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FCC Chairman: This Is How We Will Ensure Net Neutrality

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Re: FCC Chairman: This Is How We Will Ensure Net Neutrality

#161

Post by [deleted] »

socialist_coder wrote: post #93
innguest wrote: post #65

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Because you don't understand their argument, they must be wrong, right? And no I can't explain you their argument because whenever I do so I get downvoted. The government wants their hands on all means of communication. The FCC basically shunned the public from using radio waves and TV waves. Now they're going to shun us away from the internet. The same organization, the FCC, will do this as they previously did with…

Can you please explain this argument? Who cares if you get downvoted. I do not understand how a reasonable person who is not in cahoots with "big internet" can see this as a bad thing.

[deleted]

Re: FCC Chairman: This Is How We Will Ensure Net Neutrality

#162

Post by mikeyouse »

legutierr wrote: post #25

I personally learned the importance of open networks the hard way. In the mid-1980s I was president of a startup, NABU: The Home Computer Network. My company was using new technology to deliver high-speed data to home computers over cable television lines....But NABU went broke while AOL became very successful....While delivering better service, NABU had to depend on cable television operators granting access to thei…

I love HN, but the echo chamber here about how Wheeler was some crony of the NACTA was impossible to drown out.

If you look at the bottom of many of the previous Net Neutrality threads, there will be heavily downvoted posts (some of mine included) that Wheeler was previously an entrepreneur who was trying to disrupt traditional service providers, he was a VC who backed truly disruptive companies, and he had already been blocked from implementing very consumer-friendly rules at the FCC -- so he might be not be some mustache-twirling villain.

The ignorant fervor was pretty intense.

Re: FCC Chairman: This Is How We Will Ensure Net Neutrality

#163

Post by 0x5f3759df-i »

wnevets wrote: post #108

> ban paid prioritization, and the blocking and throttling of lawful content and services. Too bad the regulation isnt simply this one line of text without the "lawful" caveat

This is still better than no ban on lawful or unlawful content

Re: FCC Chairman: This Is How We Will Ensure Net Neutrality

#164

Post by trjordan »

jrochkind1 wrote: post #140
smutticus wrote: post #105

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's not a decision the FCC gets to make. Congress and the courts ultimately decide what is considered lawful content. These rules need to withstand changes that Congress might enact in the future. If Congress decides to force ISPs to block a certain kind of traffic, the FCC cannot disallow ISPs from blocking it with their rules. They basically just include the word 'lawful' to allow ISPs to block unlawful traffic.…

Right, but what we're worrying about is an ISP blocking, say, all torrent traffic. Hey, it's obviously 'unlawful' right? We will see. Overall, I am very optimistic about this announcement.

Depends on how it's worded. If blocking lawful traffic is banned, then blocking a whole protocol that you don't know the contents of is unlawful. There might have to be some clarification around intent, but there are certainly many laws for which "I didn't think I was breaking the law" is an invalid defense.

Re: FCC Chairman: This Is How We Will Ensure Net Neutrality

#167

Post by acomar »

nostromo wrote: post #129

Apparently I'm in the minority here, but I have some concerns. 1) The problem this fixes is largely non-existent today. The threat of fast and slow-lanes is one I've yet to experience. 2) Opening the door for more internet regulation seems risky. At first, things may go swimmingly, but I suspect regulatory capture will creep up on this industry, just as it has so many others. You may trust Obama and the current FCC h…

> 1) The problem this fixes is largely non-existent today. The threat of fast and slow-lanes is one I've yet to experience.

Verizon is already throttling Youtube and Netflix traffic because the content providers refuse to pay extra for normal delivery.

> 2) Opening the door for more internet regulation seems like a bad idea. At first, things may go swimmingly, but I suspect regulatory capture will creep up on this industry, just as it has so many others. You may trust Obama, but if and when the next Nixon comes to power, will you be as comfortable with the executive's increased authority over the internet via the FCC?

The FCC already has the authority to regulate the internet. It's trying to establish rules within the authority granted to it by the US Congress.

> 3) The language "lawful content and services" to me seems concerning. Could this be the death of bit torrent?

This does seem concerning, but there's some discussion up the thread about what this likely means. We won't know for sure though until the actual proposed rules are announced. This is more of "announcing an announcement" than anything else.

Re: FCC Chairman: This Is How We Will Ensure Net Neutrality

#168

Post by jarin »

innguest wrote: post #65
shortformblog wrote: post #59

The comments on this post are some of the most depressing things I've ever read in response to a regulatory decision. References to Tom Wheeler being a Nazi. Someone calling the plan "Obama-fi." A user who says this: > tom wheeler, seriously, it would be a great thing if you and everyone like you contracted ebola and died a horrible death. This is like giving the entire U.S. population free pizza for a year, and half…

Because you don't understand their argument, they must be wrong, right? And no I can't explain you their argument because whenever I do so I get downvoted. The government wants their hands on all means of communication. The FCC basically shunned the public from using radio waves and TV waves. Now they're going to shun us away from the internet. The same organization, the FCC, will do this as they previously did with…

Ah yes, that explains why radio stations and OTA TV channels don't exist anymore... Oh wait

Re: FCC Chairman: This Is How We Will Ensure Net Neutrality

#169

Post by ddingus »

jrochkind1 wrote: post #140
smutticus wrote: post #105

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's not a decision the FCC gets to make. Congress and the courts ultimately decide what is considered lawful content. These rules need to withstand changes that Congress might enact in the future. If Congress decides to force ISPs to block a certain kind of traffic, the FCC cannot disallow ISPs from blocking it with their rules. They basically just include the word 'lawful' to allow ISPs to block unlawful traffic.…

Right, but what we're worrying about is an ISP blocking, say, all torrent traffic. Hey, it's obviously 'unlawful' right? We will see. Overall, I am very optimistic about this announcement.

Torrent traffic is lawful on a basic level. There are works being distributed via torrent that are intended to be there.

Re: FCC Chairman: This Is How We Will Ensure Net Neutrality

#170

Post by 0x5f3759df-i »

ryneandal wrote: post #158
nostromo wrote: post #129

Apparently I'm in the minority here, but I have some concerns. 1) The problem this fixes is largely non-existent today. The threat of fast and slow-lanes is one I've yet to experience. 2) Opening the door for more internet regulation seems risky. At first, things may go swimmingly, but I suspect regulatory capture will creep up on this industry, just as it has so many others. You may trust Obama and the current FCC h…

What? The Netflix/Verizon paid peering agreement was a fast/slow lane issue, was it not?

Or Comcast blocking/throttling all bittorrent traffic? \

http://www.cnet.com/news/comcast-really-does-block-bittorren...

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