2012: The Year The Internet Ends

[joule]

Video: http://ipower.ning.com/netneutrality

2012: The Year The Internet Ends

06/01/2008 - Every significant Internet provider around the globe is currently in talks with access and content providers to transform the internet into a television-like medium: no more freedom, you pay for a small commercial package of sites you can visit and you'll have to pay for seperate subscriptions for every site that's not in the package.

Almost all smaller websites/services will disappear over time and multinationals who are used to using big budgets to brute force their content into every media outlet will finally be able to approach the internet in the same way.

There's not much for me to say except for that this information is important, and the word should get out.

Your thoughts?

 

[PvtRyan]

Fear mongering.

 

[VirusType2]

everyone always will figure a way to make money out of things.

The internet started with a standard telephone phone line and a modem. Outside of your phone bill, there were no fees.

An 'internet service provider' wasn't even an idea yet. People were sharing data.

then, cable , high speed data transmission cable came out. Sure, you pay for this, it's like a fat dedicated to internet telephone cord.


Now they want money to use the internet sites?

They will never get a extra dime from me.

 

[Pesmerga]

Oh dear. I do hope halflife2.net is included in the $50 package.

 

[Guilty Spark]

It will never work. Angry gaming mobs won't allow it! If it does however come to that I will get my torch and pitchfork!.... and...eh herm...or should I say get my mouse and keyboard and send them hatemail... But seriously, It's a bunch of horse manure.

 

[Muffin Man]

It won't ever happen.

 

[Pesmerga]

Kind of a big thing to just brush away as fear mongering, to be honest. I <3 my internets

 

[Hectic Glenn]

Oh dear. I do hope halflife2.net is included in the $50 package.

We're cheap, you'd find us in the $1 package

Anyway, ridiculous idea...this would end the internet, which is possibly one of the best inventions of the last decade. It will never happen I tell ye!

 

[Pesmerga]

Never underestimate the power of money nor the greed of man.

 

[Headcrab Pie]

I bet'cha this is fake.

 

[Dekstar]

Fake. You can't get rid of something as huge and open as the internets.

 

[Leto]

*grabs the torch and pitchfork*

 

[Pesmerga]

I bet'cha this is fake.

Fake? ISPs have full access to what websites their clients can and can't access. It is, actually, already a big enough problem as it stands. China has taken great steps towards censoring anti-communist sentiment on the internet. North Korea basically blockades any website demeaning nationalistic pride. I have no doubt that many countries are doing the same thing.

ISPs lay down the wireframe for the internet. The physical entity which connects all ISPs with each other. It costs money to do this, and time and effort. They control their lines by law. They provide the pathway, but they must not be allowed to police it. "Something as big as the internet"- what do you mean? The internet doesn't come from thinking of it. It can be controlled.

Big business runs this country, Headcrab. It runs all countries. Money and power have driven humanity since the dawn of nations. All nations are run by men, and all men are faced with the human condition. Freedom of thought, press, religion, and information is the greatest right to which we can be endowed. The internet is the greatest way to access information and to communicate with others and to have it controlled by a few moralless men is a short way to ruin and ignorance.

 

[Sulkdodds]

This is...it could happen, but surely it couldn't possibly. Could it?

EDIT: Same people as "10, 000 blowjobs" and "I'll screw you for net neutrality." I'm skeptical.

 

[theotherguy]

This is why we should act to ensure the continuance of net neutrality, and to make garbage like this illegal.

 

[VirusType2]

there was a petition for net neutrality a while back, and, along with thousands of other people, I wrote a letter explaining why we need net neutrality.

 

[MJ12]

I don't see this happening, because I can't see people letting it happen.

 

[VirusType2]

This could never happen, and if it did, since the internet is nothing more then a huge ass network, people will find a way around it. Maybe even start it up from scratch again.

that's exactly what I was thinking.

 

[PvtRyan]

Fake? ISPs have full access to what websites their clients can and can't access. It is, actually, already a big enough problem as it stands. China has taken great steps towards censoring anti-communist sentiment on the internet. North Korea basically blockades any website demeaning nationalistic pride. I have no doubt that many countries are doing the same thing.

ISPs lay down the wireframe for the internet. The physical entity which connects all ISPs with each other. It costs money to do this, and time and effort. They control their lines by law. They provide the pathway, but they must not be allowed to police it. "Something as big as the internet"- what do you mean? The internet doesn't come from thinking of it. It can be controlled.

Big business runs this country, Headcrab. It runs all countries. Money and power have driven humanity since the dawn of nations. All nations are run by men, and all men are faced with the human condition. Freedom of thought, press, religion, and information is the greatest right to which we can be endowed. The internet is the greatest way to access information and to communicate with others and to have it controlled by a few moralless men is a short way to ruin and ignorance.

