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Simplifying Net Neutrality

Even librarians can get confused about this net neutrality issue. This infographic from ReadWriteWeb promises to make it more understandable

15 Facts About Net Neutrality [Infographic]

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There was a time before public schools, public hospitals and public libraries when you only got what you could afford and sometimes in some societies that meant nothing. There was a time when access to learning, information and our government was considered a privilege and not a human right. Tiered access was the norm and there are some forces that want a return to that era for many reasons – profit being only one. Inform yourself on the net neutrality issue.

Stephen

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Posted on: August 21, 2010, 10:37 am Category: Uncategorized

2 Responses

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  1. Thanks for posting that infographic, Stephen. It provides a good introduction to the topic, albeit focused on the US experience.

    In my research, I have found that citizens in different countries have different concerns about net neutrality. For example, there are groups in Canada who argue that net neutrality supports the needs of the disabled and that it helps spread and stimulate Canadian culture.

  2. I like most of the infographic, but I have to say, the first part is a little misleading. The idea of a “fast-lane” and “slow-lane” doesn’t put across the notion that different content would be treated differently, and that’s the key factor in net neutrality. Quite frankly, we should expect to pay a higher price for faster/more reliable access to the Internet as a whole.

    On the other hand, we should expect our ISPs not to provide faster access to some content, and slower access (or none at all) to competing content on the basis of their political, religious, financial, or other preference.

    The ‘fast-lane/slow-lane’ metaphor only makes sense from the perspective of content-providers. In other words, if AT&T and Verizon both ask you to pay extra in order that their customers can see your content, then that’s the untenable network bias we’re afraid of.