Net Neutrality debates

A friend wrote that the struggle for "net neutrality" appears to be loosing in the U.S. as the FCC and the new Republican majority make noises about compromises that look a bit more like capitulation. The debate goes to the folks who intentionally confuse network traffic management with the place where open exchanges of free thought lifts our collective consciousness throughout the world. Since the growth of web traffic is still accelerating as video becomes the dominant packet on the internet, some allocations, some prioritization is needed and the question is can we preserve freedom of speech even as we manage the system.


See for example:
Net Neutrality Threatened (Part II)
By Stephen Lendman
http://www.countercurrents.org/lendman191210C.htm

Lendman"s post updates the current situation with clear ideas on how to move ahead to preserve the essential openness that has flattened the world as the internet brought opportunities to billions of people.

Our American road system gives every person in the United States an amazing freedom to go anywhere, yet we all obey traffic laws (to a major degree anyway). Can we preserve a similar degree of freedom on the internet?

I think that the folks who want to control content and impose multiple tiers of price-fenced service never deviated from their plan. Both multi-tier pricing, and different nets for different groups are part of the strategy
.
Facebook is one example of a "private net" although it isn't (yet) kept separate by price of access....and there are emerging private nets. As the need for better security grows, some folks flee to gated communities both in Real Estate and in virtual space. Encryption technology makes it possible for both to exist on the same physical network with even as one gets priority.

A big question that is vitally important to the world, will the lower priced tier continue to exist? I think so, as the intelligence that emerges from our collective thinking on the net is an incredibly powerful force, to powerful to be dismissed even as the powerful struggle to watch what is being said, a source of power for those who can look into the virtual space where we all now talk. Look at what China attempts to do to control discussion.....yet it is vastly more useful and powerful to have the collective intelligence applied to our problems.

How will the internet grow, what direction for the application of security technology? When I was in the middle east, I learned that if you run in a metro station, you can get a ticket. If you appeal the ticket, they just go to the archives and replay the video of you running in the station. Anywhere in the station.....or the same can be said for most public places including major roads....now that is a lot of cameras, a lot of traffic, a lot of watchers. Add to that that they watch web traffic, listen to cell phone chattter, and block sites like Fliker (photos), and all this takes huge bandwidth....and a lot of servers.

Note that the Blackberry cell phone cut-off controversy has "died down" ( settlements to give governments what they wanted in terms of ability to eavesdrop ??) or was it just a way to promote the government monopoly telecom provider's services?


These battles are important, but this is but one bump on a very long path through a hostile place. We need to focus on the opportunities as well, as they are great when you "live in interesting times".

Bruce