Net Neutrality

I leapt upon this topic like a starving dog would with a steak. A subject I already know something about! Net Neutrality is an issue near and dear to my heart, and I'm more than glad to argue for it. Since the inception of the World Wide Web, the internet has been a free, open network of expression and ideas. Virtually every major player on the web today (Google, Amazon, Craigslist for certain) started out small and grew only from the nutrient of free access, beating out rivals on a level playing field. Of course, those providing it see opportunity to cage the beast and charge admission but that would fundamentally alter the entire nature of this invaluable entity.

Lawrence Lessig, the man behind Creative Commons and one of my personal heroes hits every point I would like to make. (Personal fact: I had a secret hope he would be chosen by President Obama as a Supreme Court Justice). The very idea that such a vital entity should be ensnared for the benefit of private shareholders of an ISP is downright laughable, but the problem is that these companies control vast and influential funds. The "Stop Online Piracy Act" in the House of Representatives nearly passed, but for the publicity of several websites such as google, wikipedia and reddit which owe their very existence to the free nature of the internet. Currently, a new bill called CISPA is the latest threat.

"Content providers are thus left worse off" (Chang, et. al), and access to web sites such as this very blog are in peril. What irony. Who believes this picture is anything but scary??

Cheng, H. Kenneth, Bandyopadhyay, Subhajyoti and Guo, Hong, The Debate on Net Neutrality: A Policy Perspective (June 25, 2008). Information Systems Research, Forthcoming. Available at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=959944