Net Neutrality

Legomyeggo

Legomyeggo

I know that's not normal.
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Network neutrality is the principle that Internet users should be in control of what content they view and what applications they use on the Internet. The Internet has operated according to this neutrality principle since its earliest days... Fundamentally, net neutrality is about equal access to the Internet.

...Broadband carriers should not be permitted to use their market power to discriminate against competing applications or content. Just as telephone companies are not permitted to tell consumers who they can call or what they can say, broadband carriers should not be allowed to use their market power to control activity online.

Within the last few days, many big companies have banded together with Virgin Media (VM for short), a very large ISP for the UK, to abolish Net Neutrality. They will be doing so by increasing bandwidth for sites that pay Virgin Media a premium and severely crippling bandwidth on sites and services that do not pay VM, effectively giving VM control over what you see or do on the internet. This will basically make the internet what Cable TV has turned into. So far, they are the only ISP that has said any kind of public word about this but imagine how many other ISP's have this planned for the future.

Who does this effect and how does it effect them?

Everyone. On the Internet, you and I are equals. Our economic status does not define us. Our thoughts, ideas, and actions do. The internet is a place where a pudgy boy playing with a metal rod pretending he is a Star Wars character can become more famous than some pop star who nailed whomever and got knocked up. Where a man who's never been touched by woman before wears a suit that was made after a character from Tron and can be the next internet sensation. A place where Real Ultimate Power is better than any kind of BowFlex model. Where a small business can explode into a successful organization and where a big company can gain little to no attention because you are not made to view their website or download their content. The internet is one of the biggest technological advancements to date. Do not let your right as a human being slip away from your grasp.

How do I get involved?

Learn. I will link several sites from which you can get a better understanding of the matter at hand. Once you grasp the concept, tell others. And tell them to tell someone else. We're on the internet, right? That shouldn't be hard at all. If we do not show that we refuse to undergo this change, other ISP's will think we do not care and they will treat us like pushovers. Sure, this is only being proposed by VM in the UK, but how long before this happens to you? If you don't help stop this for others, who will protect you?

We are a world of thinkers, not customers

The video/site that first brought my attention to this:
http://stopvirgin.movielol.org/

Net Neutrality on wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Net_neutrality

An article on Virgin Media's CEO Neil Berkett comment on Net Neutrality:
http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/digitaltv/a93556/virgin-media-ceo-attacks-net-neutrality.html

Other sites with thoughts on the situation:
http://torrentfreak.com/virgin-media-ceo-says-net-neutrality-is-a-load-of-bollocks-080413/
http://www.boingboing.net/2008/04/13/virgin-media-ceo-net.html
 
very interesting read, but why do we want to have one ISP in control of all bandwith users?

To abolish net neutrality if I understand right is th abolish the right of anyone to control content on the internet as well as other applications.

Wouldn't the operation of VM be seen as a form of net neutrality in and of itself? Who issues the order of net neutrality as well?

I haven't finished reading the other links as of yet but those are my initial responses and questions.
 
K. Ishitar said:
very interesting read, but why do we want to have one ISP in control of all bandwith users?

To abolish net neutrality if I understand right is th abolish the right of anyone to control content on the internet as well as other applications.

Wouldn't the operation of VM be seen as a form of net neutrality in and of itself? Who issues the order of net neutrality as well?

I haven't finished reading the other links as of yet but those are my initial responses and questions.
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I'll be honest, none of what you said makes sense.
 
I'd be more upset if I were British. Sucks to be you guys!
 
K. Ishitar said:
To abolish net neutrality if I understand right is th abolish the right of anyone to control content on the internet as well as other applications.
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no, to abolish net neutrality would abolish the right of the user to access anything he/she wanted on the internet, it would GIVE the right to control content and applications on the internet to the isp...which is what we dont want
 
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Tok said:
no, to abolish net neutrality would abolish the right of the user to access anything he/she wanted on the internet, it would GIVE the right to control content and applications on the internet to the isp...which is what we dont want
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Okay, I'm a little slow to understand stuff unfortunately. It seemed to me that VM was using this principle of net neutrality indirectly by putting pressure on sites that don't pay for their content and giving rewards to those that do pay. This implied a double standard because they can control the content of those that do not pay, for whatever reason(assuming it's legal to not pay them).
 
Freedom can't be forced on people. If the company sells you a service, it has the right to sell it how it wants, what it wants, and to who it wants. If you don't like it, you don't have to pay for it. If too many people don't like it, something else will pop up to meet consumer demands and the consumer will transfer to the new service.

We don't need more government interfering in the marketplace. The market will take care of itself when left alone. Political interference only creates problems.
 
Oh... Is this why Virgin is has given us 10 MB Internet for free.... To stop us from thinking about this, bastards.
 
I keep having to do a double take to Lego's avatar because I keep thinking it's a Big Daddy ><
Attempts to regulate the internet will only result in destruction and pie. Lots of pie. But mostly destruction.
 
Bustaballs said:
Freedom can't be forced on people. If the company sells you a service, it has the right to sell it how it wants, what it wants, and to who it wants. If you don't like it, you don't have to pay for it. If too many people don't like it, something else will pop up to meet consumer demands and the consumer will transfer to the new service.

We don't need more government interfering in the marketplace. The market will take care of itself when left alone. Political interference only creates problems.
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We already know Ron Paul is against Net Neutrality.
 
Comcast is messing with it too.

http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/pos...e-foot-with-traffic-shaping-explanations.html

http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/pos...-comcast-is-targeting-bittorrent-traffic.html


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Bustaballs said:
Freedom can't be forced on people. If the company sells you a service, it has the right to sell it how it wants, what it wants, and to who it wants. If you don't like it, you don't have to pay for it. If too many people don't like it, something else will pop up to meet consumer demands and the consumer will transfer to the new service.

We don't need more government interfering in the marketplace. The market will take care of itself when left alone. Political interference only creates problems.
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You can't sell someone internet service and then say, "Oh wait, you can't go to this site or use this program." That's like leasing someone a car and then telling them they can't use certain highways.
 
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So now we can pay for Expanded Internet and Premium Internet giving us access to over 150 websites in High Definition???
 
Draciot said:
You can't sell someone internet service and then say, "Oh wait, you can't go to this site or use this program." That's like leasing someone a car and then telling them they can't use certain highways.
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If you sign a contract that says they can, they can do whatever they want. One day, people will quit being stupid and actually read what they sign.
 
Bustaballs said:
If you sign a contract that says they can, they can do whatever they want. One day, people will quit being stupid and actually read what they sign.
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That's true, I'm in a similar situation with my ISP. There are only two choices for internet service where I live, dial-up or a Satellite WiFi connection. The guy providing it paid for a T1 connection to go to his house, then sells it to the nieghborhood. It's a terrible connection, we can't upload anything and there's a bandwidth limit of 10 gigs/month. But we knew that when we signed the contract. What some of these providers are doing is illegal. Comcast for instance is trying to block people from using P2P programs, specifically Bit Torrent, but they never said in their contracts that Bit Torrent/P2P was prohibited.
 
Draciot said:
Comcast for instance is trying to block people from using P2P programs, specifically Bit Torrent, but they never said in their contracts that Bit Torrent/P2P was prohibited.
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The terms of this agreement are subject to change, with or without notice, and continued use of the service constitutes acceptance of terms.
 
Whimsey said:
The terms of this agreement are subject to change, with or without notice, and continued use of the service constitutes acceptance of terms.
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Kind of like FFXI terms of use. =)
 
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