My husband just showed me a very interesting post on a website called the Open Internet. I'm not sure where they are getting their information and I plan to look into this further.
In my search, I also found another article that talked about how ISP companies plan to extort more money and fill their pockets.
It sickens me the way they think they can get away with it. But at the same time, it goes to show how stupid they have become. This blogger will give up Facebook, the blog, Twitter (hate it anyways), and stick to only running internet searches for information if they try to enforce paying to use just certain sites. Or if they try to slow down my service and charge more for "premium" service. I won't do it. I rather have more money in my own pocket that be held captive to the ISP. Content providers like Netflix already have to pay "tolls" to provide you with service.
You know how you see "Buffering" pop up and the video takes a while to load? That's not Netflix or YouTube being slow. That's your ISP slowing your service. This is their sick way of making you suffer because they have nothing better to do and are trying to get more money from anywhere they can.
We need a strong net neutrality for sure. No ISP controls or FCC regulations to determine what internet options we can access and how fast we can do so. We as consumers need to know more about our options and be more aware of what is happening in the cyber world. Our Age of Technology will be plunged back into the Age of Books pretty soon as not everyone can pay fees to use various content providers. I, for one, don't need YouTube on a regular basis to warrant me paying a monthly fee to use it. As much as I enjoy watching movies on Netflix with my kiddos, I will give it up and save that extra $X to buy Blurays instead or go back to reading books in my free time. If I can't blog without paying additional fees (even though my blog is free through my Google accounts) then you won't be reading any more posts from me in the future. I won't be forced to pay for something I do as a service and receive no monetary benefit in return for. I'd rather put my money to better use.
While this all comes as a bit of a shock considering I have strayed from keeping up with technological advances of late, its also not as shocking as it should be. Today's day and age has become run by money-grubbing-whoring companies. Everyone is out to get what they can at others expenses. There is no such thing as "FREE" anymore. There hasn't been for quite some time. Somewhere, somehow, someone is getting charged.
So what are we learning here? First off, ISP companies aren't interested in servicing your needs. They are only looking to reap as much from your pockets and the providers you seek services from as possible. If they continue to go unchecked, they will basically (and forgive the blunt or crude wording) be raping everyone overall. You will be paying multiple fees for one service. Let's take for example Netflix. You already have to pay Netflix to stream or rent movies. You also have to be paying for high speed internet to accommodate the streaming. There are two separate payments for one service. But if the ISP wants more money from you, they will start charging a fee just for streaming videos. So now you are paying a third price for the one service. They will be making you choose what you use your internet for instead of allowing you to use it for whatever you previous wanted. Gaming, videos, email, social networks - all of it will change. Will you start paying to share photos and status updates with friends and family? Will you pay Microsoft, ISP and a fee just to play a game every couple of days when you have time? And consider this... You work hard or save in some other ways to pay for the fees for gaming or Netflix already. Are you ready to work more hours or save more elsewhere to continue those things? I know I'm not.
If this is where my internet usage is truly headed, count me out. I know I wanted to get offline more and into the real world where life is happening. And that's exactly where you will find me if these changes happen in the future. Books will make a comeback after all. Parks will receive more traffic. And perhaps obesity will take a plunge. Maybe its for the best that the poorer folks will no longer be online like they are now. But then maybe not. Technology has served as a way to get information out there. When no one can afford to access it except the rich, the age of learning and information may also decline. Ignorance will possibly make a huge come back.
In my search, I also found another article that talked about how ISP companies plan to extort more money and fill their pockets.
If this is where my internet usage is truly headed, count me out. I know I wanted to get offline more and into the real world where life is happening. And that's exactly where you will find me if these changes happen in the future. Books will make a comeback after all. Parks will receive more traffic. And perhaps obesity will take a plunge. Maybe its for the best that the poorer folks will no longer be online like they are now. But then maybe not. Technology has served as a way to get information out there. When no one can afford to access it except the rich, the age of learning and information may also decline. Ignorance will possibly make a huge come back.
Where will you be?
