Net Neutrality.. Why fix something that's not broken?

Net Neutrality is the Internet as we know it. It is the term used to describe everything on the internet as unregulated, freely flowing bits of information. Net Neutrality is the concept that there is no cast system, no hierarchy of information or order in which it is presented to us. You pay for your internet service, and once connected you're free to explore, create and make public anything you please! Sounds great, right!? So what's the problem?

The problem is big corporations with sticky fingers. Whenever there's something that's popular and unregulated, there a money tycoon who's lurking to make a profit off it. Big ISP companies are trying to create a hierarchy of websites by imposing new fees to allow the biggest spenders to be at the top of the webs visibility pyramid.

Here's a great video that better explains the big debate on the attempt to regulate Net Neutrality:



Which brings me to my question, Why fix something, if it's not broken? Is there something wrong with the format of information that's provided to us through the Internet? I don't think websites should be required to be top bidders in order to be granted access to the internet.

Putting regulations on Net Neutrality would eliminate any chance at a free playing-field to a websites access on the internet. If these regulations were imposed it would be devastating to both consumers and website domains. The increased cost to give free websites "better" accessibility would be passed on to the consumer, which would only cause a dramatic decline in the popularity of that particular website. It would also take away the true essence of Internet freedom which Tim Berners-Lee had in mind when he was developing the World Wide Web.



Click here to sign a petition to support Net Neutrality.

References:

Save the Internet: Frequently Asked Questions. (n.d) Retrieved October 26, 2010 from http://www.savetheinternet.com/frequently-asked-questions?gclid=CMKLk9rT8aQCFRpO5QodiCZE1A

Save the Internet: Two Million Strong For Net Neutrality. (n.d) Retrieved October 26, 2010 from http://act2.freepress.net/letter/two_million/

What... the heck?!

Right now I am very stressed and confused. So far I've really enjoyed college, and the learning experience that goes along with it. All of my professors are really cool, and great at what they do. I have been working very hard on all of my assignments in all of my classes, and I know that several other people in my classes have been as well. This being said, the workload this quarter has been stressful, and often confusing. I don't know if its because this is my 1st quarter in college, or if its because its my first online course ever taken, or maybe there's just been a big misunderstanding among teachers and students..

The due dates and correspondence which I've received for this class have completely thrown me through a loop. While I thought that I was on-track with my assignments, it seems that I am somehow a week behind? I was under the impression that this blog creation was due on the 31st, but was recently informed that it was due the 24th? Which doesn't fit the deadlines that were e-mailed to the class a few weeks ago.. Which makes me wonder when the midterm assignments are due?

I thought this was going to be a relatively smooth mid-term week, but now I'm STRESSING about due dates, which assignments are due, when they're due and how I'm going to manage to finish all of these assignments in such a short amount of time! I feel just as lost, confused and stressed out as I was in the first week of of my Digifun class, (What a mess that was!! ha!) . If anyone has the answers to these questions PLEASE feel free to share, I could really use some guidance right about now!
Thanks and good luck to everyone on their Mid-Term week!