Democracy and the Web

[midnight]

Source: New York Times

Users of the Internet take for granted their ability to access all Web sites on an equal basis. That could change, however, if Internet service providers started discriminating among content, to make more money or to suppress ideas they do not like. A new “net neutrality” bill has been introduced in the House, which would prohibit this sort of content discrimination.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/19/opinion/19mon2.html?_r=1&ref=opinion&oref=slogin

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Net neutrality is about keeping the internet free of discrimination right? Like a telephone line, an Internet connection does not play favorites — it simply transmits the words and images.

[KoKo]

1. As a Researcher....I already see the erosion in just the past few months.

Google now pushes info up front that's much less relevant that what I used to find. Also I have to do contortions to find word combo's for searches that I used to find in the first 20 hits. I have to dig into archives back past 15 pages or more to find even the first relevant info. I do mostly Business Searches...looking for companies, BOD's and Goals and Connections. I do some Medical Research also. I used to be able to get a client's "research paper synopses" in my first Google Hits on a link. Now they are buried or "inaccessible," unless I pay a fee and go through more hoops.

There are even some folks who've been scrubbed and it's obvious they've hired folks to scrub their names or obscure links to them.

It has already changed and is hampering "easy search." I suspect I will have to pay for more advanced searches in the not too distant future...and how will I know that even paying will give me more access if the "powerful" can hire groups to "scrub" or "hide" the info I'm seeking. :shrug:

[Prophet 451]

2. Seconded

I work in IT and I've noticed teh same thing. I'd bet cash money that there will be a "Google Power" or something similar around within a year.

[Uncle Joe]

3. I swear if some people or corporations could make money selling you the air you breathe

for life it self, some greedy bastards would do it, they don't give a flying shit about the American People or democracy.

I'm convinced this is why the corporate media slandered and libeled Al Gore for the better part of two years while they gave Bush a free pass prior to the selection of 2000.

They've spent too much money, time and effort buying up the traditional corporate media, thus creating a Matrix monopoly for the American People to live in just so they could distort reality and dumb them down, thus making the people easier to manipulate. I believe they've succeeded beyond their wildest dreams and that's a major reason as to why American Students are falling behind other industrialized nations in various critical subjects.

I believe they truly hate democracy and I don't even believe they love capitalism, their God is monopoly and they will never be satisfied until they own your soul.

"I.S.P.’s, the companies that connect users to the Internet, want to change this. They have realized that they could make a lot of money by charging some Web sites a premium to have their content delivered faster than that of other sites. Web sites relegated to Internet “slow lanes” would have trouble competing."