Daily Kos: Justice Department Argues for Internet Discrimination

Daily Kos: Justice Department Argues for Internet Discrimination:

"Given the politicization of every other division in the Justice
Department, it's hard to imagine that the anti-trust group hasn't also been
turned over to Gonzo's crowd of Bush lackeys, in which case they are probably
looking at Net Neutrality with a highly political and jaundiced eye. Tin-foil
hats aside, this is an ominous development in the debate, and should raise alarm
bells for all of us who use the Internet for political purposes. While our
presidential candidates are considering issuing strong statements in opposition
to any more funding for Bush's war without deadlines, they might also think
about making a statement in support of Net Neutrality."

This is one of those issues that doesn't sound nearly as interesting as it could be. On the other hand it could turn out to be a mute point. At the center of the debate is internet traffic and the way that people use the internet. Both sides of the argument assume that sites that load faster will receive more traffic, because internet consumers will visit sites that load faster. If content is the key to what people view on the internet, than the argument falls apart for both sides. Those against it claim that networks like ATT and Verizon will act in a role of censoring information by making sites that they don't want people to view load slower. Those that support allowing charging a fee for some traffic, suggest that it is simply a way for them to raise money, and that they have no plans to block traffic. If you picture a freeway, the networks want to create a carpool lane, that it can charge sites to use so that its traffic moves faster than the flow of traffic on the rest of the highway.

My hope is that soon enough we will catch up with Japan and Europe in terms of internet speed, and this will become less of an issue.