To begin talking about Net Neutrality, it helps to clarify what the internet is. It’s simply data sent via TCP/IP (the protocol for sending data through routers). Some people host web sites, others connect to their company e-mail, others do other things – it’s all the internet.
Understanding that the internet is just a connection using TCP/IP, then Net Neutrality is simple, too. Net Neutrality simply means that your ISP may not interfere with the internet. They may not censor your packets (the data that is sent via TCP/IP). This means they can’t censor your news, keep you off of Skype, restrict your sending and receiving, or otherwise interfere with your communications.
Any compromise on this is wrong for two reasons: 1) Your ISP should not have the right to interfere with your free speech, and 2) ISPs should not be able to tax the value creation of the media industry.
ISPs should not be able to interfere with consumer access to media companies, nor tax those companies for access to consumers. ISPs should not be able to interfere with our speech or block our access to the speech of others.
ISPs are in the business of providing internet access, but they don’t own the internet; any attempts to eliminate net neutrality would violate our consumer rights and hurt the economy.
I understand that there are a number of people abusing the use of internet. However, this doesn't mean that ISP's together with the government has to compromise all of the subscribers. I mean we pay for it, and the contract did not include any boundaries or such which would hinder our freedom to write and speak through the net.
Freedom of speech is always under attack. Don't let the GOP give control to the ISPs. We must be able to communicate freely without the ISPs listening in. Would we allow phone companies to censor who we call and what we say? Hell no!!
Thanks commenters. I’m optimistic. Either consumer freedoms and privacy will be protected by law, or the markets will move toward technologies that provide the same. We might all have to use encrypted packets routed through anonymous proxies in the future (which would be less efficient), but we will achieve our freedom one way or another.