Net Neutrality

[leicsmac]

This is more of an issue in the US than anywhere else but given it's become a bit of a hot potato in recent times over there and the debate has the potential to spread I thought it deserved its own topic.

 

Right now the current US administration and the FCC (the organisation that govern various communication media in the US) are looking to pass a bill that would revoke the idea of net neutrality: the idea that all data sent over the Internet is equal. It means that access to a particular site (as long as there is no illegal activity) cannot be throttled in terms of speed - or indeed blocked - and access to any one site cannot be hidden behind a paywall by the internet service provider themselves. Right now, this is under threat.

 

One the one side, you have the big ISP's who insist that the industry is overregulated, that the smaller ISP's are getting a bad deal with all the red tape and that should net neutrality be rescinded the consumer would actually get a better deal because the market would regulate itself and supply and demand would mean things would balance out.  On the other side you have the big websites that have big data demands - Amazon, Netlifx, Hulu and the like - and a lot of interested Average Joes who would very much like things to stay as they are and fear what might happen should the ISP's be able to control access to particular non-illegal sites.

 

So...what is everyones view on the topic? Is the status quo a good or a bad thing? Should net neutrality be repealed, or not?

[Carl the Llama]

3 minutes ago, leicsmac said:

This is more of an issue in the US than anywhere else but given it's become a bit of a hot potato in recent times over there and the debate has the potential to spread I thought it deserved its own topic.

 

Right now the current US administration and the FCC (the organisation that govern various communication media in the US) are looking to pass a bill that would revoke the idea of net neutrality: the idea that all data sent over the Internet is equal. It means that access to a particular site (as long as there is no illegal activity) cannot be throttled in terms of speed - or indeed blocked - and access to any one site cannot be hidden behind a paywall by the internet service provider themselves. Right now, this is under threat.

 

One the one side, you have the big ISP's who insist that the industry is overregulated, that the smaller ISP's are getting a bad deal with all the red tape and that should net neutrality be rescinded the consumer would actually get a better deal because the market would regulate itself and supply and demand would mean things would balance out.  On the other side you have the big websites that have big data demands - Amazon, Netlifx, Hulu and the like - and a lot of interested Average Joes who would very much like things to stay as they are and fear what might happen should the ISP's be able to control access to particular non-illegal sites.

 

So...what is everyones view on the topic? Is the status quo a good or a bad thing? Should net neutrality be repealed, or not?

[Finnegan]

For anyone unsure what this means, I can't believe this video is now eleven years old. Christ I feel old. 

 

https://youtu.be/H69eCYcDcuQ

[lifted*fox]

This is very bad news - and just because it's 'across the pond' doesn't mean it won't eventually effect us here in the UK.

 

Find a petition, read reddit (lots of info on there right now), find a way to voice your concern as well. 

 

This is the end of the free internet as we know it - if this passes life will become very different for all of us.

 

Educate yourself and sign something as an urgent matter.

[lifted*fox]

Explanation here for those who don't understand yet: https://www.battleforthenet.com/

 

This reddit thread has info on how we can all help no matter our location in the world:

 

 

Simplified image of what will happen if this goes through: 

 

Edited 22 November 2017 by lifted*fox

[Guest]

It's absolutely right that this is an important issue. I do wonder/doubt whether the public would accept this though. The car has been out of the bag for too long already.

[sphericalfox]

4 minutes ago, toddybad said:

It's absolutely right that this is an important issue. I do wonder/doubt whether the public would accept this though. The car has been out of the bag for too long already.

Must. Resist. Puns.

[lifted*fox]

The public love to just sit back and eat shit these days. I have no doubt that most people still don't know anything about Net Neutrality and most people are stupid enough to eat the bullshit these guys are pushing and believe that it's going to make for a better internet. 

 

It absolutely will not and people need to speak up about this. 

 

The freedom of the internet as we know it is very much at risk - ISP and cable providers will soon be able to choose what you can access and throttle bandwidth to unfavourable websites. 

 

Absolutely ****ing disgusting behaviour and it's going far too under the radar with too many people still. 

 

If it goes through in America then you can sure as hell bet that Teresa May will cream her ****ing panties and follow suit here. The EU currently has ruled to ensure the internet remains an unbiased / open resource. As soon as we're out that power crazy bitch will bring it in here and tell everyone that it's to 'make the internet safer'. 

 

When is everyone going to wake the **** up? 

 

We're letting all of our freedoms get taken away and just laying down to die to corporations and governments without so much as a whimper. 

Edited 22 November 2017 by lifted*fox

[Trav Le Bleu]

I thought America was the Land of the Free?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just in case you missed it, I was being ironic. The above statement has to be one of the greatest lies, believed wholesale by so many people. It's staggering.

[Strokes]

I have one question, will pornhub still be free?

[Izzy]

2 minutes ago, Strokes said:

I have one question, will pornhub still be free?

[Kopfkino]

Don't understand the fuss, the internet survived peefectly well before net neutrality was implemented in 2015. I also don't understand why Netflix should get away with paying exactly the same as everyone else given at its busiest it takes up to 37% of US bandwidth and has a massive turnover.

[Guest]

14 minutes ago, lifted*fox said:

The public love to just sit back and eat shit these days. I have no doubt that most people still don't know anything about Net Neutrality and most people are stupid enough to eat the bullshit these guys are pushing and believe that it's going to make for a better internet. 

 

It absolutely will not and people need to speak up about this. 

 

The freedom of the internet as we know it is very much at risk - ISP and cable providers will soon be able to choose what you can access and throttle bandwidth to unfavourable websites. 

