what is "net neutrality"

i was wondering if anybody can spell out exactly what "net neutrality" is, and what it means for me, cuz it seems pretty confusing about which is the right way to go

thanks

reply to post by dingleberrysalad

Network neutrality (also net neutrality, Internet neutrality) is a principle that advocates no restrictions by Internet service providers or governments on consumers' access to networks that participate in the Internet. Specifically, network neutrality would prevent restrictions on content, sites, platforms, types of equipment that may be attached, and modes of communication.

source

Basically it's about stopping the ISPs from messing with bandwidth, blocking certain sites or applications, or throttling their bandwidth. It's basically saying, all traffic must be treated equally.

so what you're saying is that if it were to pass, then say, google, couldn't play favorite's with certain sites and what not?

reply to post by dingleberrysalad


not google, the internet service providers.

some of them are already doing this, certain sites or services get preferential treatment for bandwidth, while others, like bittorrent for example, get throttled and slowed down.

If it doesn't pass what you can eventually expect from the internet is compuserv. If you are too young to remember thank, consider yourself lucky.

reply to post by dingleberrysalad


Example. Your internet provider is Comcast. Comcast streams movies that it licensed and wants you to pay for those new movies through its On-Demand service. It wants as much of your money as it can get.

But you have a Netflix streaming account for movies.

So you use Comcast to visit the Netflix website to watch movies and ignore Comcast's movie selection. ComCast does not like that you go to Netflix and would like to shutdown your bandwidth thereby making streaming Netflix movies unwatchable if you are a Comcast customer. Comcast wants that money, and does not want to provide a portal for your spend money somewhere else, like on Netflix.

The same thing in the 2000s... AT&T wanted a piece of Amazon, Google and AOL's business because those companies use the landlines (fiber optic cables) that AT&T put into the ground decades ago. AT&T does not like Internet companies becoming extremely wealthy using their hardware without getting paid.

so then basically it's a measure to prevent a monopoly of the internet by ISP's and it's a good thing?

it's funny that you used the example of comcast and netflix,
that's exactly what i had and i had to deal with the same bull5hit you just explained

Originally posted by dingleberrysalad
it's funny that you used the example of comcast and netflix,
that's exactly what i had and i had to deal with the same bull5hit you just explained

It's a common concern between these companies.

Net neutrality is good. Otherwise, Comcast will shutdown your access to Netflix, Hulu, the CNN websites... anything it wants really. It gives you the Internet it wants you to have, not the other way around.

reply to post by Jason88

It gives you the Internet it wants you to have, not the other way around.

Exactly, and the "end game" is Compuserv.

You'll have "tiered" internet packages:

Tier1 (most expensive best quality service)= Cnn, MSNBC, FOXnews, Youtube
Tier2 (less expensive questionable quality) = Washington Post, blogspot, Yahoo
Tier3 (almost free, worst quality service) = everything else

now these are mere examples, but this is the end game, no more internet, no, it will be the new cable package they sell.

And it goes beyond that, companies will have to BUY their way onto the network, spending more for better bandwidth. what happens then?

Blogs, alternative news sites, ATS, all disappear instantly, even if they don't shut down, YOU won't be finding them via your internet connection.

thanks alot guys, i realized i was totally ignorant of it when my aunt posted some crap about how net neutrality is the democrats trying to take over the world on facebook
do you have any good links for me to check out, and maybe my aunt as well?

reply to post by phishyblankwaters


Nice job demonstrating those tiered packages. So the Internet becomes a cable package. It was bad already, but that analogy makes the thought of this unbearable.

/Still waiting for my À la carte cable TV package where I pay $10 a month for only CNN, HBO, and the network channels. Never going to happen./

reply to post by dingleberrysalad


Glad to help. Here's a good place to start in your journey: www.savetheinternet.com...

reply to post by Jason88

/Still waiting for my À la carte cable TV package where I pay $10 a month for only CNN, HBO, and the network channels. Never going to happen./

i have that, it's called high speed internet + bittorrent lol for now I guess. There was a graphic that went around a few years back showing the tiered internet package we should be expecting, I'm merely plagiarizing from it.

reply to post by dingleberrysalad


Here's a few links (some are Canadian but it's the same deal):

www.google.com...
openmedia.ca...
googlepublicpolicy.blogspot.com...
www.neutrality.ca...

edit on 22-11-2011 by phishyblankwaters because: (no reason given)