh, why am I not surprised to see this ...???