Net neutrality: a buzzword that's duping us

Net neutrality: a buzzword that's duping us by Bob Sullivan

If you care about the Internet, this is an article you should read.

Having said that, my opinion:

1. First part is to understand the cost of the Internet. When everything is said and done, the components of the cost are the wires and the computers. The cost of this "infrastructure" is negligible compared to the total cost we're seeing. I don't know the numbers, but my guess is that the wires and computers cost a tiny fraction of the actual total cost, that is: the total cost is hugely inflated by lawyers, the gov't and everyone else who gets their hand into the cookie jar - most of them not needed at all, once the rules are worked out.

2. The rules should be created by people who understand the business but are heavily inclined to make the Internet a service provided by/for/of the people, not the gov't, the lawyers or the companies, who are needed, but incidental and should be kept in their place at all times.

3. There should be a "no-spam" list, like the "no-call" list, which punishes offenders who don't check the no-spam list before sending spam.

4. The only monitoring/tracking of the Internet should be for specific court-ordered cases.

5. Bandwidth hogs should pay extra, as they do today for electricity, but the average person should get what 80% get without penalty. It's the "outliers" in the top 20% range that are the hogs - make them pay extra, but leave the rest of us alone.


Bill