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Join the Battle for Net Neutrality

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Re: Join the Battle for Net Neutrality

#21

Post by veidr »

RIMR wrote: post #4

I am firmly in support of net neutrality, but I am also sick and tired of all the ridiculous misinformation about what it actually is. At least on Reddit, people would have you believe that the Internet is about to become Cable TV. Net Neutrality is very important to a free and open Internet, but the kind of scaremongering I see going on is absolutely insane. We won't win this fight with scary lies. Do your part and…

You are wrong. One of the many bad consequences of this legislation is that Internet service will almost certainly become exactly like cable TV, as has already happened in places without such rules, in that you will be allowed to access a subset of the Internet for free/cheap, and will have to pay more for broader access.

Why on earth would you think this would not happen? Because the tiny handful of telecom and cable companies, already protected from competition by various laws and regulations, will decide to leave hundreds of millions of dollars on the table so that people like them more?

Re: Join the Battle for Net Neutrality

#22

Post by rory096 »

api wrote: post #5
RIMR wrote: post #4

I am firmly in support of net neutrality, but I am also sick and tired of all the ridiculous misinformation about what it actually is. At least on Reddit, people would have you believe that the Internet is about to become Cable TV. Net Neutrality is very important to a free and open Internet, but the kind of scaremongering I see going on is absolutely insane. We won't win this fight with scary lies. Do your part and…

Look at what ISPs do in Portugal, which lacks any kind of net neutrality. They are already trying to bundle sites and protocols like cable channels. It's not far fetched at all.

>Portugal... lacks any kind of net neutrality.

Last I checked, Portugal is in the European Union. Presumably it has the same net neutrality rules the rest of the EU does.

Re: Join the Battle for Net Neutrality

#23

Post by gt_ »

RIMR wrote: post #4

I am firmly in support of net neutrality, but I am also sick and tired of all the ridiculous misinformation about what it actually is. At least on Reddit, people would have you believe that the Internet is about to become Cable TV. Net Neutrality is very important to a free and open Internet, but the kind of scaremongering I see going on is absolutely insane. We won't win this fight with scary lies. Do your part and…

All other privately controlled electronic media does that, and you haven’t offered any reason to expect less here, so why not?

Of course, net neutrality is an issue of control and regulation. Losing net neutrality, mind you, involves private companies having less restraint and more control. What will they do with it? Reddit doesn’t know for sure any more than you do, and that’s the problem, of course.

Re: Join the Battle for Net Neutrality

#24

Post by tony101 »

mlamat wrote: post #12
caburlingame wrote: post #6

Is anyone actually against net neutrality? I don't think I've ever seen a con argument.

I'm not convinced. Why am I supposed to take sides in a fight between two industries?

Because the ISPs control your Internet access.

They don't compete with each other.

Without net neutrality, they can prioritize, slow down, or block any site or content they want to.

Many people cannot simply switch away.

They have only one ISP to choose from.

You can switch away from Facebook whenever you wish.

Re: Join the Battle for Net Neutrality

#25

Post by adventured »

zackelan wrote: post #18
mlamat wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm not convinced. Why am I supposed to take sides in a fight between two industries?

If you're unconvinced, you should default to supporting net neutrality. It's the status quo, the null hypothesis. The burden of proof is on the people wishing to make this fundamental change to the structure of the internet.

Net neutrality has only existed in actual law for an extremely short amount of time.

Or put another way, for about 90%+ of the Web-Internet combo's active existence in the US consumer market, net neutrality has not been law.

Re: Join the Battle for Net Neutrality

#26

Post by zackelan »

RIMR wrote: post #4

I am firmly in support of net neutrality, but I am also sick and tired of all the ridiculous misinformation about what it actually is. At least on Reddit, people would have you believe that the Internet is about to become Cable TV. Net Neutrality is very important to a free and open Internet, but the kind of scaremongering I see going on is absolutely insane. We won't win this fight with scary lies. Do your part and…

The cable bundling isn't scare-mongering, it's a real scenario (but a worst-case one).

It also serves the purpose of being something I can explain to less-technical relatives at the Thanksgiving table, and they immediately grasp the importance. If I started talking about Title II and common carriers and peering agreements it would have nowhere near the same impact.

Re: Join the Battle for Net Neutrality

#27

Post by LastZactionHero »

tony101 wrote: post #8
api wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Look at what ISPs do in Portugal, which lacks any kind of net neutrality. They are already trying to bundle sites and protocols like cable channels. It's not far fetched at all.

Here's a screenshot from the Portuguese ISP's pricing page: https://twitter.com/RoKhanna/status/923701871092441088 Exactly like a cable bundle.

I'm all for net neutrality, but it feels important to note that this is for mobile service:

https://www.meo.pt/internet/internet-movel/telemovel/pacotes...

Also, it looks like the same company provides gigabit internet for $50/mo:

https://www.meo.pt/pacotes/mais-pacotes/fibra/net-voz

Again, I support net neutrality, but it's still technically better than my Comcast.

Re: Join the Battle for Net Neutrality

#28

Post by rtx »

caburlingame wrote: post #6

Is anyone actually against net neutrality? I don't think I've ever seen a con argument.

Yes, because it looks like government overreach and against natural justice. I think US government should buy the wires from these companies and allow anyone to use them as ISP.

Then there is a second lot who use peering agreements and CDNs.

Re: Join the Battle for Net Neutrality

#29

Post by BoorishBears »

zouhair wrote: post #7
RIMR wrote: post #4

I am firmly in support of net neutrality, but I am also sick and tired of all the ridiculous misinformation about what it actually is. At least on Reddit, people would have you believe that the Internet is about to become Cable TV. Net Neutrality is very important to a free and open Internet, but the kind of scaremongering I see going on is absolutely insane. We won't win this fight with scary lies. Do your part and…

What would stop ISPs from turning the Internet to Cable if Net Neutrality is removed?

Other than common sense?

Targeted policy?

Re: Join the Battle for Net Neutrality

#30

Post by BoorishBears »

tony101 wrote: post #8
api wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Look at what ISPs do in Portugal, which lacks any kind of net neutrality. They are already trying to bundle sites and protocols like cable channels. It's not far fetched at all.

Here's a screenshot from the Portuguese ISP's pricing page: https://twitter.com/RoKhanna/status/923701871092441088 Exactly like a cable bundle.

Those are flat rates for unlimited access to certain services.

If you scroll down there's also per/mb pricing with no services listed.

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