Active Topics | Member List | Search | Help | Register | Login
The John Byrne Forum MOBILE
Byrne Robotics | The John Byrne Forum Page of 5 Next >>
Topic: Net Neutrality Post Reply | Post New Topic
Author
Message
Eric Russ
Byrne Robotics Member


Joined: 13 March 2006
Location: United States
Posts: 1993
Posted: 24 November 2017 at 7:26pm | IP Logged | 1 post reply

This administration is bent on destroying freedom -

https://www.democracynow.org/2017/11/22/fcc_moves_to_gut_net_neutrality



Back to Top profile | search
 
John Byrne

Grumpy Old Guy

Joined: 11 May 2005
Posts: 132135
Posted: 24 November 2017 at 9:01pm | IP Logged | 2 post reply

I've only recently come to understand what "net neutrality" means. At the risk of getting in all kinds of trouble, I'm not sure why this is an issue. We don't have such "neutrality" in other aspects of our lives. No "automobile neutrality" or "clothing neutrality" or "housing neutrality."

What am I missing? Seriously, I would like to be enlightened.

Back to Top profile | search
 
Karl Wiebe
Byrne Robotics Member


Joined: 06 December 2015
Location: Canada
Posts: 172
Posted: 24 November 2017 at 9:12pm | IP Logged | 3 post reply

I know that the idea that the internet is a "series of tubes" is used in jest, but it is one (simple) way to look at it.  Or the internet is like a water line (or gas line) to your house.  The idea is that with something so critical, the electric company shouldn't play favourites when administering the power.

So like for example, I use Telus for my internet, phone and TV (in Canada).  If I wanted to watch a recent movie, I could watch it on Netflix or Telus on Demand.  Both use data.  But Telus owns one of those platforms (the on Demand one).  If they made Netflix slow and made Telus on Demand fast, I might wind up purchasing more through Telus (and less on Netflix).  So it could be seen as a conflict of interest.  Telus owns two vertical layers of the service.

That's the way I understand it (but I am sure there are other pieces to the situation).
Back to Top profile | search
 
Jean-Francois Joutel
Byrne Robotics Member


Joined: 06 November 2008
Location: Canada
Posts: 315
Posted: 24 November 2017 at 10:11pm | IP Logged | 4 post reply

No "automobile neutrality"

------------------------------------------------------------ ---------------------

Well, if I would try and use that analogy, imagine a highway where the high speed lanes are reserved for Fords only. Certain highway exits are only available if you have a domestic car.

The abolishing of Net Neutrality would mean dedicated traffic flows for the rich and established websites and web services, and makes it harder for start-ups who can't afford to pay for the dedicated traffic. If your internet company also owns a streaming service, suddenly, Netflix is having a lot more buffering issues in your area.

There are also other issues of Net Neutrality, which could include a level of corporate endorsed censorship.
Back to Top profile | search | www
 
James Woodcock
Byrne Robotics Member


Joined: 21 September 2007
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 7581
Posted: 25 November 2017 at 12:30am | IP Logged | 5 post reply

Tim Berners-Lee - hey, I’m going to give this away because it is for everyone.
Corporates - I can take advantage of this. Vertical integration of provider and content where neutrality is not mandatory is the problem.

As mentioned above - those services that are in competition with companies that provide services and also have a control of the distribution network can be treated as second class. That provides an unfair advantage to those companies that have both parts of the platform.

You could end up with an inferior service being the one you have to use for the sake of convenience - because the better service is operating with one hand tied behind its back.

What is incredible about this, is that the only reason it can be being discussed, is that vertically integrated companies must be thinking of doing this. If they were not, why would it be being discussed? Or being lobbied for?
Back to Top profile | search e-mail
 
Eric Russ
Byrne Robotics Member


Joined: 13 March 2006
Location: United States
Posts: 1993
Posted: 25 November 2017 at 1:51am | IP Logged | 6 post reply

Well, if I would try and use that analogy, imagine a highway where the high speed lanes are reserved for Fords only. Certain highway exits are only available if you have a domestic car.

The abolishing of Net Neutrality would mean dedicated traffic flows for the rich and established websites and web services, and makes it harder for start-ups who can't afford to pay for the dedicated traffic. If your internet company also owns a streaming service, suddenly, Netflix is having a lot more buffering issues in your area.

There are also other issues of Net Neutrality, which could include a level of corporate endorsed censorship.

--------

Excellent points. Price gouging is definitely a concern.  A big one is censorship and not allowing voices to be heard. Net Neutrality enables people, without mass amounts of money, to communicate and have a voice. 

With the corporate control element, their political enablers the masses will be subject to whatever "propaganda" comes out of their machine for their agenda.

Could you imagine being forced feed certain political views that only helps a politician and his financial backers? That is the threat.

We do not need a "monopoly" by big business on communication. We really don't need big business influence on the Internet, especially, as far as I know, it was created to be accessible to all.

Some quotes from the link -

"This is one of the most extreme proposals we’ve seen this FCC, which is saying a lot, because there have been a number of very extreme proposals over the last six months including efforts to roll back broadband subsidies for working families, efforts to knock away media ownership rules that would allow a company like Sinclair to control local television. This goes even further. It takes away the essential protection that Internet users have to ensure that their online connections aren’t blocked, aren’t throttled, or that their communications aren’t censored in any way."

