Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Network Neutrality: Fine As It Is!!!

Having the freedom to use the internet as much as anyone wants should be a Constitutional right.

Not only is the internet a major highway of information shared between millions of people worldwide, but it has been engraved and etched into cultures and connects people to sites in ways unimaginable.

For example, imagine an avid YouTube user being forced to pay just for viewing videos when that stipulation didn't previously exist. It would change their entire online experience. Therefore, axing net neutrality doesn't only seem unethical, but wrong as well.

According to Henry Blodget, "Tech folks are up in arms at the thought that new laws might allow Internet Service Providers to charge more to deliver some bits than others--including offering "premium" tiers in which some folks can pay to have their bits delivered faster than other bits."

Because I use the internet on a daily basis, I couldn't help to think why someone would want to make money charging people to roam certain websites at certain speeds.

Then I thought... greedy business owners, corporate CEOS, and conglomerates alike.

For one, it's already a hassle for some people to acquire and have internet access in the first place, and now the idea of charging for site access (when this already occurs) just adds another level of absurdity to the mix. Since many of these owners and CEOs are already banking a ton for the success of their businesses, it doesn't seem right just because they simply want to add more dollars to their accounts.

They need to take a chill pill and understand that stipulating net neutrality would also increase the burdens on people who already struggle paying for internet, especially when they may need the internet (i.e. to work, etc). It would be a burden to those who use the internet for daily leisure since their lives would be altered drastically too.

In today's world, free use of internet is a way of life for many people. Why change it? It's like making someone pay for brushing their hair, cleaning their shoes, or even going to sleep.

Network Neutrality is the guiding principle that preserves the free and open Internet for a reason. It only makes sense that Internet service providers (ISPs) may not discriminate between different kinds of content and applications online. Guaranteeing a level playing field for all Web sites and Internet technologies, net neutrality should be sustained for an encyclopedia of reasons. The internet was designed as an open medium. Let's leave it that way.

Watching online video, listening to podcasts, searching, e-mailing and instant messaging is a fundamental enjoyment of the web. Making our online experience better is something internet users already pay big bucks to do (i.e. upgrading internet plans, buying modems, routers, etc).

It's clear that we, the people, can handle it. Network owners should leave it be.

As Blodget said, "It's worth calling out the tech industry's passion for the latest cause, "net neutrality," for what it is: self-interest."

Self-interest never gets anyone anywhere. All bits are NOT created equal!

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