Tag Archives: Net Neutrality

Net Neutrality: William Maldonado

When Tom Wheeler classified  broadband internet service as a utility letting our internet service providers know that just because they provide the public with internet service they do not have the right to control what we see or affect the speeds of our service, I couldn’t help but let smirk. The reason I smirked is because finally we making big companies get off their high horse, also because many people as I believe that the internet is one of our last outlets to truly express ourselves without limitation. Another person I believe would have also smirked is Aaron Swartz. The reason I believe he would have smirked is because as an internet innovator he would’ve appreciated this win against the big man. What he did for the internet community and for the people was very admirable. It is because of people like him that other people have the guts to stand up and fight for our rights, and we need that now because now there is more threats towards our one of our last outlets to be truly free. The internet is being attacked with CISPA once again. What CISPA does is that it allows for government agencies to watch us as we go about our daily lives using the internet without even letting you know and frankly I don’t even let my family watch me like a hawk as I go about my daily internet use, so why would I let the government do it for a profit. If you want to join the fight new CISPA click here.

 

Net Neutrality

Originally my knowledge on Net Neutrality was hazy at best so I’m glad I got to read an article about it. Although I agree with what the government did with Net Neutrality, it still worries me. I always felt that the Internet never really belonged to any one country, so the attempt to apply laws to it by any one country wouldn’t work. That being said this ruling wasn’t directly on the internet, it was on American internet providers which is fine to me. However it still gives me the fear that the government will try to regulate the internet more in the future, something I am heavily against. In the end I can only wait and see what happens.

We can side-step the corruption

In the reading The Politics of Research by Martin there is a clear picture of how researchers are influenced by corporate interests,  government and so on. As a result there is a limit to who quality research is available. Because of the existence of these powerful groups, knowledge become corrupt to the point where it is controlled. Just like in ancient civilizations where the librarians kept and controlled the flow of information and in turn putting a choke on new discoveries, the same thing is happening today. The only difference is that the librarians are now powerful groups and government, who often have the power to dictate the flow of information and what knowledge is shared with citizens. As bad as this may sound, it is not obvious to most because everything is hidden in plain sight and the root all of it is money. Where there is money, there is power; Where there is power, there is control. Until we can find ways to work around the corruption, we- the people will always get the squeeze. The approval of Net Neutrality is a good step in the right direction.

internet neutrality

Idea of clear  uninfluenced research is utopian and I agree with author, possibility of changing it may occur only if socioeconomic paradigm will change. Otherwise: “who pays the piper calls the tune” will be our rule for everything and for all times. The case of Aaron Swartz of course stayed more on a practical field and reminded me more or less of Nabokov’s  The Luzhin Defence, where the main character preferred suicide as the best tactic for self defense when he crushed with reality of life.

Funny fact about last article: during my shift at the restaurant I asked all my clients what they think about internet neutrality – ninety seven people from all over the world and the United States. No one knew what a hell I was talking about. The idea is that most of the people are lazy and irresponsible by nature. They don’t care if somebody controls the speed of the internet or not, until they can use it, and I’m talking now not about scientific research use, it’s more about social network, games, music and shopping.

From that point where we are all now only time can show if regulation speed ruling is effective or not, but It’s look like Senator Ted Cruz was right and we have Obamacare for internet. Instead of having high and low speed, we all will enjoy the median one.

No Speed Limit on This Information.

At least that’s what the F.C.C said with their approval of the net neutrality rules, by voting 3-2 in its favor in the New York Times article by Ruiz and Lohr.  This was a very important ruling because now internet service providers will not be able to charge websites to increase their speed or slow them down if they don’t pay.  Being able to control the speed at which a website delivers data is a very powerful thing; the bigger corporations or media conglomerates would be able to control how we process information unless you don’t mind waiting for the other sites to load up. I mean it’s already hard to find websites that aren’t being controlled by big business, these niche sites would be quickly left behind by the faster moving giants.  This control would have also served as an added gatekeeper for information you would have to pay a fee at the gate for fast delivery.  Not to mention this would have damaged the original purpose of the internet which was (and still is) for people to share information with one another.  Hopefully reclassifying broadband or wireless connections as a utility will help keep internet service providers away for now or until they find the next loophole to try and regulate the speed of information.