
Kim Dotcom now plans to give New Zealand free broadband pipe to US - llambda
http://arstechnica.com/business/2012/11/kim-dotcom-now-plans-to-give-new-zealand-free-broadband-pipe-to-us/
======
benologist
This is a stupid article written for stupid people. Here's the probably
original reporting: [http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/7904696/Dotcom-
trumpets-fr...](http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/7904696/Dotcom-trumpets-
free-fibre)

with such quotes as:

    
    
        Morgan, who was chairman of Pacific Fibre, said: "I
        haven't talked to him [Dotcom] but I would be happy 
        to have a chat.
    

The only story here is Kim Dotcom is desperate for attention and whore
journalists are desperate for pageviews.

~~~
redthrowaway
I'm getting tired of the predictability of "this article is bad and you should
feel bad" being the top-rated comment for any submission on HN. Comments such
as these are pseudo-deep: they're easy to write, and easy to agree with,
without really adding anything to the discussion. It reminds me of Hitchens'
quip that "George Bush is stupid" had become the joke that stupid people laugh
at.

And yes, I'm aware of the irony of this comment. I'm unsure of how I could
phrase it differently, though.

~~~
rdl
I think it's more fair to hate on blogspam summaries of original reporting,
still, since there's a clear cure (link to the original source). It's one step
away from "there was a posting about this same article with a different url,
discussion is here" type postings.

------
polemic
For those unfamiliar with the back story of Pacific Fibre - it failed partly
because of US opposition to Chinese commercial and technological interests in
the project.

While Kim Dotcom might be willing to fund the cable, the issue of US
protectionism doesn't go away. If the US blocked Chinese involvement for
spurious security reasons, does anyone think they'll be more enthusiastic to
facilitate their piracy nemesis _du jour_ from building a haven for his _new_
business, purportedly using money won from suing the US government for
shutting down the old one?

So, yes it's pure PR, to suck in tech journalists.

------
riobard
“high-speed link would make New Zealand an attractive location for data
centers”

Why would anyone want to host in a data center with such high latency?

~~~
shell0x
Kim Schmitz isn't the smartest person and just has a second lower education.
He isn't a hacker as well and not good with computers, so how should he notice
it? He had luck that he got rich with fraud, but that doesn't make him a
business man. He was and always will be seeking for attention to overact his
missing skills and low IQ.

Just translate some of his usenet postings and you will see it yourself.
<http://arnold.babsi.de/KIMBLE.txt>

~~~
lostlogin
Why does his level of education impact on this? He has made several
intelligent and important people in New Zealand look rather stupid - so at a
bare minimum he plays a shrewd political game.

------
lawnchair_larry
This statement means nothing. This is the same guy that claimed he had an army
that will hack Al Qaeda. Obviously, neither one will happen. He says things.

------
r3m6
"Think Big" certainly applies to Kim Dotcom ;)

~~~
damiankennedy
8-)

------
jofo25
I would not give that man $400 million.

~~~
foxylad
Neither would I, but IF this happens it'll be the other way round - Dotcom
would be giving Pacific Fibre $200 million. Their spokesman says they need a
cornerstone investor with that amount to get the project off the ground.

Sadly New Zealand has very few billionaires, and the ones we do have are very
risk averse. They'll pump millions into tried and trusted dairy farms and
shopping malls, but won't touch things like Pacific Fibre. Unfortunately the
same people run the government, so it won't take the load either.

I'm not going to comment on Dotcom's legal shortcomings, but at least he is
stirring up our very staid political and business communities delightfully.

