Chattanooga Internet Efforts

An interesting article in the Wall Street Journal today, highlighting, in part, Chattanooga's efforts to improve internet download and upload speed to it's citizens. Cable providers, of course, resist the effort. KNS had that part of the story a month or so ago.

I always find it interesting that companies who, for decades, have reaped profits from local or regional monopolies, then resist when the local government starts to generate efforts at improved services.

Rant aside, I always find this area of commerce, law, monopoly, government, utilities crossover to be fascinating. Add to this the population demographics (highlighted in the WSJ article) of various countries and it makes for very interesting reading (for a data wonk).

The additional focus area of small- to mid-sized cities falling behind and we all need to see internet speeds improved! Unknown applications abound with improved internet speed.

Internet tools increase human connectedness

A big fear with the internet is the computer interface removing people from human intteraction. Thanks to an internet connection to Jack Lail (Knoxville News Sentinel), I have exercised new internet tools and interactions between the tools. I now know that these tools actually increase the connectedness of people. I am late to the game, here, but as a forty-something father of five, I finally get it.

The first is LinkedIn. I have been a member and connector for over a year, but did not really realize the value until I had left my previous job with Siemens Medical in Knoxville. LinkedIn helps me keep up with people and their moves.

The primary one which Jack's blog introduced me to is Twitter and it's association with blogging. Twitter as a tool is interesting, but I am still playing with it. The way Jack uses it most is through a headlining type service for blog entries, which is cool. You can get updates via RSS feeds, etc., but the quick Twitter link is a simple way to get a view into what his blog contains. Read his blog entries on Twitter impact on elections and breaking news.

I have noticed, through using these tools, that the tool usage has deepened my interest in people. The tool usage has stimulated a deeper understanding of human connectedness and stimulated a greater desire for interesting interaction with people. As a geeky engineer at heart, this is an interesting personal revelation.