Pros and Cons:
There are many pros and cons to net neutrality and depending who you are or who you work for you might have different views on net neutrality. Some people are opposed to it because it slows down internet connection with anyone being able to access anything. Also the big corporations who are providing these internet services want to make money from people expanding their bandwidth. Many people are in support of it because it allows anyone to access anything with no restrictions and provokes exploration.
Pros:
-Anyone can view anything online without paying extra
-Everyone receives everything at the same speed even if it is not a popular site
-It encourages people to explore different things and provokes new ideas
-No material is blocked from anyone so everything possible is viewable
Cons:
-Videos take up a lot of bandwidth so companies are getting charged more (if you work for company might effect you personally as well)
-Allows people to see material that they may be better off without seeing (keeps children from inappropriate sites)
-With everyone having the ability to access everything it might slow down more popular sites that many people are on at a time.
Why has net neutrality been in the news recently?:
Net neutrality has been a popular discussion recently. This is because the phone companies who are controlling online networks are being charged more because they need more bandwidth to hold all the videos and messages and everything else people are using the network for and therefore being charged more. They tried proposing a bill that would make it so these corporations could charge for certain websites or programs making a guarantee that there wouldn't be an issue with speed but the consumer would have to pay for it. This would in turn make the less popular sites slower and make it beneficial for the consumer to pay the extra for the extra benefit. This bill was not passed but if it were it would limit many people from the freedom they currently have on the internet.
Net neutrality tied to freedom of speech:
Net neutrality is tied to freedom of speech because it allows anyone to put anything online and lets them express their ideas with no restrictions. With net neutrality anyone can post anything on the internet and have anyone with access to the internet view what they post. Freedom to share their ideas and speak their mind. If net neutrality were to be banned this would somewhat restrict freedom of speech and there would be much debate on this taking away a persons right to freedom of speech.
How would this recent news affect me?:
I think if the idea of net neutrality were to be banned it would affect me pretty seriously. It wouldn't take away from anything I NEED to view online but I know I like to go on youtube all the time and I Skype with my family members a lot when I am at school. If this new law passed and I had to pay extra for these services I would be pretty discouraged to use them and would not nearly use them as much as I do now. I also like to go on websites such as Barstool Sports and The Chive which to some people might be considered inappropriate. Once again neither of those site would be ones I need to check but for my pleasure I like to check them and see what they have to offer.
Where do I stand on Net Neutrality?:
I am in favor of net neutrality. I believe that anyone should have the ability to access what they want with no restrictions. I understand there is a toll taken on the phone companies with expanding bandwidth for all the people sharing videos and sending messages but it is a part of the service they offer and they already charge enough. I also understand there is material online that should be restricted from certain people (or everyone for that matter) but it is the users responsibility to do their best to try and stay away from those types of things. Net neutrality provokes exploration and in turn provides people with the ideas that sometimes lead to creations that benefit the rest of society.
Two sources:
I decided these two sites were valid sites about this topic because they are both from credible news sources (New York Times and The Hill). The first is from the New York Times and discusses how the european union is making net neutrality a more popular thing. Prior to this there was more restrictions in Europe for online access but now they are working to free up more information for the average person. The second article from The Hill discusses how Verizon says net neutrality is good business. It makes more users want to join their service and raises the customers satisfaction.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/19/business/international/eu-panel-adopts-net-neutrality-and-mobile-roaming-rules.html?_r=0
http://thehill.com/blogs/hillicon-valley/technology/201177-comcast-ceo-net-neutrality-is-good-business
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