In praise of… a freely available internet | The Guardian | Guardian Unlimited

Postei recentemente uma mat�ria sobre a quebra da neutralidade da rede nos EUA. Vejam o post In praise of… a freely available internet no The Guardian Unlimited, mostrando como a neutralidade tem garantido as mais incr�veis inova��es na sociedade da informa��o.

“Anything that unites the Gun Owners of America, the inventor of the world wide web, Sir Tim Berners-Lee, and corporate arch-enemies Google and Microsoft must be worth a second look. At stake is a vital principle: whether the web should continue as Sir Tim always envisaged it – owned by no one and open to all comers on equal terms – or whether it should become a two-tier system with extensive users (such as YouTube or even Wikipedia) paying more for privileged access and heavy data use.There ought to be no argument about this. A free-for-all web (after normal monthly broadband charges have been paid) is one of the wonders of the world and a binding force for all communities. It has only become an issue because the US Congress is scrutinising the question of “net neutrality”, though why the US authorities – rather than an international body – should deem themselves to have jurisdiction over the internet is not clear. The Federal Communications Commission has just been advised by the US department of justice, under heavy lobbying from the operators who stand to gain from higher data charges, that a neutral net might “prevent, rather than promote” investment and innovation. This is twaddle. An open-access net has produced one of the greatest surges of innovation ever recorded and has given an opportunity for people all over the world to communicate with each other and share knowledge on equal terms. Long may it continue to be so.”