Astral Codex Ten

Starlink

6 min read

Starlink

Article

Starlink is a recurring brand in the Astral Codex Ten archive, appearing 6 times across 6 issues between September 20, 2021 and July 24, 2024. The archive places it in contexts such as “Starlink is pretty close to becoming a completely uncensorable Internet service”; “Starlink became generally available last month!”; “Starlink became generally available last month”. It most often appears alongside Elon Musk, Twitter, America.

Metadata

  • Category: Brands
  • Mention count: 6
  • Issue count: 6
  • First seen: September 20, 2021
  • Last seen: July 24, 2024

Appears In

Source Context

Recovered passages from the original issue text. When the raw archive preserved outbound links inside the source passage, they are listed directly under the quote.

Links For September
September 20, 2021 · Original source
15: Speaking of progress, every few months I see an article saying that however good you thought SpaceX was before, it’s even better than that. Anyway, according to this article, SpaceX is even better than however good it was you thought last time you read an article about it. Lots of stuff there, but one key point is that Starlink is pretty close to becoming a completely uncensorable Internet service. Elon Musk is apparently aware:
Inline links: this article
As space-based manufacturing capability is built and expanded, it is quite possible that no terrestrial presence will be required to maintain the space-based side of the ISP. Tesla has a history of releasing patents into the wild; it is not an inconceivable future in which anyone who wishes can construct a Starlink-compatible satellite terminal without approval from the local regulatory bodies. The resultant information hyperloop is uncensored, accessible to all who try, with no controls on content or expression save what the user decides to implement for themself
15
November 15, 2021 · Original source
I was wondering when this was going to show up; maybe it was too spicy for PredictIt and Metaculus. I’ve heard a lot of stuff about the prosecutor really bungling this one, but mostly from conservatives who I would have expected to hate the prosecutor anyway, so it’s good to get objective confirmation that yeah, this isn’t going anywhere. Click for link. This prediction is in the past: Starlink became generally available last month! Somehow I missed it! But there’s a website where you can sign up and everything! Right now it’s only in select areas (it tells me it’ll be reaching the Bay in 2022-2023), but if you’re in those areas it’s available to normal people!
Inline links: https://www.metaculus.com/questions/5035/when-will-spacex-starlink-internet-be-generally-available/, a website where you can sign up
Click for link. This prediction is in the past: Starlink became generally available last month! Somehow I missed it! But there’s a website where you can sign up and everything! Right now it’s only in select areas (it tells me it’ll be reaching the Bay in 2022-2023), but if you’re in those areas it’s available to normal people!
Inline links: a website where you can sign up
This prediction is in the past: Starlink became generally available last month! Somehow I missed it! But there’s a website where you can sign up and everything! Right now it’s only in select areas (it tells me it’ll be reaching the Bay in 2022-2023), but if you’re in those areas it’s available to normal people!
Inline links: a website where you can sign up
Ukraine Thoughts And Links
March 08, 2022 · Original source
i. Elon Musk sends Starlink terminals to Ukraine to ensure continued Internet, although there are worries that Russia can trace the signal. Pic related:
Inline links: sends Starlink terminals to Ukraine
Book Review: Elon Musk
September 13, 2023 · Original source
Elon is a treasure because when he puts effort into going to Mars it opens up lots of other frontiers like Starlink (high-speed Internet everywhere including the developing world, hard for authoritarian governments to censor) and maybe asteroid mining. His idealism will create lots of new trillion-dollar industries and accelerate human progress. I just don’t see any sign that he’s doing it efficiently, or on purpose, or steering in a well-thought-out direction.
Take Starlink. This is now considered SpaceX’s “killer app”. But Musk didn’t even consider it for the company’s first decade. He learned it was possible in 2014, when inventor/entrepreneur Greg Wyler’s proto-Starlink company proposed a partnership with SpaceX. Musk liked the idea so much that he stole it (he claims Wyler would have done it wrong; in his defense, Wyler implemented his own version and I’m not a satellite expert but it feels much less exciting). Musk didn’t plan Starlink. He just happened to be in the exact right place to make it happen.
Inline links: implemented his own version
Highlights From The Comments On Elon Musk
September 18, 2023 · Original source
"Starlink's terms of service include a Mars clause: Users must agree that Mars is a free planet unbound by the authority or sovereignty of any Earth-bound government."
Feels weird talking about Musk, since his biggest impacts are fuzzier ones on x-risk (cofounding OpenAI and also the Ukraine Starlink non-activation event). AI risk and global geopolitical/nuclear risk. So far, what he's done in those areas is questionable at best and unusually terrible at worst.
Links for July 2024
July 24, 2024 · Original source
7: Alex Tabarrok: three years after the government set aside $42 billion for rural broadband, nobody has been connected, partly because the government added too many "progressive wish list" items to the contract (must hire union workers, must hire ex-cons, etc). The $42 billion would have been enough to give every American without broadband access to a 4-year Starlink subscription. [update from comments: maybe this still counts as on track?]
Inline links: set aside $42 billion for rural broadband, maybe this still counts as on track?