Explaining Net Neutrality

I think the lack of public concern about this problem is the lack of knowledge about it. A good way to explain is if you had Rogers cable, and they had a deal with NBC and CTV...all NBC & CTV programs would show up at their scheduled time, but CBC, CBS, ABC, etc would always start between 5 and 15 minutes later than their scheduled time.

So, unless your favourate station station paid off Rogers, you will not get the service you expect. And, if course, this raises the whole spectre of Payola in a totally different format.

To take this scenario into the internet realm. Rogers has a deal with Yahoo, so you might have to wait longer to get results back from Google's, or Microsoft's search engines, or find that when accessing your Hotmail and Gmail accounts they take forever to load, but your Yahoo mail pops up instantly.

And that is just the thin edge of the problem.

Imagine, if Rogers and Yahoo signed an even more restrictive deal that didn't slow down Gmail and Hotmail, but totally blocked them? There is no law that I am aware of that would prevent them from doing so. If they felt they could make money doing it it this way, they could.

If, on the other hand, we had some sort of binding net neutrality agreement, then the Payola of the Internet would be clipped at the bud.

Break out your tin foil hats!

Thanks to jackshoegazer for posting this...These are the type of people who elected Bush!
Originally From: http://www.overheardinnewyork.com/archives/014282.html

First man: So after Cain killed Abel he was sent from exile and went up Europe way.
Second man: Not Asia?
First man: No, the Caucus mountains... that's up Europe way.
Second man: Oh, you mean like Turkey.
First man: And since black people don't like the cold, Cain went to live in a cave and started to grow and was the first caveman. Now at that time there was dinosaurs but they weren't really dinosaurs, we call them dinosaurs but that's just how God made animals, you know, until you start messin with the DNA of 'em.
Second man: Oh!
First man: Then Cain met his sister and they had a baby together but since Cain was cursed for being the first murderer their baby came out an obino.
Second man: An obino?
First man: Yeah, a red-headed blue-eyed obino and that's where white people come from. Then they went to the north pole and you know it's light there six months and it's dark there six months and the wind is always blowing and that's where Asian people come from. That's why they eyes is like that because the wind was always blowin in they faces.

--D Train

Overheard in New York...

Then They Picked up Their Violins and Rode Off to Their Parents' Dry Cleaners

Asian nerd #1: Neutrons!
Asian nerd #2: ... Subatomic particles!
Asian nerd #3: Velocity times speed equals... Power! [all start cheering and high-fiving one another.]

--Park Ave & 23rd St

http://www.overheardinnewyork.com/archives/014288.html

cute.