Sean Coon created this Facebook ad urging people to join the BGFTGNC! group. [UPDATE: you can do it, too.]

Sean's baby probably deserves a mention in the GSO application. I'd love to hear what he could do with super internet powers.

I posted my first-ever status update at FB, asking people to join BGFTGNC!, and also sent invitations via the site to my local FB friends. Seems to have paid off with a coupla-few dozen names overnight; please consider promoting the group to your own network.

MORE: "That is the kind of thing Greensboro needs by the truck load, on-the-record public support from our school system administrators, university presidents, business leaders, newspaper publishers, media moguls and community activists. Pronto." Also, butchers, bakers, and candlestick makers -- anyone with something useful to say about how fat pipes would change things for the better, and/or what GSO offers GOOG.

Thinking about costs.

Comments

[sean coon]

the ad is still pending approval, but it's targeted to all 184,000 greensboro residents that are on facebook. that's a staggering % of our population sitting in one place online. i'm only chipping in ~$10 per week for the ad, meaning that it'll pull in 35,000 impression per week, so it's definitely not enough.

facebook ads are simple to set up and cheap, so i'd suggest to anyone who wants to make an impact to do the same. just make sure you do two things: use the right group link in the ad (www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=297271936497) and choose to pay by 1,000 impressions (cost per click for such a popular, local concept as high speed competition to TWC will be super high and limit exposure)

[triadwatch]

Why is this your first posting at FB? You can link your edcone post to FB for more to see.

[Ed Cone]

I use FB primarily as an address book, just have not ever felt the urge to post a status update.

Given the location-specific, action-oriented nature of this message, FB made sense -- I was careful not to spam friends with no connection to GSO.

I cross-posted my blog at FB for a while, but stopped because it seemed like two different audiences and I didn't like pushing several blog posts per day onto that group.

[triadwatch]

fair enough. I do see some who see a post on my fb account then go to post at site. Even in past where i talk about the housewives on bravo tv so many people say why are you such a fan of thaT show when i see my FB friends in person.

[RecycleBill]

"and/or what GSO offers GOOG"

I'd be interested to know.

[David Wharton]

Ed -- I'm sure I remember you posting a previous update with a video link to the work of a local young filmmaker.

Since what you've written here is inaccurate, I'm calling your editor, who I'm sure will fire you when he finds out.

[Ed Cone]

David Wharton -- if that is your real name -- I've linked to FB from my blog before, but I've never done a status update at FB itself.

That said, my editor is threatening to fine me if I don't take her for a walk.

[Roch101]

I think the "cost" question to which you link at John Robinson's blog is based on a misreading of the proposal. Two examples:

- The author takes Google's description of expected cost to consumer, i.e. subscribing customers, and says that the chosen community might have to pay for the "roll out." There has been no indication that is the case.

- The most bothersome: the author seeks to regurgitate the same "is it safe/moral/legal" warnings that were so much fodder for scary sweeps month stories on local TV in mid 90's about the internet itself. Faster porn? The internet already brings us porn, offensive music, etc. Wondering if a community is ready to get those faster is like wondering if people are ready to have a newspaper delivered by car instead of bicycle.

[Jim Caserta]

The cost would be competitive? Is that the monthly cost??? Of course they wouldn't give away GBps internet access. That alone is worth about $100/mo/home. If anyone thought Google was going to be giving this service away, please pass what you're smoking. The cost issue is the setup costs: will Google pay to build the network, or will they want some either easement provisions, or other subsidies.

OMG - once the fiber is laid, it's there. You'll always have the option of going back to T-W...but, as Jay mentioned on another thread, T-W will have better offerings at a lower price.

The killer app is streaming video (maybe gaming with PS3 & XBOX360). That is the BW hog, and I don't see anything replacing it. How many residents of a town are going to be uploading MRI scans? My household actually would, potentially for both adults, but we are an extreme exception. Medical applications seem to be the ones that come up, and the Triad is strong in that area, however, possibly not as strong as RTP.

[Jim Caserta]

I would probably pay 25% more for Google's service than our T-W high-speed online we currently have. I think Google would be more than happy with that. Upload speed sucks, but that's a function of the network. I'd want an equal price for the cable we have.

I've said it a few times, but in terms of cost, Google coming to town will lower T-W's prices, and there's no way they would go to the tiered pricing scheme they were proposing. Any heavy to semi-heavy bandwidth user would jump to Google immediately. Google's backbone network probably has more bandwidth available than T-W's, so any sort of bottleneck would take a while to form.

[Fred Gregory]

Mr. Time and Mr. Warner are watching and if this effort comes a cropper then they will hose us plenty much.. count on it

[Jim Caserta]

Really? So competition brings out the worst in companies? With a better less expensive option in town, T-W will respond with higher prices?

Evidence says otherwise

Competition lowering prices is a basic principle of capitalism. It puzzles me that some 'conservative' voices worry so much about an alternate network provider.

[Fred Gregory]

Jim,

Not what I said. Once again IF the deal falls through I suspect that TW will feel price increases would be pnly fair and deserved. I say go for it but consider the possibilities. Otey Gumby.

[Bubba]

"Comes a cropper" is not a familiar expression in younger generations, Fred.

[Ged]

Time Warner will continue to raise rates and the quality of the service will continue to degrade anyway Fred, so really, what's the difference?

Rates are not going down. They're constantly going up.

[Z]

I called Time Warner up to ask how fast the internet access was compared to ATT because I was going to switch to DISH, and after some back and forth, they lowered my $175 per month bill to 125 plus free Showtime for a year.

[Jim Caserta]

The possibility of being screwed by a pseudo-monopoly should lead to a stronger initiative to develop alternatives & competition. T-W's pricing strategy is a reason TO pursue google, not to weaken the pursuit.

[Ryan Shell]

Ed, this post highlights the need for another meeting as I outlined earlier this week.

http://greensboropolitics.com/another-google-public-meeting/

Ryan