So first of all what is Freebasics?
Freebasics is a so called service provided by Facebook for connecting people. Now that is what Facebook calls it by giving free access to Facebook and some other basic services. You remember another term which used to sound a bit same like this one called internet. org which was running around the news, TV and and on Facebook and which was bashed by people of India and many activists around the globe including Tim Burners Lee the founder WWW for violating net neutrality.
So now Mr. Zuckerburg changed the name of Internet.org to free Basics to step out of the problem and partnered with indian telecom giant RComm (Relaine Communications) to spread free basics.
The real aim of Facebook is to takeover Internet and to and spreading knowledge across india that internet is all about using Facebook. Guys we have to stop this to enjoy internet as utility and to use it with full freedom likw we are using it right now.
Please send an email to the link mentioned below about your views to TRAI (Telecom Regulation Authority of India). They've banned free basics till Dec 31 2015, So yo have to do it before the date runs out.
Save The Intenet.in
Facebook's Free Basics Is A Well Marketed Strategy Into Getting Indians To Believe That The World Really Cares About Rural India
Let's be honest, you're here to make business, like every other Firang who comes here. But at what cost? By exploiting the already exploited? This entire idea of "Free basics" can be summarized into one situation -
Me: Hey! Check this out, I have a free food coupon for you.
You: Oh my god! God bless you, I haven't eaten since days! I will go and buy one plate of Dal Chawal right away!
Me: What? No! You can only buy the following from this --> Mutton, Moong, Caramel Custard, 1 Chocolate
You: What? But I'm a vegetarian. And I'm diabetic.
Me: So what? You're getting this for free. Be grateful for it and eat whatever you're offered!
You: ..........
Here's the thing. We appreciate the fact that Mark Zuckerberg is interested in providing our country "Free Basics" at a time when most of the children, farmers, women in the rural areas are struggling to survive on one meal a day. Providing them with "Free" internet will not solve all their issues, but we agree it is one step ahead in making them 'understand' how they can change their current situation. But hey! Free Basics allows you to do anything for free only if you subscribe to a particular set of restricted sites. So that means, if you had access to free basics and I had my regular vodafone connection and we were asked to search for the Top 10 colleges in India, you would have had to stick to Facebook's graph search while I happily google mine. Why? Because my paid internet allows me to do whatever the hell I want. And why not you? Because you've got that shit for free, you're Facebook's slave for life.
India is developing in terms of new-age companies and start-ups who want to establish their grounds in the market and provide their services to every one on the internet. Now imagine these guys being told "Hello, we're sorry, we can't get your services up here because Flipkart has already paid us a bomb, maybe you can come to us when you can afford this shit?"
But I would definitely applaud whoever is coming up with the marketing strategy for Free Basics. They studied the Indian audience and kept in mind one word that would automatically get all Indians to support this cause - 'FREE'. Arrey bhai, we understand your target audience is the rural India, but at least don't underestimate the power of us 'Urban Indians' and our ability to filter the hidden agenda behind this fiasco.
You want to contribute in making India powerful and Internet friendly? Why don't we drop the restrictions. You want the rural Indians to have free access to Internet and you think that is going to help curb literally every problem in the world, let us tell you that they still can't afford to buy a house which they just saw on the 'Free Internet' you just provided them with.
And free Internet is something every Internet service provider can provide. But they aren't right now because every time they try to do it, we get on the streets and protest against them. Just because you're packaged in a prettier logo and you're literally the reason why this country is connected with each other gives you no right to do what you're doing. If you think you're our only choice, then let us tell you that Orkut & MySpace existed before you. And now they don't. There's someone out there who's probably thinking of a better social media site for 1.2 Billion people to move on to. So you better save your arse before we set it on fire.
Please visit www.savetheinternet.in and speak out against this. Be smart. Take your own decision. But make sure it's in the interest and favor of Net Neutrality.
Facebook's Free Basics Is A Well Marketed Strategy Into Getting Indians To Believe That The World Really Cares About Rural India
Let's be honest, you're here to make business, like every other Firang who comes here. But at what cost? By exploiting the already exploited? This entire idea of "Free basics" can be summarized into one situation -
Me: Hey! Check this out, I have a free food coupon for you.
You: Oh my god! God bless you, I haven't eaten since days! I will go and buy one plate of Dal Chawal right away!
Me: What? No! You can only buy the following from this --> Mutton, Moong, Caramel Custard, 1 Chocolate
You: What? But I'm a vegetarian. And I'm diabetic.
Me: So what? You're getting this for free. Be grateful for it and eat whatever you're offered!
You: ..........
Here's the thing. We appreciate the fact that Mark Zuckerberg is interested in providing our country "Free Basics" at a time when most of the children, farmers, women in the rural areas are struggling to survive on one meal a day. Providing them with "Free" internet will not solve all their issues, but we agree it is one step ahead in making them 'understand' how they can change their current situation. But hey! Free Basics allows you to do anything for free only if you subscribe to a particular set of restricted sites. So that means, if you had access to free basics and I had my regular vodafone connection and we were asked to search for the Top 10 colleges in India, you would have had to stick to Facebook's graph search while I happily google mine. Why? Because my paid internet allows me to do whatever the hell I want. And why not you? Because you've got that shit for free, you're Facebook's slave for life.
India is developing in terms of new-age companies and start-ups who want to establish their grounds in the market and provide their services to every one on the internet. Now imagine these guys being told "Hello, we're sorry, we can't get your services up here because Flipkart has already paid us a bomb, maybe you can come to us when you can afford this shit?"
But I would definitely applaud whoever is coming up with the marketing strategy for Free Basics. They studied the Indian audience and kept in mind one word that would automatically get all Indians to support this cause - 'FREE'. Arrey bhai, we understand your target audience is the rural India, but at least don't underestimate the power of us 'Urban Indians' and our ability to filter the hidden agenda behind this fiasco.
You want to contribute in making India powerful and Internet friendly? Why don't we drop the restrictions. You want the rural Indians to have free access to Internet and you think that is going to help curb literally every problem in the world, let us tell you that they still can't afford to buy a house which they just saw on the 'Free Internet' you just provided them with.
And free Internet is something every Internet service provider can provide. But they aren't right now because every time they try to do it, we get on the streets and protest against them. Just because you're packaged in a prettier logo and you're literally the reason why this country is connected with each other gives you no right to do what you're doing. If you think you're our only choice, then let us tell you that Orkut & MySpace existed before you. And now they don't. There's someone out there who's probably thinking of a better social media site for 1.2 Billion people to move on to. So you better save your arse before we set it on fire.
Please visit www.savetheinternet.in and speak out against this. Be smart. Take your own decision. But make sure it's in the interest and favor of Net Neutrality.
