Is This True?

[Dave Zan]

I just got an email from one of my subscribed mailings giving the link below:

http://www.civic.moveon.org/save_the_internet/

I checked the parent link:

http://civic.moveon.org/alerts/savetheinternet.html

Is this indeed happening there? (I'm not US-based)

 

[typeins]

The sky is falling, the sky is falling lol

It seems like one of those emails i get every day from people "forward this to 10 people or hotmail will delete your account.."

 

[jberryhill]

It is true to some extent, but the underlying issues are a bit more complex than the summary there.

One thing to remember about the internet is that every piece of physical equipment is owned by someone. Historically, all packets have been treated the same way. So, let's say that you own a chunk of network with bandwidth X. Your subscribers might be doing VOIP, email, web browsing, etc., using some average bandwith X-Y. I am streaming video, and I'd like my traffic to get priority over your network to your subscribers, and I'm willing to pay you a premium. Should you and I be able to make that deal?

 

[NameYourself]

Sounds very controversial, and I say it's wrong. So if this happens will Verizon suddenly take 5 minutes to load if you connect using ATT, and ATT take forever if you connect using Verizon. It's alot like the govt in China who controls what sites everyone can and cannot visit. This is very controversial and distorts the potential of the internet in terms of being an environment where all sides of information can be examined and a more informed decision can be made by the inernet user. If it ends up passing, it would seem additional legislation would also be needed to govern how it will be abused / used.

 

[jberryhill]

distorts the potential of the internet in terms of being an environment where all sides of information can be examined and a more informed decision can be made by the inernet user

And that's where the tension lies. On the one hand, net neutrality makes sense. On the other hand, why _should_ Verizon permit AT&T to use Verizon's bandwidth to advertise to Verizon subscribers.

Fragmentation is not the end of the world, though. Back in the 1980's, Usenet traffic, for example, worked pretty much on a feudal basis - it's my machine, and I get the final say on what goes through my machine. So, people would simply work around nodes that were problematic or restrictive. If your ISP is playing favorites with its bandwidth, then you and other like-minded subscribers may be likely to look elsewhere for service. It could end up being a short-lived and counterproductive idea.

 

[Dave Zan]

Thanks for your reasonable thoughts on the subject, John. Makes sense as
always.

Hmmm, already attempts are being made to draw the lines on the subject:

http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/apr2006/tc20060426_553893.htm