Net Neutrality
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Two of the Internet / Wireless giants are negotiating this week about Net Neutrality: Verizon and Google are teaming up to set some guidelines for Net Neutrality. They're going to making some recommendations to the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) as to what kind of Net Neutrality laws should be passed.

A lot of people in the U.S. think that the government needs to keep its nose out of the Internet. And for the most parte we agree with that. But Net Neutrality is different.

In the United States recently, there's a growing anti-government sentiment - especially when it comes government controlling private enterprise. It's easy to see why people don't want government to control private enterprise - government bungles most of what it touches. But sometimes, as in the case of prescription drugs and processed foods, I'd hate to see what kinds of things would be in our food supply - or what kinds of drugs pharmaceutical companies would be marketing, if there wasn't some oversight by the government. And yes, people get poisoned by processed foods because government oversight isn't very good - but it's better than leaving food processors and pharmaceutical companies to their own devices - driven only by profit.

If corporations played by the rules and regulated themselves - I'd agree with those who think government should stay out of private enterprise. but corporations don't play by the rules - see "The Gulf Oil Spill" for example. Corporations are driven by profit. And we don't vote for those who run the corporations - unless you happen to be a stockholder - but we do vote for those who run the government. So at least we have some say as to how the government is run.

We received a letter from a lady last week, who's very upset with our government; she thinks the government should keep its hands off the Internet. And she doesn't think Net Neutrality is a good idea.

We think government needs to keep its hands off the Internet too - but the government needs to preserve and enforce Net Neutrality. If it doesn't, profit-driven corporations are going to provide prime bandwidth to sites who can afford to pay for it, and degrade bandwidth to sites who cannot. If Net Neutrality is not preserved, we're going to suffer and you're going to suffer. The Web will become a place where only big companies and businesses will have Web sites because they're the only ones who can afford to pay the fees for premium bandwidth. So you'll be left with a Web where small sites like ours will vanish into sunset because we cannot afford to pay huge sums of money to be on the same tier of service with the likes of Google, Amazon, Yahoo, Microsoft, Adobe, et. al.

If Net Neutrality is not preserved, your ISP will be able to throttle your bandwidth too - they will be able to tell you what you can download, when you can download and how much you can download. Millions of Web sites will disappear because they can't afford to pay to be on a top tier - with premium bandwidth. Small sites like ours will have their bandwidth degraded so that our downloads and Web pages will be so slow, no one will want to visit our sites - or download from us. Sites that offer freeware downloads will disappear. Sites that offer free computer help will disappear. More and more pay sites will appear and you'll be paying for many of the things on the Web that you now get free.

AT&T claims Net Neutrality hurts its profits because it can't recoup it's investments for new equipment, lines, cell towers, etc. Has anyone checked AT&T's bottom-line lately?

A lot of people are confused about what Net Neutrality actually means. There's so much mumbo-jumbo and tech jargon in most of the information written about Net Neutrality many are confused. So we'll try to make it very simple:

Net Neutrality means that you have the right to start a Web Site selling socks, if you wish, and your site will be as just as accessible as Google, Yahoo, Microsoft of anyone else's Web site. If the standard of Net Neutrality isn't upheld, your site will have two chances to succeed: slim and none. Unless of course, you have millions of dollars to give to the Internet providers so your site runs on a top tier with loads of bandwidth - then you'll have a chance to succeed.

If Net Neutrality is not preserved, you will suffer in other ways too. Internet provider will be able to tell you what kinds of files you can download, what hours you can download them, and throttle your bandwidth if you don't abide by their standards. Comcast has already tried to throttle the bandwidth of some of its users who download too many (legal) movies.

The Internet is the last great melting pot where mom & pop shops still exist, where bloggers can write what they want and be seen, where sites like ours can still afford to give away thousands of free downloads because costs are still low enough that we can be supported by advertising and sales of our products.

If Net Neutrality ends then the Internet as you know it will end. Your ISP will be able to dictate how you can use their services and restrict the kinds of files you download.

We don't trust government to run things, but we trust corporations even less. Net Neutrality ensures that you have equal access to every site on the Web, from the Googles of the world to the Ma & Pa Jones of the world.

Don't let your dislike of government cloud your views. Government plays an important role in ensuring our prescription drugs are pure and as safe as they can be, and that food processors aren't loading your food up with potentially harmful chemicals and fillers. Government is the only entity that can protect the freedom of access to the Internet that all of us enjoy now. As much as you may not like government, it is the last hope we have of a free and equal Internet.

The rich will get richer, the powerful will get more powerful, and in the end, the Internet will become much smaller and huge corporations will decide what you will see. The will decide which sites will open quickly and which sites won't. And think about this: Those who distribute spyware will have the money to buy into the top tier - so their sites will open quickly, and spyware will continue to plague the new Internet.

The FCC has pulled out of the debate on Net Neutrality, and it appears that Google and Verizon are going to make the rules we're all going to have to live with it. While you may be leery of government regulation, you might want to consider whether you want multi-billion-dollar corporations to decide what you see, read and listen to on the Internet, or have the government regulate Internet and wireless providers and enforce the current policy of net neutrality. I favor government over big corporations whose only consideration is profit.

If you believe that everyone should have equal access to the Internet, and that the Internet and wireless networks should continue to follow the current policy of net neutrality, write your congresspersons and senators and tell them you want net neutrality preserved.

I'd sure hate to be writing the last issue of InfoAve Premium someday in the future and ending it with, "See, I told you so!"