The internet is too powerful to be held in the hands of a few internet providers. Back in the day companies like Verizon, AT&T, and Comcast "declared war" on the internets founding principle: networks should be neutral and users don't need anyone's permission to create, broadcast, communicate, invent, or share online. This has empowered all of us with the freedom to express ourselves online (whether that be good or bad.) With this permissionless innovation we are allowed to innovate our online world, which in turn has recreated our world today; both in technology and in culture.But today our freedom is in danger. If the federal court strikes down the nation's net neutrality law we can kiss our WorldWideWeb freedom goodbye.
Originally AT&T introduced the idea of Google and Yahoo paying companies like AT&T for reliably reaching users on their networks. Which is just another money grubby way to increase their profit. Users already pay their fees for internet access, as do search engines like Google and Yahoo, who pay to other telecom companies.
How can we expect our nation to continue to grow if we don't allow the users to have freedom of their internet? Even for what would seem like simple uses, Nexus Mods (an online free Skyrim mod website) has allowed users to create extensive mods, some adding hours 35 hours of gameplay, to skyrim. One user created a mod larger than both of Bethesda's original two DLC's combined and held 35+ hours of gameplay for PC users. The free internet has allowed that user to use his mod as a resume for his application to Bethesda.
countries who allow this freedom to their users? If the federal court chooses to rule in favor of the large companies plotting to monopolize against the users our nation will be reduced to a non reticulate nation.
