I know this isn't a question but I wanted to get this out there for anyone who wants to speak out to Mr. Wheeler about the CC/TWC merger and NET NEUTRALITY
Feel free to re-word or Ctrl+V
FCC CHAIRMAN
Mr. Wheeler,
There is probably nothing I can say or do to make you reconsider your plans of killing off one of the founding principles of the Internet, the Net Neutrality. The principle, whereby all content is created equal and is delivered at equal speed, sans the content server(s) hosting capacity. This simple yet effective arrangement had ensured fair free trade environment whereby content providers paid for costs of hosting and delivery of content, while content consumers paid for delivery of content as well. Most importantly, such content delivery equality allowed for Internet to flourish as a medium of content exchange, where popularity of content was simply a function of content originality and/or quality.
Now, communications monopolies are changing all of that. Instead of profiting from competing on speed of delivery or their network capacity, these cartels are demanding a double rent from the same amount of content moving through their pipes. When some content is delivered faster, it's already an unfair practice in the egalitarian world of the Internet. Not only would it lead to a sub par quality of "basic" service, but it would also unfairly promote "faster" content as well as "faster" content publishers. It would also introduce additional costs in the start-up community business model. In addition to the already existing costs of content creation, hosting and bandwidth you are introducing "fast access" cost, which is currently inherent in all of the already existing ISP services contracts. ISPs are simple utilities, they do not enhance content or provide any value add beyond delivering it to consumers. By allowing this double dipping practices you are placing a lot of entrepreneurs unable to pay additional "fast access" cost at a great disadvantage. You are also changing the already existing fabric of the Internet, while supporting another power grab on behalf of monopolistic enterprises that should be broken apart, not granted another carte blanche.
Many of us in the Internet community realize that you are doing this not because you are unfamiliar with the subject at hand, but because you are an important part of the pyramid of monopolistic power, an agent of consolidation. You are the gate keeper, the Chairman of a government agency who is already paid to represent "we the people". Not unlike ISPs which you seem to represent instead, you are clearly seen as someone collecting the rent from these monopolies, in exchange for the rights of the people. How effective would Abraham Lincoln be if he had to pay double or triple for his wartime telegrams, because they were "urgent" in nature? You should know, you wrote a book about it. You were also a venture capitalist once, helping peer to peer start-ups become viable businesses, which is admirable. At that point you should realize just how damaging these "fast access" costs would be to any Internet entrepreneur.
We can only hope you are able to muster any remnants of your common sense and entrepreneurial good will and do the right thing, namely recognize the obvious fact that ISPs are simple utilities and preserve the Net Neutrality.
Sincerely,
His Response:
Thank you very much for contacting us about the ongoing Open Internet proceeding. We're hoping to hear from as many people as possible about this critical issue, and so I'm very glad that we can include your thoughts and opinions.
I'm a strong supporter of the Open Internet, and I will fight to keep the internet open. Thanks again for sharing your views with me.
Tom Wheeler
Chairman
Federal Communications Commission