
Wei Ji the Learner |
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The bigger danger is this:
If individuals who have an agenda and do not want to see 'problematic' material on the 'Net have their way, they can essentially barricade away any level of social consciousness allowed by inter-connectivity under a wall of virtual noise.
And if such individuals happen to be in charge of an ISP, with no Neutrality they can do things like put a hundred throttles between 'customer rated questionable content' (which would be websites like this one, or millions of others) to 'provide better customer service'.
This becomes magnified in areas where there are at best one or two quality providers.
"Sure, we provide terabyte speed Internet. But if you're not streaming, you're in a lower priority queue, by our rules, so you only get ten mbps. So sorry. Perhaps another provider might be able to help you?"
...and there won't be other providers because they will ALL be following the 'cash cow' business model.

Orthos |
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Also, that's another thing.
Anti-NN advocates like to say "if you don't like how your ISP is handling things,just switch."
To who?
When I moved into my apartment a few years ago, I refused - for reasons that should be obvious - to do business with Comcast. But every other high-speed ISP I contacted to try and set up service told me "we're sorry, you're in a Comcast area, we can't serve you."
I've heard many similar stories about Cox, Charter, and other companies.
So the choice is now less "move to a different ISP" and more "move physically to a different location". Which for most people is simply not a realistic expectation.
Alternatively, "don't have internet at all". Which is a very convenient way of cutting off and silencing complaints, bit not a very realistic or reasonable solution for the consumer.

Wei Ji the Learner |

Maybe we'll get lucky and have pirate internet services like there used to be pirate radio stations.
...You don't want that.
That was the Internet around here for about eight years until the major providers actually cowperson'd up to provide it.
*shudder*
...we still have customers that come in complaining at work about every time they might possibly maybe see a hint of a 'shadow' of a nipple or other genitalia on a cover person of a magazine's picture (male or female).
When the magazines aren't porn, the shot isn't porn, but 'how dare you show the body like that'??
Now move that to the Internet, where the customer complaints are virtual and never seen physically...