Net neutrality

rockthenet.gif   One way to make an issue more “sexy” is to get musicians behind it.  “Rock the Net,” is a new effort to jazz up and publicize the issue of Net Neutrality.

If you aren’t familiar with the issue, here’s a recap.  Some large cable companies have proposed a “tiered” internet, where those who want their sites to load faster  pay more, like a toll road fee.  There are many concerns that a law like that would quiet the democratic nature of the internet, in that “do it yourself” sites like YouTube or wikis would have less access or visibility than sites created by corporations who could afford the fees.

No matter what you think of the issue, it’s a good method of bringing the issue a higher profile.   Maybe we need a “Rock Education” effort!

One thought on “Net neutrality

  1. I am glad you brought this up. I think this requires more discussion but it won’t be an issue until its “right around the corner” and about to hit us. Over Spring Break, I visited a friend who was on a conference call discussing this with a group from a major carrier on how they should start promoting this with their customers.

    A keyword to all of this is Quality of Service (QoS). Some companies have already tiered their services to allow subscribers to have better access to telephone or television bandwidth vs. the regular internet-subscriber services. Its meant to push the upgrade to a better quality network service.

    Like Carolyn’s description – its the difference between taking the toll road and the access road.

    The fear out there by some is that service providers will begin discrimintating traffic systems. That they will provide resources on their system but not allow you to access others’ resources. In effect, splitting the web into pieces.

    As you watch different phone carriers offering their own media channels through the phones; it does make you wonder if this tiered approach is on its way. Keep watching!

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