Morse Code Vs. Typewriter: Which Angry Verizon Net Neutrality Rant Wins?

The telecommunications giant is not happy about today’s FCC vote approving strict new regulations on internet providers. But the result is a couple of amusing press releases.

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2. Verizon is not happy about today’s FCC vote to treat broadband internet as a public utility, just like telephone lines.

In response, Verizon argued that the rules being applied were outdated relics from a previous communications era and would regulate the internet like the early telephone networks of the 1930s.

3. After today’s vote, Verizon put out two official replies: one in morse code and one using a type writer font and dated “1934” instead of “2015.” The Communiations Act, which gives the FCC the authority to reclassify broadband, was written in 1934.

4. First, the morse code.

6. And the old-timey typewriter.

7. Is this a cringeworthy attempt reduce a crucial public policy debate down to gimmicky press releases? Sure. But it’s also reflective of a fight where one of the deadliest weapons was a viral video.

John Oliver’s net neutrality bit led to so many comments that the FCC’s commenting system broke down.

9. And net neutrality supporter Keith Ellison, a Democratic congressman, contributed a vine of him singing and dancing in celebration. (Twitter, which owns Vine, supports the net neutrality rules).

11. And as pointed out here, this fight marks the rise of the internet as a mainstream political issue. So, in the spirit of the battle, we ask:

  1. Which of Verizon’s gimmicky responses worked best?

    1. Morse Code

    2. Old-Timey Typewriter

Read more: http://www.buzzfeed.com/matthewzeitlin/verizon-morse-code

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