“I would like you to consider my opinions on why we shouldn’t have NET NEUTRALITY:

1. People like Ted Stevens will be writing the bill.[...]

2. Helping our government write the law will be lobbyists.”

WRONG!

The regulations (NOT bills) would be written by the Federal Communications Commission, not Congress. The FCC has managed, even during GOP administrations, to resist control by corporate lobbyists, unlike Congress.

1. People like Ted Stevens will be writing the bill. Ted Stevens is the senator who wrote the bill that requires you to watch the FBI warning and the ‘do not copy’ warning in English and French, on DVDs you purchase in America, removing the fast forward and skip options. Thanks a lot Ted Stevens.

2. Helping our government write the law will be lobbyists. Have you ever watched the movie “Thank You for Not Smoking”? Telephone companies have lobbyists, Skype doesn’t. Skype will not be allowed, or will be restricted, because it is out of control and isn’t taxed.

3. Bandwidth caps. Cell phone bills are a good example of how people want to pay bills. They want to know what their bill is on a regular basis. Cell companies have costs that are per minute of use and almost everyone buys packages of thousands of minutes, and uses only a portion of them to avoid the expensive ‘per minute’ rate when they go over. Therefore the dollar per kb method, although logical, isn’t preferred.

4. There is no free lunch. Regulation will require regulators, and regulators will want paid, and this will require taxing. So just like our phone bill, we will have a handful of taxes to pay each month.

5. Torrents are the most efficient way of moving data through the internet, period. You can upload once and disperse to thousands, eliminating the big servers and large pipes required to broadcast media. The problem is advertisers. Torrents don’t allow a download count to advertisers. I believe this problem will be eventually resolved, provided that torrents are not branded as evil and made illegal first.

Considering these things, I would recommend to you that you re-consider your stance on this legislation. Net Neutrality won’t be neutral. Like all laws, it will prohibit, regulate and tax.

Your broadband connection is a basic link to the internet; the company providing the link has NO RIGHT to interfere with link traffic, such as slowing some web sites in favor of their own in-house offerings or other exclusive arrangements. They have the right to manage traffic but it must be transparent and equal for all content providers. That is Net Neutrality. The ISPs want to stop it so they can screw around with your ability to reach the content provider of your choice.

Remember the old ATT, aka Ma Bell, was convicted of using it’s monopoly in telephone service to damage other companies. It tried to destroy MCI and was convicted and dismembered. Today’s ATT, and Verizon, are built from pieces of the old ATT and behave the same, willing to take any action they can get away with to extract more money from you for less service.

As for McCain, surprise, surprise: McCain Biggest Beneficiary of Telco/ISP Money

“McCain has taken in a total of $894,379 (much of that money going to support his failed 2008 bid for the presidency)”

If anyone is surprised at McCain’s attempt to block Net Neutrality, I have a bridge for sale that you may find interest.

As others have noted, the US is way behind other industrial companies in providing fast and cost effective internet access. We need FCC regulations to open the market and restore our position as a market leader. I applaud and encourage the FCC to enact serious Net Neutrality guidelines; if that doesn’t work, I will push congress to make it law.

RCharles

Here’s looking at you.

Two barflies go into the washroom. The two barflies leave the washroom. The second barfly turns to the first barfly and says,
“Hey, your man’s down.”

A lady flies into Boston eager to try some of the fish the city is famous for. “Where can I get scrod?” she demands of the driver as she climbs into a cab. “Gee,” he replies, “I’ve never heard it put in the pluperfect subjective before!”

I just thought it was best to change the subject.

Chris Mac: Tragically lost his mind when a butterfly kicked him in the head.

qb: Was stuck for an answer when she said “hello!”

Improbus: No inferiority complex here..he’s just inferior.

Room Temperature IQs all.

Many on DU would follow you gents anywhere…out of morbid curiosity.

Typical right wing fascism applied to the internet.

Guess what – it will fail. The internet is too important for the fascist republicans and their bribing companies to control.

you can return to what you do best…

chant this ad infinitum:

Mm, mmm, mm!
Barack Hussein Obama

He said that all must lend a hand
To make this country strong again
Mmm, mmm, mm!
Barack Hussein Obama

He said we must be fair today
Equal work means equal pay
Mmm, mmm, mm!
Barack Hussein Obama