02-21-2008, 07:21 PM

the battle may be nearing a close!

http://www.savetheinternet.com/blog/...better-policy/

let your senators know how you feel!

02-21-2008, 08:47 PM

I've written all of my Congressional representatives multiple times about this.

02-21-2008, 09:21 PM

Can someone sum up what this all means?

02-21-2008, 09:35 PM

basically the ISP's (the gatekeepers, they call them) want to control what and how you access on the internet. The concept of net neutrality, however, puts a big cog in the wheel of their ideas. with this law, the concept of net neutrality becomes law, and the isps can not legally restrict the flow of information on the internet.

02-21-2008, 09:35 PM

With out net neutrality a service provider can choose how fast your down load speed is. or how fast some one can connect to a website.

02-21-2008, 09:50 PM

...essentially selectively giving you information, and not allowing you easy access to information they don't like.

Can they entirely restrict access to websites/edit content you receive if they don't add this protective bill?

02-22-2008, 07:43 AM

that's conceivable yes.

02-24-2008, 04:28 AM

So it will become like tv. "We only show you what we want to"

02-24-2008, 05:38 AM

Originally Posted by CL33Zero

So it will become like tv. "We only show you what we want to"

Exactly - and they could control the speed at which you receive data - giving priority to their own "partners" and slowing down or even not allowing throughput for others.

For you gamers out there, you could end up having to pay your ISP extra for a faster throughput for connecting to WoW's servers for example.

02-25-2008, 08:15 PM

The head of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission said on Monday he is "ready, willing and able" to stop broadband providers that unreasonably interfere with subscribers' access to Internet content.

The comment by FCC Chairman Kevin Martin came at the start of a day-long FCC hearing centering on allegations that some broadband providers such as telecommunications and cable companies have been improperly blocking or hindering some content.

"I think it's important to understand that the commission is ready, willing and able to step in if necessary to correct any (unreasonable) practices that are ongoing today," Martin said.

The dispute over so-called "network neutrality" pits open-Internet advocates against some service providers such as Comcast Corp, who say they need to take reasonable steps to manage traffic on their networks.

Martin acknowledged that broadband network operators have a legitimate need to manage the data flowing over their networks. But he said that "does not mean that they can arbitrarily block access to particular applications or services."

The hearing, which included testimony from officials with Comcast and Verizon, is aimed at determining what network management techniques are reasonable.

Martin called for "transparency" in the way the companies manage their networks, and in the prices and services they provide.

The network neutrality dispute has been spotlighted by a series of incidents in which operators were accused of hindering certain online data moving over their networks, such as file-sharing or text-messaging.

The issue also has attracted the attention of lawmakers in Congress, who are weighing a net-neutrality bill introduced last week.

In the most recent example, the FCC has been looking into complaints by consumer groups that Comcast has blocked some file-sharing services which are used to distribute large digital media files such as TV shows and movies.

In comments filed with the FCC, Comcast told regulators that it uses reasonable measures to manage traffic moving over its network, as some of its customers overwhelm the network by using file-sharing applications like BitTorrent.

Comcast, which is the second-largest U.S. Internet service provider with more than 13 million subscribers, said the use of network management was essential to avoid congestion and impairment of some applications. The company denied that it blocks content, applications or discriminates among providers.

Internet service providers are looking at different ways of managing the increasing amount of traffic moving across their networks both for cost management and for quality of service reasons.

Critics have argued that imposing network neutrality regulations on the Internet would hinder development of the Internet by creating uncertainty for investors and Internet service providers.