World Wide Web Inventor Says Internet Fast Lanes Are Bribery

Internet "fast lanes" are bribery? Yeah, that sums it up nicely.

"We need rules," said Berners-Lee. "If businesses are to move here and start here rather than start in Europe or Brazil or Australia — they're going to look around and make sure, 'Oh, does the power stay up?' And they'll look for other things. 'Is the Internet open?' Will they have to effectively bribe their ISPs to start a new service? That's what it looks like from the outside. It's bribery."

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I think he's right.
Unfortunatley, Timothy Berners-Lee's definition of net neutrality isn't the same as the Federal government's definition, which isn't the same as the ISP's definition.

I've seen nothing in proposed legislation that leads me to believe the government will approach regulation the way Timothy would .
Nor do I believe that the ISP's will behave any better under new regulations than they behave under current regulations.

Getting rid of the monopoly utility status that most ISP's enjoy is the best hope of allowing market demand to drive ISP's to improve infrastructure performance.

The only way the market works here is when the market gets burned and votes for change 20 years later, and then of course it will never really change since industries will be too entrenched in the status quo. Internet as we know it is basically fucked, and destined to become nothing more than the next super mall.

Our market doesn't work. The government gives money to any corporation that loses too much money. Taxes fund it, electoral votes still decide who runs what. If you have the cash you can change this.

Bribery is a case where someone offers something to someone else to get something they want or gain an advantage. With the ISP's creating a fastlane and companies paying to use it or risk being throttled... well that's just extortion.

madmat said:

Bribery is a case where someone offers something to someone else to get something they want or gain an advantage. With the ISP's creating a fastlane and companies paying to use it or risk being throttled... well that's just extortion.

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That was my exact thought as well.

Comcast are the primary ones who're trying to impose an artificial "fast lane" on the internet. If you have to ask why, turn on basic cable TV and start changing channels. There's your answer.

Extortion is Comcast's very business model. If they're allowed to continue providing internet service we not only should but must protect it from the exact same fate: forced advertising, limited site access and the rest of their race to the bottom.