Series of Tubes (2006)

added Apr 11, 2009 at 04:47PM UTC

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On June 28th, 2006, former Alaskan Senator Ted Stevens told the world, “The internet is not a big truck. It’s a series of tubes,” among other odd choices of wording while trying to criticize an ammendment that would have prohibited ISP’s from charging for a tiered internet structure.


The entire internet was listening. Fark, BoingBoing, Wired, and essentially everyone whose livelihood and/or recreation relies on the internet promptly gave their two-cents on the matter. (See the Wikipedia link in the header for more details.)

On July 14th, 2006 “DJ Ted Stevens Techno Remix: A Series of Tubes” video created by Gavin of 13tongimp.com was uploaded to Youtube. The video currently has over 3.7 million views.

Conclusion

Senator Stevens was almost right with his “tube” analogy, but among other things he seemed unable to comprehend the idea of information packets. He is also quoted as saying, “my staff sent me an internet” which helped to contribute to the already popular “Internets” meme coined by the equally inept George W. Bush.

Both are examples of politicians who had the power to make important decisions regarding our current means of communication, yet failed miserably to understand it.

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ManWithGoodTaste
Aug 17, 2010 at 06:50PM UTC , ManWithGoodTaste wrote:

Don’t block the tubes! Let my signal through!

BoctorRodotnik
Aug 11, 2010 at 03:10AM UTC , BoctorRodotnik wrote:

Ted Stevens did not die. He simply fused his soul into the Internet and became one with the tubes.

kouyamiaura
Aug 10, 2010 at 07:10PM UTC , kouyamiaura wrote:

Ironically, yesterday, when Ted Stevens was in the crash, Google and Verizon signed a contract that was exactly what Ted Stevens was against.

I blame Google and Verizon.

Alan Burkholder
Aug 10, 2010 at 07:05PM UTC , Alan Burkholder wrote:

It’s now official: Ted Stevens is dead. How will the internet react? We’ll just have to find out.

TheBlackHole
Jun 17, 2010 at 12:49AM UTC , TheBlackHole wrote:

Also:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHg5SJYRHA0

TheBlackHole
Jun 17, 2010 at 12:48AM UTC , TheBlackHole wrote:

Clips of Stevens’ speech were used in Ventrilo Harassment:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7gLTfGDlEFU

lsfbco
Nov 19, 2009 at 04:32PM UTC , lsfbco wrote:

While it’s evident that Stevens had risen to the level of his incompetence, lambasting his minor malaprop (while acknowledging it to be a near miss) is juvenile ad hominem, served with a side of irony.

Tube, pipe; po/tay/to, po/tah/to.

Did he get the geek-speak spot on? No. Did he communicate the fundamental concept? “Almost.”

God, I once thought DnD’ers were the OCD champs.

Hector Hessy
Nov 13, 2009 at 11:12PM UTC , Hector Hessy wrote:

i have a.. NSFW dem0t1vat0r
…………/D/
a series of tubes, within girls, within tubes.
not gonna post it cuz it would get deleted anyways

Badgerfrank10
Jul 29, 2009 at 04:55PM UTC , Badgerfrank10 wrote:

i think it would be important to add that 4chan’s theme album lists this song as track listing #3 on the second disk (of three) named corruption

Badgerfrank10
Jul 29, 2009 at 04:53PM UTC , Badgerfrank10 wrote:

i think it would be important to add that 4chan’s theme album lists this song as track listing #3 on the second disk

Gavin
Jul 29, 2009 at 04:07AM UTC , Gavin wrote:

I can’t find the original article for some reason in the WP’s archives but these is a copy of it posted on aef.com and it notes that it orignally ran in WaPo.

http://www.aef.com/industry/news/data/2006/6066

I only get a brief mention, but it is in there.

Chris Menning
Jul 26, 2009 at 10:52AM UTC , Chris Menning wrote:

Sorry we missed you, Gavin.
I’ve reviewed your video, and I’m adding it now.
We can look up the interviews, but if you happen to have direct links to the articles and a link to your website, it would be much appreciated.

Gavin
Jul 17, 2009 at 07:29AM UTC , Gavin wrote:

What about this video I made: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtOoQFa5ug8

Almost 4 million views and the Washington Post interviewed me about it, so I figure it belongs on this page.

JSin1276
Apr 18, 2009 at 03:16AM UTC , JSin1276 wrote:

Tubes is serious business.

Goomba
Apr 11, 2009 at 05:24PM UTC , Goomba wrote:

Well what. It obviously is. _

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