winders

So, I just got an e-mail today from the Meg Whitman, CEO of ebay, today regarding the Net Neutrality issue. Anybody (or everybody?) else get this?

Secondly, when the Aug. 22 issue of PC Mag came today, on page 58 there is an article about it, stating that I should contact my legislators about the issue. Yesterday, I'd never even heard the term!

JMJSelect

yep, typical.

alot of issues that greatly affect us and the stuff we use(ie internet) are kept on the low down.

this was talked about on here a while ago, search for it

__________________
__________________
In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock.

Howard2k

Originally Posted by winders

So, I just got an e-mail today from the Meg Whitman, CEO of ebay, today regarding the Net Neutrality issue. Anybody (or everybody?) else get this? Secondly, when the Aug. 22 issue of PC Mag came today, on page 58 there is an article about it, stating that I should contact my legislators about the issue. Yesterday, I'd never even heard the term!

Would you mind copying and pasting it?

__________________
Always read stuff that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it.

winders

Originally Posted by Howard2k

Would you mind copying and pasting it?

Title: A Letter to winders from eBay CEO, Meg Whitman

Originally Posted by E-bay e-mail

Net Neutrality and the eBay Community: A Call to Action Dear winders, As you know, I almost never reach out to you personally with a request to get involved in a debate in the U.S. Congress. However, today I feel I must. Right now, the telephone and cable companies in control of Internet access are trying to use their enormous political muscle to dramatically change the Internet. It might be hard to believe, but lawmakers in Washington are seriously debating whether consumers should be free to use the Internet as they want in the future. Join me by clicking here -- http://www.ebaymainstreet.com/netneutrality -- to send a message to your representatives in Congress. The phone and cable companies now control more than 95% of all Internet access. These large corporations are spending millions of dollars to promote legislation that would allow them to divide the Internet into a two-tiered system. The top tier would be a "Pay-to-Play" high-speed toll-road restricted to only the largest companies that can afford to pay high fees for preferential access to the Net. The bottom tier -- the slow lane -- would be what is left for everyone else. If the fast lane is the information "super-highway," the slow lane will operate more like a dirt road. Today's Internet is an incredible open marketplace for goods, services, information and ideas. We can't give that up. A two-lane system will restrict innovation because start-ups and small companies -- the companies that can't afford the high fees -- will be unable to succeed, and we'll lose out on the jobs, creativity and inspiration that come with them. The power belongs with Internet users, not the big phone and cable companies. Let's use that power to send as many messages as possible to our elected officials in Washington. Please join me by clicking here right now to send a message to your representatives in Congress before it is too late. You can make the difference. Thank you for reading this note. I hope you'll make your voice heard today. Sincerely, Meg Whitman President and CEO eBay Inc. P.S. If you have any questions about this issue, please contact us at government_relations@ebay.com.

winders

Originally Posted by JMJSelect

this was talked about on here a while ago, search for it

I did, and found this thread.

dgoldring

OK. I have to chime in here in support of the point that I think Howard 2k is fairly articulately trying to mak. And that is this: net neutrality is an enormous and complex issue. Many of us only hear the soundbites and the ads (either for or against) which are one page or a few sentences long and make it seem like the world will end tomorrow if one side or the other wins. As usual, the truth lies somewhere in the middle and is incredibly more complex than any of those ads would have you believe. I'm not trying to say that this is not an important idea. I am saying that I think it would behoove everyone to do some research from both points of view. Don't dismiss an argument simply because you disagree with it. Instead, try to articulate why you disagree. Then, contact your Congressman/woman/Senator and tell them what you think of this bill and (articulately) tell them why you think they should vote for/against it.

Doug

BirdBrain

Well-said, Doug. I know I need to do more reading on this. I live in the country, and we have just been notified that we have DSL in our area now (yea!! ... a long time coming). But now I'm concerned that the rules of the game may change, and that may have a negative impact on my internet access. There is a lot at stake for the big companies, and I'm not sure anyone is looking out for my interests.

__________________
Beth

___________
Axim X50v, Axim X5, and Inspiron notebook

Thanks to PocketBrain for bringing the parrot to life!! :)

Grentz

I received that same message from eBay as well :)

I have to be quick as I am on vacation and just peeking in for a quick visit :p, but I will say this, I do not think it is right to limit the internet like this, but if you look at the ISP coming to your house, it is a privilage, not a right.

I can barely get DSL where I am at home (I get stuck with a 512k line and pay for a 1.5mb line), I also pay 3 times as much as the people in town (about 2 miles from me) pay for 10mb cable.

Is that fair? No, but at least I get something.
Are there laws protecting against that? No, I have to pay my ISP to get DSL or not get anything at all.

All and all your ISP is a privilage, not something that you get no matter what. People have been getting too used to cable, dsl, etc. coming along with their other home services and forget that it is a privilage. Heck, where I am going for the next few weeks (i am half way there :) ), I will have almost no internet at all. I have to pay for a long distance call to get dial up!!!

Yes, limiting the internet is bad, but in reality the ISP can do what they like as long as you use their service. It is THERE service.

And limiting the internet is nothing new...some providers already limit some services on their networks...for example, covad and speakeasy limit Torrent and p2p activity and some other isps (covad did do this for awhile) will not even let you host your own server on your internet (they look for it and if they find a home server they will disable your service) unless you pay extra fees.

Its a big confusing argument and hopefully the internet will stay open around here, lets just all hope!

dgoldring

Goo dpoint Grentz. The Internet is not a public utility, but is operated by private companies, who are under no obligation to give you whatever you want. On the flipside, just because they can block certain content does not necessarily man they will do so.

Anyway, thik of poor me, I stil have dial up Internet. Most of the developments around me have broadband access as part of the homeowners dues, but our develkopment predates that, and no one has laid additional cable for us. So, I can't access huge chunks of the Internet just because it takes too long.

Doug

Howard2k

When you look at the big ISPs out there, you'd find that those that DO provide QoS over their IP networks probably outnumber those that do not.

This is really just an extension onto what we have today. Further granularity.

__________________
Always read stuff that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it.