Net Neutrality

Neutrality on the net. Such a hot topic and understandably so. I remember my first website on the net. It was 1997 or 98 and I set it up for my hairstyling business. Sank a lot of my money into it, think it got me one client in the salon in total. Fast forward to now, my Facebook page, website and Linked in bring me a lot of business and keep me visual on the net. My small hair and make-up business gets views, comments and ultimately, business. I imagine with the loss of net neutrality, this may not be the case. 

It irks me to have my Internet experience turned into the same as my television experience. The net was where I used to get away from advertising and the word of the big brother companies. It used to be a place where I could research and discover all kinds of weird and wonderful facts and watch skydiving videos free of advertisements. Not so now. Those pesky ads are everywhere, and I have to wait five seconds to close them. The end of net neutrality would further exasperate this issue. Not only will I have to endure those pesky advertisements, but the net would no longer be my personal experience. I would be stuck watching what those rich corporations want me watching or searching, or wait forever for the things that really interest me to download. This would effectively change the whole face of the Internet. No more freedom of speech or eclectic choices. Just cardboard cut-out, here's what the rich people want you to see, boredom. 

Net neutrality isn't all about me, though that is how I ponder it. It's about freedom of speech and freedom of press, and freedom of expression. It's the last place that Americans can truly discover like-minded individuals, interests and pass times. Advertisers and big corporations don't decide what's posted. Everyone with something to say can have a voice. Ending that would be catastrophic to the last vestiges of democracy the American public so dearly clings to. Things could be hidden, buy buy buy would replace tiny blogs, fun free videos and remote tiny eclectic websites. 

The biggest danger of losing net neutrality is the monopoly afforded to large corporations over small mom and pop businesses. The big guys would always come first and the little guys would be lost in oblivion. This cuts off a tool that these small businesses have come to depend upon for visibility. Allowing these giants to edge out small business would be catastrophic. Many small businesses would suffer and could eventually close. 

I'm sure the ISP providers would be against net neutrality. Imagine the money they could make! Huge corporations knocking at their doors offering thousands, they wouldn't even have to charge a lot to their customers, the corporations would pay for it. You may read this and think yeah, free Internet. No the Internet would no longer be free. You could get it for nothing, but you always get what you pay for. 

President Obama has the right idea when it comes to net neutrality. Let's leave the last truly free place on this planet be.