FCC to vote on net neutrality

Hello, Citizen of the Internet!  Today the FCC is going to vote on Net Neutrality, something we should all (for the most part) support.  It’s expected to pass.  The problem is, now, we’re not entirely sure what all is being proposed OR if the FCC even has jurisdiction over broadband providers (which may open a whole other can of worms).  So if NN is going to pass, there will no doubt be a massive landslide of lawsuits.  What IS expected to be a part of net neutrality are a set of rules keeping providers from outright blocking legal content on the internet.  Some speculate that while this will protect the customer, it may create a loophole that will allow broadband providers such as Comcast and AT&T to charge “congestive” services such as youtube and netflix a fee to pass data through their networks – something we’ve already seen happening.  All-in-all this is definitely something to watch – especially this close to the holidays.

Comcast tries to charge fee to Level Three; net neutrality and Netflix

Ok, so here’s the deal – Comcast, whom we all love dearly, has decided they want to charge Level 3, the company that helps stream Netflix, to deliver content to their own customers.  Wait, what?  Yup.  Check it:

On November 19, 2010, Comcast informed Level 3 that, for the first time, it will demand a recurring fee from Level 3 to transmit Internet online movies and other content to Comcast’s customers who request such content. By taking this action, Comcast is effectively putting up a toll booth at the borders of its broadband Internet access network, enabling it to unilaterally decide how much to charge for content which competes with its own cable TV and Xfinity delivered content. This action by Comcast threatens the open Internet and is a clear abuse of the dominant control that Comcast exerts in broadband access markets as the nation’s largest cable provider.

Grasping straws are we, Comcast?  This is kind of the opposite of what we were worried about when the whole net neutrality debate started, but it’s equally disturbing.

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Now I am become NetFlix, the destroyer of internets.

Run for your lives!!!  NetFlix is going to destroy the internet!!  Their streaming awesomeness will shake the webbertubes until they burst,  so says The Slate.  I mean, look at the numbers – 10% of Canadians visited netflix.com in the first week of its launch!  PANIC!!!1!!!!!

You’re not buying this, are you?  I even put ‘panic’ in all capital letters, just for you.  I also put in numbers and stuff, you know like percentages.  Ok, fine, NetFlix will not destroy the internet and I’ll tell you why after the jump.

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Must not sleep. Must warn others.

Chances are if you’re a geek meets nerd, semi-anti-social, A&E broadcast family addict – that is to say, anything like myself – you probably enjoy a little bit of  ‘ye olde  paranormal musings’.  If, for no other reason, the stories seem to be well thought-out.  It’s September, which, according to my local Walgreens, means it’s almost Halloween.  Let’s have a little spooky fun.  We’re going to thrash the transmission by skipping the clutch and slamming it into reverse warp!

And now for something completely different… Continue reading