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Opinions

Missed connections
It’s about time Douglas’ Wi-Fi got an upgrade

By Gurneev Panesar

ed up with trying to connect
re the Douglas College Wi-
Fi? Well aren’t we all! You’d
think that you’d be able to get some
decent Internet speed while on
a college’s Wi-Fi network, but as
it turns out, you can hardly get a
connection at all!

Correct me if I’m wrong, but
isn’t the idea behind wireless
networks to offer convenience?
Most students have either a laptop
or a phone with a data plan and
it’s disappointing to hear people
forever complaining about the
nonsensical Internet connection
here at Douglas.

In my opinion, a sufficient
well-operating Wi-Fi system
is necessary to a learning
environment in order to ensure
that the faculty and students have
a reliable Internet connection. After
all, a lot of assignments are posted
online, professors send out emails
about class cancelations, and in
some cases, we’re even asked to
draw from online resources.

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The question we really need to
be asking is: why has nothing been
done about this? It amazes me how
much money goes towards things
like changing the school logo or
even printing several billboards
and public transit ads. From a
marketing perspective, these are
all things that are a great asset to
the school, but they aren’t quite
as valuable to the students who
already attend Douglas. All we ask
for in return is a good Internet
connection that will benefit the
entire student body and even the
college as a whole.

I’m not sure if the cost of
upgrading the system is the
main issue here, but the problem
needs to be dealt with as soon
as possible. These days, Wi-Fi is
no longer a luxury, but almost a
necessity. It lets us do everything
a busy student needs to like post
assignments, check our email, and
so on. Thanks to the technological
revolution, our world now revolves
around the Internet and the needs
of a student’s environment have
changed along with it.

 

Saying no to Netflix

Online movie monarch is a streaming pile of shit

By Jacey Gibb, Opinions Editor

started being offered in Canada,

I was 100 per cent on board with
it. Like so many other unsuspecting
sheep, I too flocked to the one
month free trial slaughter and
lauded the website for its expansive
selection and user-friendly design.
Then, primarily out of laziness, I
allowed Netflix to continue existing
on my computer past the month’s
end and was soon being charged
the standard $7.99/ month. About
five payments later, my fund’s had
reached critical lows and, realizing
that I hadn’t watched anything on
it for weeks, I cancelled my Netflix.
Sure, I still get the weekly email

I: admit that when Netflix first

better product at a lower price.
With movie rental stores drying up
like rain drops in July, pretty soon
there won't be any competition.
Netflix will have a monopoly over
the home movie viewing market,
aside from grocery store new
releases machines. Your only choice
will be to purchase your own hard
copy—and honestly, at the prices
they’re going for these days, who
wants to do that? Once a monopoly
is established, Netflix will be able
to charge however much they

want and no one will be able to do
anything about it.

My final argument against
Netflix is probably the one I’m
most passionate about: it’s a
God damn time sponge. Aside

“Aside from Being John Malkovich, | can’t name a single movie I've watch off
Netflix that left me thinking ‘Wow, I’m glad | watched that!’ Their business
model seems to be orientated around quantity over quality...”

to my junkmail folder, asking me
to “Come home to Netflix,” but
I’ve never looked back. But just
recently, a friend decided that it
was necessary for my roommate
and I to have access to unnecessary
movies whenever we wanted, so
he put his account on our Wii.
Two Adam Sandler movies later, I
decided that Netflix was evil and
should be banished back to the
cyberhole that it crawled out of.

I first realized the downside
to Netflix while I was talking to
my mom a few months back. She
was complaining about how she
really wanted to watch Titanic,
but couldn’t find our old VHS
copy—parents, they’re adorable,
eh? [asked why she didn’t just
rent it but then she reminded me
that all of the Rogers Videos and
Blockbusters in my hometown
had closed down. While she’s by
no means technology dyslexic, my
mom isn’t the savviest Internet user
around. Also, the Internet at my
parents’ house is charged by how
much they use, meaning streaming
content online burns a serious hole
into their joint piggybank. Both
factors combine to make the idea
of my mom signing up for Netflix
out of the question. Basically, she’s
left to either buy the movie or
prowl the TV guide for the next
few months in search of a viewing
opportunity.

What people have to remember
is that our economy is designed in
a way that allows for competition
between businesses. Consumers
will likely go for whoever has the

from Being John Malkovich, I can’t
name a single movie I’ve watch
off Netflix that left me thinking
“Wow, I’m glad I watched that!”
Their business model seems to be
orientated around quantity over
quality, offering countless different
categories, with 90 per cent of the
movies being utter crap. Every
time a group of friends and I find
ourselves browsing Netflix for
something to watch, we spend
about half an hour farcing around,
suggesting whatever movies look
the most terrible. Even worse,

I’m amazed at how many people
watch the garbage being offered up
simply because of its convenience.
“Well, I’ve never wanted to

see Madea goes to Jail and I find
Tyler Perry to be as comedic as a
festering wound. Buuuut it’s on
Netflix, so okay!”

Go outside. Fly a kite. Rob a
bank. Just sign out of your Netflix
and log in to real life. Or at least
stop watching Bollywood musical
comedies just because you can.
They’re going to seriously mess up
your recommended selections.