Net Neutrality

You may have heard... The Federal Appeals Court overturned the decision made that would prevent Copmcast--and other broadband industries--from interfering with their "customers' access to the websites and services" .

The debates are over an internet "fast lane," entrepreneurship and consumer privacy. The fast lane idea means that broadband services will charge more for access to higher speeds. If there are different speeds at which the audience can access the internet, this can affect consumer experience of websites, blogs, online stores, etc. Currently, entrepreneurs rely on filling niches that are being developed by burgeoning technologies. The more quickly the internet changes, the more it becomes integral to our lives, the more it becomes an outlet for business, advertising, and communication. Hindering the ability of anyone to experience this space equally to everyone else will suppress the creativity required by new industry.


And what would this do for writing? Well, we are relying on internet for blogging, book buying, book downloading (e-books) book/publisher/author researching (not to mention researching for writing projects). Should any of these experiences be hindered by an inability to pay for a fastlane could mean that an author is unable to reach all of his/her audience. Advertising will become even more class-based, divided along the ability to access particular pages, run certain media/applications...whatever... We can't assume to know the direction or possibilities this technology will develop in the next decade. So why hinder it?

--Drea