Net Neutrality

1. What is the fundamental issue underlying the net neutrality debate?

The internet should be free; there should not be any rules that limit us to seeing normal websites, and ISP's should not control what we can see and what we can't see because of whatever deal they have made with some big company like google or yahoo (these companies are favored when there is net control). Basically, net neutrality is the use of the internet with no restrictions from the providers.

2. List two groups, organizations, or individuals in favor of net
neutrality. Fairly describe their arguments in favor of net neutrality.

Probably everyone that doesn't have anything to do with one of the big internet companies and that wouldn't make any profit off of restricting the internet supports net neutrality. Tim Berners-Lee (the creator of the internet) is in favor of net neutrality and his argument is that it is like not giving humans their rights. Its like taking away speech. Essentially, they are saying that the big companies want to do this to remove any competition they have. Everyone has the same rights and everyones information is as important as someone else's.

3. List two groups, organizations, or individuals opposed to net
neutrality. Fairly describe their arguments against net neutrality.

Comcast is one of the big companies that is opposed to net neutrality. Their argument is that the content in their websites and services is more important, and therefore they need a higher bandwidth than everyone else does. They say that if other peoples websites and services are so important, than they should pay too. Bob Kahn, one of the internet's co-founders, is against net neutrality. His argument is that with net neutrality there would be no innovation because no big companies would be fighting to have a better product. Companies would take much longer to invent a better service that people would pay better for.

4. What is your opinion on the subject?

I am double sided on the argument of net neutrality, but I am more in favor, especially because it would down-grade my whole internet experience. I don't think that it is fair for companies to be money hungry and ruin their clients' situations. It is true, that innovation would be faster with a controlled internet, but there would be innovation anyways with net neutrality.