This plan makes zero business sense. It's retarded.

You can't compare ISPs to the Chinese or NK government, because 1) there's nothing above those governments while ISPs will still have to obey the law and I doubt shutting down the world's IT infrastructure would fall within it 2) the ISPs exist by virtue of the consumer. No consumer would stand for this shit, the ISPs wouldn't make another dime, ever. It's commercial suicide.

Secondly, a lot more business depend on the internet, other than the ISPs. Do you think companies will like having their websites inaccessible? Hell, IT is a core strategy in most companies. They wouldn't stand for this shit either.

Thirdly, despite what South Park says, the internet is not a Linksys router and you can't own all of it. It's a hugely complex network of computers. New ISPs would emerge, new - free - "internets" would form, and those new ISPs will walk away with all the customers of the old ISPs.

 

[CyberPitz]

This could technically happen.

Will it? No.

 

[BabyHeadCrab]

What if my plan allows youporn but not helplife2 ? I'm nervoussss.

 

[Pesmerga]

This plan makes zero business sense. It's retarded.

You can't compare ISPs to the Chinese or NK government, because 1) there's nothing above those governments while ISPs will still have to obey the law and I doubt shutting down the world's IT infrastructure would fall within it 2) the ISPs exist by virtue of the consumer. No consumer would stand for this shit, the ISPs wouldn't make another dime, ever. It's commercial suicide.

Secondly, a lot more business depend on the internet, other than the ISPs. Do you think companies will like having their websites inaccessible? Hell, IT is a core strategy in most companies. They wouldn't stand for this shit either.

Thirdly, despite what South Park says, the internet is not a Linksys router and you can't own all of it. It's a hugely complex network of computers. New ISPs would emerge, new - free - "internets" would form, and those new ISPs will walk away with all the customers of the old ISPs.

1) What we're talking about *is* at risk of becoming law. There is a lot of money and influence to be made by politicians to vote one way or another. Average internet consumer already pays $50 for the internet and the average consumer doesn't visit many websites outside of those included in the proposed (albeit imaginary) packages. Most people won't give a rat's ass because they have to pay an extra $1.00 to access some low level website- they just won't go there. It's like paying for a ring tone on your cellphone, basically.

2) Businesses will rejoice with being able to concentrate advertisements and sales on a very predictable demographic. Perhaps even offers to "refund" the cost of visiting the website in return for purchasing a product. I couldn't think of a more opportune thing than to have all my potential clients hurdled into a dozen different websites.

3)ISPs can and do block specific websites from being accessed. If an ISP decides to block a certain IP, all clients of that ISP will be denied access to it. If agreements are struck with all major ISP players, there are few alternatives. Independent companies will be forced to compete with giant corporations with decades of user base already under their belt. They'd have to lay down their own, physical lines in order to connect hosts with clients. They'd have to pay to use the land in which they install such lines- they may not even be allowed to if cable companies strike agreements with land owners. They may try to use satellite connections- but they'd have to find a way to pay for their own satellite or make an agreement with other satellite owners to use their bandwidth.

I'm not saying it's going to happen, I'm saying it *could*. I'd rather be wrong about it than say nothing.

Even Google cares about Net Neutrality. http://www.google.com/help/netneutrality.html

 

[Leto]

Wait, wouldn't Google be useless without those other small sites?

 

[Pesmerga]

Small websites can still be accessed but for a small fee- however you're correct to assume that there would be a definite decline in the amount of those small websites. Google is still a powerhouse company without its search engine, though, it owning YouTube and all.

 

[giant384]

err there is no way this can happen, there are millions of websites. how on earth could this be compared to a tv package? this package is more like a person with 56k who cant afford the high speed package though they can still get the same content, but at different speeds. if this package does ever happen then all we would be able to access is corporate websites,search engines which would have no purpose, and maybe a few other commercial sites.

I agree that someone will get around this, you cant block the internet....its logically impossible

 

[Pesmerga]

Oh yeah, they could also just provide normal speeds to contracted websites while making you wait 5 minutes to load up halflife2.net.

 

[Sheepo]

If anything like this happens, I will raise hell.

And by that, I mean curl up in a corner and cry while sucking my thumb.

This

 

[VirusType2]

well, they might not be able to charge extra for using our cars (computers), but if they charge extra to use roads (broadband cable), then what?

really by the balls here

I still think that they underestimate the people (billions of people) that love the free internet browsing experience that we have today. People will stop at nothing to bypass this kind of toll booth bullshit they are attempting.

 

[Pesmerga]

well, they might not be able to charge extra for using our cars (computers), but if they charge extra to use roads (broadband cable), then what?

really by the balls here

I still think that they underestimate the people (billions of people) that love the free internet browsing experience that we have today. People will stop at nothing to bypass this kind of toll booth bullshit they are attempting.

