RIP Net Neutrality April 6, 2010
Posted by dataduchess in InformationIssues.Tags: FCC, hulu, netneutrality
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This is a great summary of the Comcast v. FCC case about Net Neutrailty. Unfortunately, today the decision came down on Comcast’s side. I don’t support piracy, but I’m a big fan of legal sites like Hulu. I’m not looking forward to the consequences of this decision, i.e. probably having to pay more for my internet access if I want to watch TV online. What do you think?
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Well there are two sides to that particular fence. I see politics, profits and lobbying at work on this issue.
I’m pretty sure politics, profits and lobbying are at work on all the issues.
I am devastated and distraught! Rules, rules, rules, laws, laws, laws – just keep adding on the regulations and soon it’s hard to breath without getting in trouble. A bit, tangential, maybe, but it seems to me the more ways we are regulated the more ways we find around it.
You are absolutely right – people who want access will find it. I’m conflicted over the decision because I see only downsides to either result. On the one hand, I have noticed a distinct decline in service from my Internet Provider, especially in the evening hours when I want to be watching online television. I would be encouraged that perhaps if the ISP blocked some of my neighbors access to BitTorrent sites, I might have better access to legitimate sites, but then realize even though legal, the sites I like also require a lot of bandwidth, and I’m going to be grouped with them and either denied access, or have to pay more. Either way – I’m out of luck. I can have either free/cheap unrestricted access limited by available bandwidth, or I can pay more for more bandwidth and semi-restricted access, or I can have neither access nor bandwidth. Nobody but the the ISP’s who will now get to charge more money is a winner here.
Oh – and side note – your statement of “the more ways we are regulated the more ways we find around it.” — that’s exactly the philosophy behind the US Patent System… that’s how patents (and the restrictions that go with them) encourage scientific progress.