The Net Neutrality movement is gaining momentum - Moby, R.E.M and others have grouped together to form Artists and Musicians for Internet Freedom in support of savetheinternet.com - but so is the movement to turn the Net into a system channelled by ISPs.
"large phone companies like AT&T have unleashed a million-dollar-a-week spending spree to influence Washington decision-makers, pass telco-friendly regulations and change the Internet forever."
I was wondering if perhaps the moves to allow ISPs to filter traffic might be met with another response, if it all goes horribly wrong and the telcos have their way. Like open source and Request For Comments before it, sharing within technology circles has been vastly successful. The Firefox browser by Mozilla has even got the mighty Microsoft rattled. Could a not-for-profit global ISP be borne from the vast spectrum of Internet actors that have come together to oppose tiering of Internet content? Perhaps. That way we as consumers could choose this network provider that guarantees an open web. Yet this is like allowing water companies to poison the water, in the knowledge we can set up our own water company if we wish. And the nature of the web means it should be one to make sense - so that from any point you can reach any other point.
It seems global legislation, never mind US legislation on this matter is what is needed. It has been said that net neutrality is like the 'First Amendment for the Internet', needed for its freedom. But the web reaches all the way around the globe. It makes sense to ensure the experience in the US need not be repeated in other nations, where there might not be such a sustained and well-backed campaign.
I recommend this short film entitled 'The Death of the Internet?' which summarises why net neutrality is so important and affects us all.
In Edinburgh, Tim Berners-Lee is warning of Internet fragmentation.
Also go read Becky Hogge's column about this on openDemocracy.