Most people don't give a shit or are too ignorant to realize what's going on. Also, taxes is what gives us roads. Also the US population is somewhere around 300 million while the UK has about 60 million.

 

[VirusType2]

roads are paid for by taxes, but that's not the comparison I was making.

a series of tubes.

tubes.

US/UK + I was counting the entire world. Even with China, etc., maybe billions is too far. substitute millions then.


I agree that almost everyone is ignorant to this, but they will know, when they get a notice from their ISP.


Underground Railroad FTW

 

[McGooTheWise]

It doesn't really matter that most people don't care or aren't aware, nor does it matter that the previous statement rhymed. What really matters is ~friendship~ and also that the majority of people who spend the majority of their time on the internet would care enough to booze up and riot if this ever happened.

srsly nao. Can't you just picture the chans' reactions to this?

Anon's retaliation will be powerful. Their retribution, swift. Middle internatz shall fall.

 

[Krynn72]

You guys are idiots saying it will never happen. Comcast and AT&T have already taken huge strides toward destroying the internet in the name of profits. Im signed up to a newsletter type thing and i get emails whenever something big is going down in the Net Neutrality field. Example:

Just when you thought they couldn't stoop any lower, Comcast stole your seat! Now we need your help to fight back.

As you know, at an FCC hearing in Cambridge last Monday designed to get to the bottom of Comcast’s Internet blocking, Comcast had the audacity to flood the meeting room with paid seat-fillers -- shutting out more than 100 people who took time off from work and school to be there.

Why would Comcast stack the room? To prevent real people -- like you and me -- from attending the hearing and raising our voices about Comcast’s outrageous actions.

This is just one more reason why we must restore Net Neutrality as the law of the land. And why SavetheInternet.com (the coalition organized by Free Press to fight for an open Internet) needs your contribution. Will you contribute $30, $60, $100 or even more to keep the Internet free and open for all of us?

Support the SavetheInternet.com Coalition

Comcast is the nation’s largest cable TV operator and second-largest Internet service provider. They’re one of a small handful of would-be Internet “gatekeepers” who have the potential to radically redefine what the Internet means.

They want to transform the Internet from a free and open frontier into a tightly restricted corporate profit stream. We can’t let them succeed.

But we need your help to fight for the public interest at the FCC and in Congress against the mega-companies like Comcast who are already spending millions of dollars on lobbyists and fake grassroots groups to defeat us.

SavetheInternet.com won't stoop to pay “seat fillers” to stack the deck at FCC hearings.

But with your contribution we can organize Internet users into a powerful, vocal force; provide expert research and testimony to Congress and the FCC; expose the bad acts of companies like Comcast; and make sure the public hears about what these companies are doing.

We Need Your Help. Support SavetheInternet.com Today.

Comcast has billions. We have you. The Internet won’t stay open for long if people like us don’t take action to defend it. Do that right now, by making a personal contribution to SavetheInternet.com today.

Sincerely,

Josh Silver
Executive Director
Free Press
http://freepress.net/
SavetheInternet.com

P.S. Watch this video of the Comcast seat-fillers on Monday. They didn’t know why they were occupying seats at an FCC hearing. They just knew that a big company was paying them to do it. Now that you know the truth, help SavetheInternet.com fight back. Make a contribution to preserve Internet freedom today.

Last night, a bill was introduced in the U.S. House that would stop Comcast, Verizon and AT&T from controlling the free flow on information on the Internet.

The only way we can stop these gatekeepers is if we all take action to support this crucial legislation:

Tell Rep. Ric Keller to Support Internet Freedom

In 2006, your voice helped stop mighty phone and cable companies from gutting Net Neutrality. In 2007, you pried open their cell phone networks and gave users a choice.

This year, we're going to stop Internet blocking and censorship once and for all.

Why This is Important: Reps. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Chip Pickering (R-Miss.) introduced the "Internet Freedom Preservation Act" (HR 5353) to stop relentless corporate attempts to set up roadblocks on the information superhighway.

It guarantees Net Neutrality by restoring it in the foundation of communications law. This bold move promises that the public -- not phone and cable companies -- will control the fate of the Internet.

The legislation also calls for a nationwide series of public hearings before anyone in Washington hands these gatekeepers and their lobbyists more power. (Read more about the bill here)

Take Action Now: Save the Internet

How Far We've Come: In 2006, more than 1.5 million Americans called on Congress to keep gatekeepers off our Internet. Last year, more than a quarter-million people sent comments to the FCC and opened up cell-phone networks to user choice and innovation.

This new bill was made possible by our amazing grassroots movement. SavetheInternet.com has brought together Democrats and Republicans, consumer groups and small businesses, bloggers and video gamers, in a new bottom-up majority that's shaking up the status quo.