 

Absolutely ****ing disgusting behaviour and it's going far too under the radar with too many people still. 

 

If it goes through in America then you can sure as hell bet that Teresa May will cream her ****ing panties and follow suit here. The EU currently has ruled to ensure the internet remains an unbiased / open resource. As soon as we're out that power crazy bitch will bring it in here and tell everyone that it's to 'make the internet safer'. 

 

When is everyone going to wake the **** up? 

 

We're letting all of our freedoms get taken away and just laying down to die to corporations and governments without so much as a whimper. 

I'm sure the yanks are stupid enough to accept it. I'm not sure we are. I do agree that there needs to be much more awareness of this risk though so the public can make clear they won't accept it before some tory deregulation idiots decide to try it on.

Edited 22 November 2017 by Guest

[Strokes]

4 minutes ago, Izzy Muzzett said:

Need an answer 

[lifted*fox]

2 minutes ago, Kopfkino said:

Don't understand the fuss

 

[lifted*fox]

8 minutes ago, Strokes said:

I have one question, will pornhub still be free?

 

probably not. 

 

you'll have to pay your ISP your normal £30 a month for 'internet access' and then an optional £5 a month for their 'adult package' which will be partnered with specific sites and those not partnered will have their bandwidth throttled so hard it'll pretty much ensure you have to use their 'partnered porn provider'. 

 

it's really not a joke tbf. 

 

 

[Strokes]

Just now, lifted*fox said:

 

probably not. 

 

you'll have to pay your ISP your normal £30 a month for 'internet access' and then an optional £5 a month for their 'adult package' which will be partnered with specific sites and those not partnered will have their bandwidth throttled so hard it'll pretty much ensure you have to use their 'partnered porn provider'. 

 

it's really not a joke tbf. 

 

 

Nuff said, I’m in the team. 

[Kopfkino]

4 minutes ago, lifted*fox said:

 

 

Yeah really useful, thanks. Prior to 2015, when net neutrality was incorporated in US law there didn't seem to be much of an issue with the absence of net neutrality. Therefore, I don't see how it will be any different now. But hey why try and educate someone otherwise when you can use pointless emojis and some expletive ridden vitriol.

[Izzy]

5 minutes ago, lifted*fox said:

 

probably not. 

 

you'll have to pay your ISP your normal £30 a month for 'internet access' and then an optional £5 a month for their 'adult package' which will be partnered with specific sites and those not partnered will have their bandwidth throttled so hard it'll pretty much ensure you have to use their 'partnered porn provider'. 

 

it's really not a joke tbf. 

 

 

At first I was 'meh' but now you've got my attention.

 

Where do I sign the petition?

[leicsmac]

9 minutes ago, Kopfkino said:

Don't understand the fuss, the internet survived peefectly well before net neutrality was implemented in 2015. I also don't understand why Netflix should get away with paying exactly the same as everyone else given at its busiest it takes up to 37% of US bandwidth and has a massive turnover.

Because I assume they pay for that bandwidth proportionally in the same way that other sites do?

 

The reason net neutrality wasn't a real issue until recently was because the ISPs didn't have the necessary excuse to try to scalp their customers in this way. With high bandwidth streaming services becoming very popular now, they've seen the opportunity and want to seize it.

[Strokes]

2 minutes ago, Kopfkino said:

 

Yeah really useful, thanks. Prior to 2015, when net neutrality was incorporated in US law there didn't seem to be much of an issue with the absence of net neutrality. Therefore, I don't see how it will be any different now. But hey why try and educate someone otherwise when you can use pointless emojis and some expletive ridden vitriol.

I know your still a young man King and can probably still get a hard on using your imagination but for us middle aged folks it’s a bit more complex. He said porn would cost £5 

[lifted*fox]

7 minutes ago, Kopfkino said:

 

Yeah really useful, thanks. Prior to 2015, when net neutrality was incorporated in US law there didn't seem to be much of an issue with the absence of net neutrality. Therefore, I don't see how it will be any different now. But hey why try and educate someone otherwise when you can use pointless emojis and some expletive ridden vitriol.

 

educate yourself, there's plentiful information floating about the internet regarding this issue; more now than ever.

 

just because 'net neutrality' as you know it was only implemented in 2015 doesn't mean the practice of neutral telecoms and service providers hasn't existed since long before. 

 

this is important now because the people you've got repealing this in the FCC have links to large telecom companies and it's clear that the big service providers are pressuring them to repeal so they can turn the internet into a similar model to that of cable TV - charging you for individual services and increasing / throttling access speeds based on preferred websites - partners. 

 

I've got you down on here as a stubborn and pointless person to argue with - so excuse the emoji but you've bowled into a thread about an important issue and immediately dismissed it despite your lack of knowledge on the subject. Well deserved /eyeroll in my opinion. 

Edited 22 November 2017 by lifted*fox

[Webbo]

2 minutes ago, Strokes said:

I know your still a young man King and can probably still get a hard on using your imagination but for us middle aged folks it’s a bit more complex. He said porn would cost £5 

You'll have to go back to the bra adverts in the Littlewoods catalogue.

#oldschool .

[Izzy]

3 minutes ago, Strokes said:

I know your still a young man King and can probably still get a hard on using your imagination but for us middle aged folks it’s a bit more complex. He said porn would cost £5 

There's not many things these days that would get me out on the street in protest.

 

But potentially losing free porn on the internet is definitely one of them...

[yorkie1999]

I wish they’d just turn the whole thing off and go back to usenet