By Chris Hardwick
Out of all the issues we mindlessly ignore while fretting over the trivialities of living in modern America, net-neutrality should not be one of them.
Internet providers and government are debating over legislation on how to provide Internet to the public. Their decision will forever change our relationship with the World Wide Web.
For as long as it has existed, the Internet has been a free and open space. However, companies are trying to change this, treating websites differently and charging more based on the content you’re trying to access.
As of now, you pay a monthly fee and access all content equally. If companies have their way, you could be receiving additional charges for accessing specific websites, like Netflix or Facebook.
In 2013, Comcast demanded Netflix pay a large sum of money or else their service would suffer. Netflix refused and Comcast followed through with the threat, bottlenecking the Netflix download speeds for their users.
THIS GRAPH DEPICTS HOW COMCAST BOTTLENECKED INTERNET ON NETFLIX, BULLYING HTEM INTO PAYING A HUGE CHUNK OF MONEY.
When Netflix finally decided to play ball and pay the fee, the download speeds went back to normal. Companies are pushing to make this the norm, requiring websites to pay for better Internet speeds.
Obama recently came out with a plan to stop this.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKcjQPVwfDk
His plan calls for no blocking, no throttling, increased transparency and no paid prioritization. It advocates a free and open Internet.
While it would be ideal for people to be knowledgeable about all issues that impact their daily lives, this is definitely one that they shouldn’t be ignoring. Please, research net neutrality and make an informed decision on the matter.
The future of the Internet depends on it.
(Check out http://www.theopeninter.net/ for a more in-depth look at the issues)
