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Comcast, for example, could ban Zoom, WhatsApp, Skype, etc. if they thought it would be financially beneficial for them to do so. They could charge more for VOI

Comcast, for example, could ban Zoom, WhatsApp, Skype, etc. if they thought it would be financially beneficial for them to do so. They could charge more for VOIP, or gatekeep certain traffic unless you pay more. And many people don't have the luxury of multiple ISPs in their area. Simply because these corporations haven’t abused their power yet doesn't mean they wont, considering it's perfectly legal for them to do so.

nickysielicki 6y ago
As someone who is against NN and has been against it for years, I’m happy to see that NN activists still have no better argument to make than dreaming up these fictional scenarios, because the more you exaggerate the more people start to question it. The fact of the matter is that none of your doomsday scenarios have happened. The fact of the matter is that last mile internet has become more competitive in the past 4 years. The fact of the matter is that most economists are against NN, and those that are for it are only for it because they believe that last mile internet access is monopolistic — something that is increasingly harder to argue. Make a real argument. How is it more efficient to get the government involved? Why does the government have the right to claim authority over privately owned infrastructure? Why now, and if NN is so essential, why did the internet have so little trouble developing over the past 2 decades? No, I’m sorry. I don’t think we should force ISPs to follow rules that would require dramatic overbuilding of their infrastructure. I think we should leave the internet alone.
- SV_BubbleTime 6y ago
  > How is it more efficient to get the government involved? Why does the government have the right to claim authority over privately owned infrastructure? Why now, and if NN is so essential, why did the internet have so little trouble developing over the past 2 decades? I can’t answer these. I’d like to see someone attempt it, because I’ve been lambasted on this site for saying a version of what you’ve very cleanly stated. It’s like everyone has forgotten the cute “save the internet” banners on the bug sites that loaded like 56k dialup progressive pngs did. No, that hasn’t happened at all. If I was to make a piss poor attempt at your question, I would probably say that over the last two decades the scale of services didn’t increase so sharply, so what worked then might not work now... but it’s a halfhearted argument.

nickysielicki 6y ago

As someone who is against NN and has been against it for years, I’m happy to see that NN activists still have no better argument to make than dreaming up these fictional scenarios, because the more you exaggerate the more people start to question it. The fact of the matter is that none of your doomsday scenarios have happened. The fact of the matter is that last mile internet has become more competitive in the past 4 years. The fact of the matter is that most economists are against NN, and those that are for it are only for it because they believe that last mile internet access is monopolistic — something that is increasingly harder to argue. Make a real argument. How is it more efficient to get the government involved? Why does the government have the right to claim authority over privately owned infrastructure? Why now, and if NN is so essential, why did the internet have so little trouble developing over the past 2 decades? No, I’m sorry. I don’t think we should force ISPs to follow rules that would require dramatic overbuilding of their infrastructure. I think we should leave the internet alone.

SV_BubbleTime 6y ago
> How is it more efficient to get the government involved? Why does the government have the right to claim authority over privately owned infrastructure? Why now, and if NN is so essential, why did the internet have so little trouble developing over the past 2 decades? I can’t answer these. I’d like to see someone attempt it, because I’ve been lambasted on this site for saying a version of what you’ve very cleanly stated. It’s like everyone has forgotten the cute “save the internet” banners on the bug sites that loaded like 56k dialup progressive pngs did. No, that hasn’t happened at all. If I was to make a piss poor attempt at your question, I would probably say that over the last two decades the scale of services didn’t increase so sharply, so what worked then might not work now... but it’s a halfhearted argument.