What are you thoughts on net neutrality?

I think it’s a conflict of interest for a company both to produce content and to own the medium through which competitors need to send content. Just based on human nature, that’s likely to result in the company tweaking the medium to favor its own content, because it can.

That said, I’m not sure that getting Congress to pass a law about this is the right solution. Congress often shows a spectacularly bad collective understanding of technology, and I’m not sure that understandings as bad as Congress’s collective understanding of the Internet ever lead to good law.

So, I guess I’m in favor of net neutrality as a concept, but not in favor of the current approach towards guaranteeing net neutrality.

I feel that private anonymous Internet and telephone should be well-managed public utilities with extremely low cost to use. Not commercial cesspools of advertising and bargain rates alternating with ridiculous fees and crazy “minute plans”, and worrying about who’s snooping on whom, etc.

this is one of the most important issues and most people seem to either be unaware or do not care. i am VERY VERY PRO net neutrality. if it goes away the internet will be a BIGGER nightmare than it is now without a doubt. but it will be too late. once corporate america starts carving it up, there will be no saving it. remember NO CORPORATION has the interest of consumers at its heart. EVERYTHING in business is to make money/increase share price/reduce our choices. even if they say it isnt.

i love this definition…

What is Net Neutrality?
Network Neutrality (or “net” neutrality) is the concept of online non-discrimination. It is the principle that consumers/citizens should be free to get access to – or to provide – the Internet content and services they wish, and that consumer access should not be regulated based on the nature or source of that content or service. Information providers – which may be websites, online services, etc., and who may be affiliated with traditional commercial enterprises but who also may be individual citizens, libraries, schools, or nonprofit entities – should have essentially the same quality of access to distribute their offerings. “Pipe” owners (carriers) should not be allowed to charge some information providers more money for the same pipes, or establish exclusive deals that relegate everyone else (including small noncommercial or startup entities) to an Internet “slow lane.” This principle should hold true even when a broadband provider is providing Internet carriage to a competitor.

The American Library Association supports Net Neutrality legislation that preserves the competitive online markets for content and services. Bandwidth and access should be offered on equal terms to all willing to pay.

http://lita.org/ala/washoff/woissues/techinttele/networkneutrality/netneutrality.cfm

COOL SITES TO LEARN MORE

More than 23,000 SavetheInternet.com activists urged the FCC to stop Comcast’s Internet blocking. Now the agency has responded, launching an investigation.

Big phone and cable companies are trying to get rid of Network Neutrality, the fundamental principle that prevents them from discriminating against your favorite Web sites and services. Our broad coalition wants to keep the Internet free and open for everyone.

http://savetheinternet.com/

WeAreTheWeb.org is a web action initiative formed by space150 to promote Net Neutrality and to defeat legislation that would restrict or undermine the Internet. WeAreTheweb.org creates humorous viral content intended to raise awareness of Net Neutrality and the real world ramifications of the changes being proposed to the Internet currently being considered. WeAreTheWeb.org has partnered with Internet celebrities such as “The Tron Guy”, “Peter Pan” and Leslie Hall. Each spokesperson has found and connected with an audience through the Internet specifically due to the democratic nature of the medium.

http://wearetheweb.org/
found via http://www.urlwire.com/news/080306a.html

Most Americans believe that if you play fair and work hard, you’ll get ahead. But this notion is threatened by legislation passed Thursday night by the U.S. House of Representatives that would allow Internet service providers to play favorites among different Web sites.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/06/09/newmark.internet/

Net Neutrality Showdown
http://www.news.com/Net-neutrality-showdown/2009–1028_3–6055133.html

Ten things that finally killed Net neutrality

Posted by Declan McCullagh
If you haven’t heard much about Net neutrality this year, you’re not alone. It went from being the political equivalent of a first-run Broadway show, with accompanying street protests and high profile votes in Congress, to a third-rate performance with no budget and slumping attendance.

So what killed Net neutrality? Here’s a list, in no particular order:
http://www.news.com/8301–13578_3–9773538-38.html

Network neutality, search neutrality, and the never-ending conflict
between efficiency and fairness in markets – paper
http://www.dtc.umn.edu/~odlyzko/doc/net.neutrality.pdf
above found via http://www.handsoff.org/blog/

how bout THIS for weird. both these links DO work and i can SEE the articles but not as posted/come out on Fluther. what the heck is going on? see the evil forces already at work he he.

Ten things that finally killed Net neutrality
http://www.news.com/8301–13578_3–9773538-38.html

Net Neutrality Showdown
http://www.news.com/Net-neutrality-showdown/2009–1028_3–6055133.html