"Well, the Internet was created as this network where, where there were no gatekeepers. Essentially, anyone who goes online can connect with everyone else online. And that’s given rise to all sorts of innovation, it’s allowed political organizers, and racial justice advocates to use this tool to contact people, to organize, to get their message out.

What Pai is proposing is to take that principle, net neutrality, out of the network and allow these very powerful companies to insert themselves as gatekeepers. And when you look at a company like Comcast which owns NBC Universal, there will be this great incentive for them to favor their own content and to degrade content from websites and services like Democracy Now! or other services. So, this fundamentally upsets the level playing field of the Internet."

Back to Top profile | search
 
John Byrne

Grumpy Old Guy

Joined: 11 May 2005
Posts: 132135
Posted: 25 November 2017 at 5:15am | IP Logged | 7 post reply

Well, if I would try and use that analogy, imagine a highway where the high speed lanes are reserved for Fords only. Certain highway exits are only available if you have a domestic car.

•••

But that's the wrong analogy. We might call it "highway neutrality" -- and note that such a thing in fact does not exist. Streets and highways have speed limits, certain kinds of vehicles cannot use certain roads, etc. Exactly what seems to be the concern in the elimination of "net neutrality."

It all feels rather like some people are viewing internet access as a right, rather than a luxury.

Back to Top profile | search
 
Jean-Francois Joutel
Byrne Robotics Member


Joined: 06 November 2008
Location: Canada
Posts: 315
Posted: 25 November 2017 at 7:02am | IP Logged | 8 post reply

But that's the wrong analogy. We might call it "highway neutrality" -- and note that such a thing in fact does not exist. Streets and highways have speed limits, certain kinds of vehicles cannot use certain roads, etc. Exactly what seems to be the concern in the elimination of "net neutrality."

It all feels rather like some people are viewing internet access as a right, rather than a luxury.

-----------------------------------------------------

You're right, the analogy isn't perfect.

Supporters of Net Neutrality point to the first amendment; protection of  free speech. The abolition of Net Neutrality could signify that companies can shape network traffic which could be disastrous for smaller sites that call for political or social reform that corporations disagree with.

There is no constitutional guarantee of the right to drive or own a car.
Back to Top profile | search | www
 
Jean-Francois Joutel
Byrne Robotics Member


Joined: 06 November 2008
Location: Canada
Posts: 315
Posted: 25 November 2017 at 7:12am | IP Logged | 9 post reply

The big issue though, is many people who support Net Neutrality are worried that large corporations will have unfair advantages and can use their influence to blot out sites they disagree with.

The counter-point is: isn't that already happening? We use Google or Bing to do web searches, and either of those could filter out sites they disagree with. Web hosting sites like Amazon and GoDaddy could also shutdown sites they disagree with, like they have with the Daily Stormer.
Back to Top profile | search | www
 
Karl Wiebe
Byrne Robotics Member


Joined: 06 December 2015
Location: Canada
Posts: 172
Posted: 25 November 2017 at 8:29am | IP Logged | 10 post reply

Yes many people view the internet as a right, similar to clean drinking water or access to education.  The United Nations stated in 2016 that the importance of the internet is closely tied to human rights.  
https://www.article19.org/data/files/Internet_Statement_Adop ted.pdf

Whereas TV is a commercial medium, the internet was originally designed as a community resouces for sharing ideas.

Using the highway analogy: there is a speed limit, but the speed limit applies to everyone.  It is not a perfect analogy, but in the internet highway, in theory we all drive the same vehicle (ourselves/our agenda).


Edited by Karl Wiebe on 25 November 2017 at 8:33am
Back to Top profile | search
 
John Byrne

Grumpy Old Guy

Joined: 11 May 2005
Posts: 132135
Posted: 25 November 2017 at 8:37am | IP Logged | 11 post reply

Using the highway analogy: there is a speed limit, but the speed limit applies to everyone. It is not a perfect analogy, but in the internet highway, in theory we all drive the same vehicle (ourselves/our agenda).

••

But, to extend this analogy, on the highways we DON'T all drive the same vehicle. Some want faster cars, bigger cars. Some want trucks. Some want RVs. Some want motorcycles.

So this "net neutrality" distills everyone to a common denominator, which may be good for those who would otherwise be on the low end of spectrum, but not so much for those who wish to be higher.

The equalent scenario with "highway neutrality" would be so say everyone has to drive a Volkswagen Beetle, regardless of what they can actually afford. And, let's face it, progress has always been driving by some people demanding more. The Wright Brothers didn't build their plane with the idea that everybody would have one.

Back to Top profile | search
 
John Byrne

Grumpy Old Guy

Joined: 11 May 2005
Posts: 132135
Posted: 25 November 2017 at 8:42am | IP Logged | 12 post reply

The big issue though, is many people who support Net Neutrality are worried that large corporations will have unfair advantages and can use their influence to blot out sites they disagree with.

••

Which is, sadly, real life. And we should remember that the internet is already a very elitist system. "Everybody" doesn't have access. According to Google, about 3.2 billion people can get on the internet. That's somewhat less than half the global population. And depending where those people are, that access is already being crimped and folded.

Back to Top profile | search
 

Page of 5 Next >>
  Post Reply | Post New Topic |

Forum Jump

 Active Topics | Member List | Search | Help | Register | Login

You are currently viewing the MOBILE version of the site.
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE FULL SITE