This could be a game changer. Direct Starlink/Cellular smartphones.

[cjsuk]

A good analogy is that if my kids behave like he does in public, I will call them out on it, because it's not right. They have far less political or social significance than Musk does.

Your other points are perfectly valid. There are plenty of quiet people doing damage to society. And we should call them out too. The AI grifters (oh hang on an overlap!) with their environmental whitewashing need to be at the front of the queue...

 

[Parowdy]

I kind of figured you hated Elon Musk, I suppose in their day you would have hated Thomas Edison, and Nikola Tesla. Ask the people in North West NC, and South West GA what they think of Elon. He has SpaceX engineers installing Starlink systems everywhere, he is not charging anything for it and they have free service until things recover.

Only in retrospective nothing is lost having hated Edison. He was a douche, and so will Musk have been.

 

[Pakaku]

Get rid of Elon and then I’ll be interested.

 

[Wando64]

See your post above. I challenge your statement that Elon Musk holds "unprecedented power and control over both the masses and governments". Several people, like the ones I mentioned, have far more power and influence.

I mention Bezos because he too wields unprecedented power does he not? That is what you are supposedly railing against isn't it? Between Amazon's control over everyday shopping, AWS's control over the internets backend and owning one of the most influential newspapers in the country I'd say his power far outweighs Elon's. If you believe posts here on MR, X is nothing. While we are at it, why doesn't anyone personally attack Sundar Pichai? Does he not wield unprecedented power and influence? Alphabet has an absolute stranglehold on internet advertising via Google and video content via YouTube. Or Tim Cook, like anyone else relying on Chinese manufacturing, he is responsible for untold suffering of the workers assembling his products.

I mentioned several people in the same general field of technology that wield unprecedented power yet somehow don't garner the same level of hate even though everyone I mentioned, IMHO, wields far more power and influence. Power and influence is the thing y'all are railing against... right?



I would argue that Elon doesn't wield near the power people attribute to him. I wonder then, why the visceral, personal attacks? I find it hypocritical to attack only one of the many guilty of having "unprecedented power" while also claiming it has nothing to do with the quote above.

It’s not a competition.
This thread is about Starlink, not about YouTube, Alphabet or Amazon.

 

[monokakata]

I didn't read every posting, so maybe this has been mentioned: Starlink is harming and will (if unchecked) ultimately destroy ground-based optical and some radio astronomy. And if the other folks planning large fleets do what they're planning, the destruction will be even quicker.

LEO (Low Earth Orbit) is unregulated, so there's no way to stop the profiteers from doing as they please.

Obviously there's no simple answer anymore. But I do think that Starlink boosters (people, not rockets) need to know that the operation is hardly without serious side-effects.

 

[heretiq]

I would argue that Elon doesn't wield near the power people attribute to him. I wonder then, why the visceral, personal attacks? I find it hypocritical to attack only one of the many guilty of having "unprecedented power" while also claiming it has nothing to do with the quote above.

I’m sure you know the answer to your own question: Of the people you’ve named, Elon has repeatedly demonstrated a level of pettiness, immaturity, capriciousness, and tribalism that has turned admirers into critics or apologists. None of the other people you mentioned demonstrate these tendencies.

Musk is not being singled out — his own behavior puts him in a small group of individuals with great influence and power who have demonstrated a willingness to use power not just to advance personal interest, but to punish others they deem enemies or even trivially unsympathetic.

Elon’s critics realize that it is unwise to grant such a person even more influence and control. The visceral response is rational and proportionate to the threat he poses to those who are or might become subject to his impulses.

 

[icanhazmac]

In any case, your comment demonstrated that Musk is in not-so great company.

I made no such inference. I think all the visceral hate is unnecessary. Is anyone perfect, no. You are entitled to your opinion but please don't put words in my mouth.

It’s not a competition.
This thread is about Starlink, not about YouTube, Alphabet or Amazon.

