Net Neutrality

I ran across a video by CollegeHumor about "Net Neutrality" and went, "Whoa! What's this about?"

Published on Jul 14, 2014 by CollegeHumor
Why Net Neutrality Matters (And What You Can Do To Help)
Unless we speak up, the Internet will become a worse fustercluck than cable TV. Go to http://dearfcc.org to make your voice heard!

Wikipedia: Net neutrality
Net neutrality (also network neutrality or Internet neutrality) is the principle that Internet service providers and governments should treat all data on the Internet equally, not discriminating or charging differentially by user, content, site, platform, application, type of attached equipment, and modes of communication. The term was coined by Columbia media law professor Tim Wu in 2003 as an extension of the longstanding concept of a common carrier.

Neutrality proponents claim that telecom companies seek to impose a tiered service model in order to control the pipeline and thereby remove competition, create artificial scarcity, and oblige subscribers to buy their otherwise uncompetitive services. Many believe net neutrality to be primarily important as a preservation of current freedoms.


Published on May 2, 2014 by vlogbrothers
Hank vs. Hank: The Net Neutrality Debate in 3 Minutes
In which Hank debates Hank on one of the most important debates in the United States today, whether to keep the internet open or to allow cable companies to open fast lanes (and slow lanes) for different parts of the internet to flow through.

Final Word
I look at an issue like this and realise I do not fully understand it and as a consequence, I do not fully grasp the ramifications. I investigate the two sides of the debate, the pro and con, and I'm confused about the long-term implications of either side of the debate. Is this good or is this bad? Or is this just another example of how somebody somewhere is always trying to figure out a way of making money from something which is free? If somebody could charge for air, would they do it? The Internet is a great thing and should remain free to everyone. Are we on the verge of ruining it?


References

Geesh, there are a zillion entries on this topic.

Google search: net neutrality

2014-07-16

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