What You Can Do: For too long, communications policymaking has been rigged against us. But by taking action to support this bill, you're telling Congress that high-priced lobbyists will no longer set the agenda.

Tell Rep. Ric Keller : 'Support the Internet Freedom Preservation Act'

The purpose of the Internet is to give power over information to everyone. The role of our elected leaders is to protect our basic right to communicate from those who want to take it away from us.

We've started a new chapter in the fight for an open Internet. We realize that it takes more than one piece of legislation to reverse decades of corrosive telecom policies.

But with this bill -- and your help -- we are on our way.

Thank you,

Timothy Karr
Campaign Director
SavetheInternet.com

P.S. Bloggers, activists and Internet experts are logging on to the Free Press Action Network to discuss Net Neutrality, an open Internet and people-powered broadband policy. Join the discussion at http://www.freepress.net/action/

Granted, these emails are more like propaganda than actual information, but if you do a little google digging, you'll see that we are, in fact, in danger of loosing the internet as we know it. This is a huge thing, and people are just passing it off like its nothing. If nothing is done, then ISPs are going to control the flow of information on the internet, and that would be a very, very bad thing.

 

[Krynn72]

Yes, because they definitely want people to hear about how they're planning on screwing them over. And its FOX, they're probably in on it too, they'll probably benefit from this. You make it sound like its a hoax, but if thats what you think then just do a google search. This isnt a joke, there is a serious chance this could happen unless people say something. And I dont mean say something after its already been done. Dont be one of those people who posted above saying "if this happens ill be pissed"... we need do something before it happens, because afterwards, we'll have no chance.

 

[giant384]

what im not getting is, why do they need to control it? i guess if you go by the package chart above then that would increase the corporate profits extensively.
i mean there is so much freedom of speech on the internet whether it be videos,forums,blogs, but the good ol' corporations get to jack up there prices depending on what you want and even paying alot of money for a package still wouldnt get you all of the internet.


this proposal will end the use of the term 'web surfing'

what happens to gaming as well? are they going to control that too? if this ever happens they wont just stop there. i agree with krynn, waiting and complaing wont do any good. something must be done now, even though this is the first time ive ever heard of this.

 

[VirusType2]

Oh sh--. Comcast is behind this? Now I'm really concerned.

They have been ripping people off for as long as they've been around. I'm sure everyone who ever had cable television would know how they had been charging ridiculous prices for cable television service, and it got more expensive all the time.

What choice did the customers have? They wanted to watch TV or not. those were the choices.

Digital satellite networks came to be, and they offered thousands of channels (compared to about 100 on cable) with a better quality picture, and satellite was actually about half the price. That forced Comcast back down to Earth with their prices. Now it seems they have concentrated on taking control of the Internet.


Comcast is a despicable company, their reputation is that they will charge people as much as they can for everything (extortionate prices), and if they have no opposition, they will get away with it.

And it seems they have allies on this one, instead of opposition.

They only thing we have on our side is our elected government officials. Worrying about it is not useful. How about some action?

 

[Krynn72]

a google search isn't realy worth anything if it doesn't bring up relaiable sources, and i'm not finding any

... you'd trust FOX but not commoncause.org, cnet.com, google.com (not the search engine), the New York Times, The Boston Globe, The Washington Post, Free Press, etcetera?

 

[Que-Ever]

If this happens I'll shoot myself.

In the foot maybe.

 

[Pesmerga]

Vincent, there are so many travesties around the world that go unreported by major news establishments until after the fact. If it doesn't sell, they won't publish it. You don't see starving African kids on the frontpage every day, do you? No, you've probably never even read a ****ing newspaper. Your grip on reality is a loose one and I don't really think you fully comprehend the potential of what can happen.

Elected officials aren't "on our side". They're on the winning side. It's up to you to contact local representatives (AT A LOCAL GOVERNMENTAL LEVEL) and petition your opinion to them. Getting your word out to the right people is the most powerful thing you can do.

 

[Pesmerga]

Oh yeah, sure, there must be at least one decent ISP out there. Right? I mean, there's one decent oil company.

...right? I mean, there must be one?

 

[Pesmerga]

No, unlikely. It would take years for any decent cable company to start and grow nationally. That's assuming they're turning a profit- fact is most users will stick with cable giants. You'd have to piss off the average user to give the small guy a chance. Even then, there's no reason for a new cable company to start until shit really hits the fan.

Chances are they'd charge extra to use their "free" internet anyway. So basically you've come back to square one, except you're now on a separate network, disconnected from everyone else who is still on the big ones. All major ISPs work together to interconnect the world- they're all going to make the same agreement if the necessary laws pass.

Also I can't really continue this argument because I'd rather envision a future where this doesn't happen at all, not one we have to fix.