Dive into the archives.
- Is Neutral Free? The FCC recommends Net Neutrality
Yesterday the FCC endorsed the Network Neutrality concept, which seems to be inspiring warm fuzzies all around the net-freedom-lovin’ community. I’m no expert on the legalities, but it seems intuitive that protecting the freedom of the internet would be a good thing. On the other hand, is regulation the right way to protect freedom?
If the web is allowed to go on unfettered, the argument goes, corporate interests will run rampant and take it over, just like my formerly gritty SoHo neighborhood. Get some cool stuff going on in that there internet and before… [more]
- The Politics of Broadband pt. 2: Net Neutrality
The main issue affecting the online video markets that has been addressed by both campaigns for President is Net Neutrality. The question is whether regulation in necessary to protect consumers from providers who want to limit access based on usage, spending, and other factors at their discretion.
It’s clear that at least some freedom must exist for online film markets to thrive- as Dave Zatz points out, even a non-P2P user easily surpasses the basic plans Time Warner offers in his market (40GB/month). The question is, won’t other providers emerge that offer more reasonable plans and thus be more… [more]
- The Politics of Broadband
Over at The Progress and Freedom Foundation, Adam Thierer has a few posts up related to the politics of the current regulations around new media dissemination- specifically with cable and DSL which remain the primary means of most people’s access. The most relevant is a summary of a list made by Ted Hearn of Multichannel News of the travesties of FCC Chair Kevin Martin’s regime and his “war on cable.” The list is pretty long, but some of the main problems with/for cable are less political (at least of a red-blue variety) than they are typical… [more]
- News Round-Up 6/5/08
Updates from around the nets:Time Warner Cable has created tiered broadband pricing. After 40G of downloads, you will pay extra. An alternative perhaps to net-favouritism strategies like slowing traffic, the plan may impinge the flow of BitTorrent and other piracy-laden file sharing methods. On the other hand, coming just at a time when the market for media online is about to break, the strategy could have retarding consequences. But won’t some other company just come along and offer unlimited access and grab TW’s customer base? I guess they aren’t worried.Netflix expects… [more]
- Yarrr
You might be lingering in the past, thinking that while the major blockbusters are scanned, ripped and up on every free download/streaming/torrent site you could imagine, just by virtue of demand (or lack thereof), smaller independent or foreign titles are still somewhat protected from the phenomena. I recently got schooled by a young pirate who explained that, to mix a few metaphors, the long tail has snaked deep into the booty troves of “stolen media” traders. Even fairly obscure films are to be found on the file sharing servers and P2P networks trolled by the technically savvy film… [more]
