An Information Security Place

Here’s what I usually listen too on late nights at work.

 

Cleanflicks has lost to the movie industry in this case. Basically, they can no longer edit the bad stuff out of movies and redistribute. What surprised me to a degree was the the movie industry did not use DMCA as an argument. Go here to see the likely reason why.

First, let me say that though I can definitely see some bad points to NetNeutrality, I am in favor of it. I am not a fan of new laws in general, especially the way our government tends to screw things up. But something in some form needs to be done to keep the big boys from running roughshod over the little guys.

However, people are saying Net Neutrality is needed because of the worry of large providers blocking traffic from small providers and carriers. I wonder if I am just naïve, because I really can’t see the big telecomm providers just outright blocking that traffic from their competitors. Mess with, screw up, delay, hold back, etc.? Yes, I see that potentially happening. They can do that with no real backlash because even if someone accuses them of it, they can deny it. As Ed Felten says in his Net Neutrality Whitepaper, “… it is often difficult to distinguish between performance problems resulting from undesirable forms of discrimination and ones due to other causes.” Basically, how do you prove conclusively that a large provider is discriminating? It would be difficult.

But if a large provider simply kills their competitor’s traffic, even if they are doing it legally, I see them being lambasted in the media and the blogosphere and losing customers. That is not fair play. Maybe I’m wrong here, but I just don’t see it happening.

[RANT ALERT!!!] So let’s argue for Net Neutrality on its real merits, namely that the large providers should not be able to control the Internet just because it is their routers the traffic is passing through. Ed Whitacre needs to get a grip and stop spouting that his competitors are simply using his “pipes free.” That is a load of bull. These guys pay telecomm providers millions and millions a year. If they need more speed, they buy it. You are getting your money, Mr. Whitacre. The only reason you are against this is because you don’t want legitimate competition for your future plans for fiber in every home. You want to have the lines and the play time with no threat of other services keeping you form making a couple of more bucks. Please…

Vet