On Apr 25, 2014 8:53 AM, "Ruben" <<=
a href=3D"mailto:mrbrklyn-at-panix.com">mrbrklyn-at-panix.com> wrote:
ype=3D"attribution">

.8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
This might well be the final nail in the coffen for free computing. Who tho=
ught that the 1990's would be looked back upon as a golden age for comp=
uter users?



I feel so bad for this younger generation. they have become grist for the m=
ill.



There=E2=80=99s a furor over the free Web.



Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler hit back at widespre=
ad criticism on Thursday that his proposed rules for governing Internet tra=
ffic will allow broadband providers to get rich at the expense of consumers=
.




=E2=80=9CThere has been a great deal of misinformation that has recently su=
rfaced,=E2=80=9D Wheeler said in a blog post defending his proposal. =E2=80=
=9CThe allegation that it will result in anti-competitive price increases f=
or consumers is also unfounded.=E2=80=9D




At issue are proposed rules that could radically reshape the Web by allowin=
g content companies to pay for faster Internet connections. Critics say the=
new rules violate =E2=80=9Cnet neutrality=E2=80=9D principles.



The old net neutrality rules =E2=80=94 which required all Internet traffic =
be treated equally =E2=80=94 were tossed by a federal appeals court in Janu=
ary.

Wheeler=E2=80=99s proposal, which will be made public after a vote by the F=
CC=E2=80=99s commissioners next month, makes way for Internet service provi=
ders to begin demanding fees from content providers, like Netflix, for impr=
oved access to consumers.




This has led to a flood of criticisms from Silicon Valley bigwigs, politici=
ans and consumers, who say the FCC is =E2=80=9Ckilling the Internet.=E2=80=
=9D



=E2=80=9CFunny what happens when the -at-fcc is run by a former lobbyist for c=
able companies,=E2=80=9D tweeted PayPal exec Rakesh Agrawal <https://twitter.com/rakeshlobster/status/459088374783946752" target=3D"_bla=
nk">https://twitter.com/rakeshlobster/status/4590883747839467=
52>, referencing Wheeler=E2=80=99s lobbyist past.




=E2=80=9CDeeply troubling report on new #FCC net neutrality rules, there sh=
ouldn=E2=80=99t be a =E2=80=98fast lane,=E2=80=99 =E2=80=9D tweeted Sen. Ki=
rsten Gillibrand <9138650660667392" target=3D"_blank">https://twitter.com/SenGillibran=
d/status/459138650660667392> (D-NY).




Wheeler said he=E2=80=99s merely complying with the appeals court decision =
that the FCC cannot dictate what Internet service providers, or ISPs, charg=
e unless it reclassifies them as utility companies. Wheeler said in Februar=
y that he would not appeal the court=E2=80=99s ruling, paving the way for a=
pay-to-play system.




The FCC went into full-on damage control Thursday, including the blog post =
and a separate statement from Wheeler. It also made FCC officials available=
to the press to explain the proposed rules.



The new rules will prevent ISPs from blocking or slowing content for anti-c=
ompetitive reasons, according to the FCC official. Regulators will also see=
k to prevent anti-competitive behavior by cracking down on =E2=80=9Ccommerc=
ially unreasonable=E2=80=9D transactions between ISPs and content providers=
.




But both supporters and critics were left to speculate as to what is consid=
ered =E2=80=9Ccommercially unreasonable.=E2=80=9D



=E2=80=9CIt seems to me that =E2=80=98commercially reasonable=E2=80=99 mean=
s it can=E2=80=99t be predatory, but I=E2=80=99m speculating,=E2=80=9D said=
Charles Zielinski, a former FCC attorney.