Net Neutrality Paradigm Shift

[Major Robert Dump]

The internet is not a truck.

[Lemur]

The internet is not a truck.

It's a series of tubes!

[Subotan]

It's a series of tubes!

I've known about that meme for ages, but that's a great video

I don't really know much about net neutrality, so I don't have an opinion on it. I think this is one of those issues where everyone says they're out for the common man's interest, when they're all actually out for Numero Uno.

[a completely inoffensive name]

We need net neutrality to be enforced immediately. In the past 5 years companies have finally adapted to the times and are now recognizing the power of the internet in furthering their goals, example: television channels finally putting their shows online in 2008 through Hulu.

The "free market" that the internet has been so called, has not been a free market but an ignored market and now that the companies have an interest in it, like in all markets there will be a need for government to put limits and restrictions on the companies that are now attempting to manipulate the market.

In many regions there are lots of people who have access to only one internet service provider, which makes it a monopoly, allowing the company to easily control the speed and degree of access to the internet its consumers have.

The best example of such manipulation of the market occurring is with the MPAA and RIAA attempting to force ISP's to cut and/or investigate the bandwidth being used by someone they feel is pirating music. These attempts by the music and movie industries to act as your judge, jury and executioner is completely unacceptable and serve as only a warning of coming times if we do not get government to simply set guidelines and consumer protection laws.

That is what net neutrality comes down to, consumer protection, not punishing companies, or stiffing innovation but making sure that a company does not have the ability to demand your ISP to hand over your internet information without your or the courts consent.

[Xiahou]

I've known about that meme for ages, but that's a great video

I've always liked this one best.

Everybody in the US.

Utilities are regulated monopolies. The odds are you will have at most two to three cable providers for an area, usually it's just one. Your alternative is DishTV or Dishnet. Phone is similar but different. You will have one ILEC that owns and is responsible for all of the service to the area. You CAN opt to have other CLECs, but they still 'rent' from the main ILEC and it will invariably cost more, even though the fees and costs are regulated to ensure competition.

You say most everyone has only once choice for Internet access and then go on to list at least 3 that most people have available. Cable, DSL, and satellite. In larger metro areas, you're likely to have even more options- like wireless ect.

I've often described net neutrality as a solution looking for a problem- there's no need for it.

edit:

Keep your accursed 'consumer protection' away from me

Amen.

[Lemur]

Well, Glenn Beck says net neutrality is a Marxist plot, so you know it's probably a good idea.

Beck has been warning his viewers about net neutrality, the idea that broadband providers should not favor their own content over competing programming.

"So we have Marxists that are designing and working on net neutrality -- are believers in net neutrality" to "control content," the outspoken Beck said Tuesday night.

Art Brodsky, the communications director at pro-net neutrality group Public Knowledge, said Beck is actually arguing against his own interests.

"Mr. Beck fails to understand the fundamentals of how the Internet works. He should be in favor of Net Neutrality, because it guarantees streaming of his program will not be able to be placed behind, say, Keith Olbermann's Countdown. That could happen if NBC's owner decided to pay protection money for prioritized data transmission."

[Xiahou]

"Mr. Beck fails to understand the fundamentals of how the Internet works. He should be in favor of Net Neutrality, because it guarantees streaming of his program will not be able to be placed behind, say, Keith Olbermann's Countdown. That could happen if NBC's owner decided to pay protection money for prioritized data transmission."

Yeah, and Rush Limbaugh should be in favor of the Fairness Doctrine because liberal talk radio might crowd him off the air without it.

[Lemur]

Yeah, and Rush Limbaugh should be in favor of the Fairness Doctrine [...]

Net neutrality is the opposite of the fairness doctrine. Not to confuse the issue with logic or anything.