🤣 Nice tap out. You, and others, contributed to the movement of the topic, I just came along for the conversation.

Starlink is harming and will (if unchecked) ultimately destroy ground-based optical and some radio astronomy. And if the other folks planning large fleets do what they're planning, the destruction will be even quicker.

LEO (Low Earth Orbit) is unregulated, so there's no way to stop the profiteers from doing as they please.

Obviously there's no simple answer anymore. But I do think that Starlink boosters (people, not rockets) need to know that the operation is hardly without serious side-effects.

Finally! Someone who wants to talk about the tech, not the person. I very clearly stated in a previous post that this is not my area of expertise. I just read an article about a tech that could save lives in an emergency, obviously an upside.

From what I gather from the 2 or 3 posts in this thread with any value to the topic is that satellites in this orbit have consequences because of sheer numbers (tracking) or is it a signal noise thing? Can you point to an article explaining this to the uninitiated? Many thanks!

 

[monokakata]

I made no such inference. I think all the visceral hate is unnecessary. Is anyone perfect, no. You are entitled to your opinion but please don't put words in my mouth.



🤣 Nice tap out. You, and others, contributed to the movement of the topic, I just came along for the conversation.



Finally! Someone who wants to talk about the tech, not the person. I very clearly stated in a previous post that this is not my area of expertise. I just read an article about a tech that could save lives in an emergency, obviously an upside.

From what I gather from the 2 or 3 posts in this thread with any value to the topic is that satellites in this orbit have consequences because of sheer numbers (tracking) or is it a signal noise thing? Can you point to an article explaining this to the uninitiated? Many thanks!

Well, I hate to offer the "google it" response, but there's plenty out there. I'll give an example. Suppose your large widefield telescope is imaging a large portion of the sky but then multiple object cross your telescope's field of view (a) blocking it (b) spraying it with reflected light). If you're a radio astronomer, and you're operating in a frequency band near the Starlink band...well, there goes your signal.

Here's one link https://www.space.com/starlink-v2-mini-radio-noise-threatens-astronomy

I know a few professional astronomers and they are all concerned -- especially because there's really nothing they can do about it.

 

[icanhazmac]

Well, I hate to offer the "google it" response, but there's plenty out there. I'll give an example. Suppose your large widefield telescope is imaging a large portion of the sky but then multiple object cross your telescope's field of view (a) blocking it (b) spraying it with reflected light). If you're a radio astronomer, and you're operating in a frequency band near the Starlink band...well, there goes your signal.

Here's one link https://www.space.com/starlink-v2-mini-radio-noise-threatens-astronomy

I know a few professional astronomers and they are all concerned -- especially because there's really nothing they can do about it.

Thank you for the info. I asked you, versus a blind internet search, because there is a ton of biased opinions on every single topic. I was hoping someone would point me in a reasonable direction.

 

[Wando64]

🤣 Nice tap out. You, and others, contributed to the movement of the topic, I just came along for the conversation.

What? How so?
It was you that mentioned Bezos, Gates, Sundar Pichai and Zukerberg.
It was you that mentioned Amazon, AWS, Alphabet, Google and whatever else you have mentioned.

I was talking about Starlink and Musk.
Enjoy the conversation, I'm out.

 

[icanhazmac]

What? How so?

You made the claim below...

the reality is that no one before has held such unprecedented power and control over both the masses and governments

I challenged your claim by citing others with far more power and influence and that was just others in the general tech space. Surely one can question another's claims in a discussion?

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/unprecedented

Your claim states that Elon Musk is the most powerful person in the world, that has ever lived. This hyperbolic claim would be comical if you didn't state it as fact.

I invite you to provide citation for your claim that Elon is the most powerful person on the planet, that has ever lived, I find that claim laughable but I am open to hearing your proof.

I was talking about Starlink and Musk.

Actually, you never offered any comments on Starlink.

 

[Weaselboy]

Moderator Note:

The thread seems to have drifted way off-topic, so has been locked.