Tuesday, June 20, 2006

Net Discrimination = Cable TV

Net neutrality is an issue that's close to my heart.

What will a two tier web be like? Cable TV. Cable TV gives you premium channnels that play movies. Verizon Web will have premium video on premium sites. The content provider might charge you for access and you will definitely have to pay to give your own videos premium delivery. Even then exclusive deals with, say, HBO, could act as speed bumps, if not outright dead ends to priority delivery for your videos.


Whereas education flourishes on the web, on TV it's relegated to the PBS/Discovery ghetto. Expect history on the web to focus exclusively on Hitler, like the History Channel does.

Just like cable TV, amateurs will have a voice. Public access lets amateurs develop TV shows, but the shows are regional with awful production. Unless you pay every regional broadband ISP, your web videos/podcasts will most likely be viewed locally - not globally - and will take forever to download.

In other words, the web losing network neutrality will be like the Playboy channel



(courtesy of Tiffanyholidayfans)

turning into the USA Network



(courtesy of Jeffkostello)

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