Political Crossfire Forums

[DevilMan]

I've heard much talk about this net neutrality thing... Please would some one tell me what it is, and what it does... Don't spare the technical talk, I can handle it.

[Korimyr the Rat]

Basically, the deal is that Internet providers aren't allowed to favor one set of networks over another; every packet of information is treated equally by every computer in the network. It was one of the main design specs of the original networks that the Internet is based on, and wasn't really an issue until the Internet was commercialized-- which created a situation in which non-neutrality could provide an economic edge.

[FCTE]

What he said.

Not only that, but it is a precursor to "Trusted Computing." In the future you may have a chip on your motherboard that reports your information like hardware and software applications to any given site and it will choose to block you or let you use it.

For instance, say you go to iTunes to buy some music, but you also have a P2P application like Limewire installed, iTunes may blacklist and block you and also report you as a blacklisted member to other pay music sites.

This also means that your operating system must conform to what the requirements of any given site is. If the sites choose to be Windows and Mac only, then Unix, FreeBSD, and Linux operating systems may be in jeopardy. It would be an attack on the open source community and software.

Essentially, they are trying to control everything you do with your computer and how you use it, it's not really yours anymore, your just kind of renting it and subject to their rules. You will no longer have the freedoms you have now.

Trusted Computing Video

[Gus]

Well that is what Net Neutrality is opposed to, FCTE.

Net Neutrality is a set of bills or legislation designed to keep the Internet "neutral" through regulation. Personally I'm opposed to it--it would require the gov't to monitor just about all Internet activity to enforce, and I'm not comfortable with that. I'm much more comfortable removing a "Trusted Computing" chip from my motherboard or flashing it with modified software than I am opening my window and giving the government binoculars.

[FCTE]

Gus wrote: Well that is what Net Neutrality is opposed to, FCTE.

Not exactly. Trusted computing can exist with or without net neutrality.

Quote: Net Neutrality is a set of bills or legislation designed to keep the Internet "neutral" through regulation. Personally I'm opposed to it--it would require the gov't to monitor just about all Internet activity to enforce, and I'm not comfortable with that.

I'm not a fan of either the corporations or the gov't telling me what I can and cannot do with my property period, either way someone has control that I'd rather not have control over what is mine to have control over.

Quote: I'm much more comfortable removing a "Trusted Computing" chip from my motherboard or flashing it with modified software than I am opening my window and giving the government binoculars.

I'm sure it would be that easy [/sarcasm]

How many people have cracked the Mac trusted computing chips to install the OS on any old PC? None.

[Gus]

FCTE wrote: How many people have cracked the Mac trusted computing chips to install the OS on any old PC? None.
What? It's been cracked for quite some time. You can even run OS X on AMD procs.

See the history of OS X TPM hacks here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osx86

[FCTE]

Gus wrote: FCTE wrote: How many people have cracked the Mac trusted computing chips to install the OS on any old PC? None.
What? It's been cracked for quite some time. You can even run OS X on AMD procs.

See the history of OS X TPM hacks here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osx86

It's not full support. The modules and updates are half assed.

You can put Mac OS on an Xbox, but not the whole OS and lose hella functionality.

[DevilMan]

cool, thanks for clearing that up for me. I didn't know if I was for or against it... But seeing as I'm not a multi billionaire who wants to make multi billions more, I think I don't like Net Neutrality. Its just another step toward censoring the net and then establishing laws over what you can and can't do... Although I'm pretty sure that it will pass just because the only people for it are rich and are the ones that really control the country. :(

[micfranklin]

Well, now that I think about it, net neutrality must go. If I buy a computer (like I haven't done so already) I expect no one except for me to be monitoring it and I want to do what I want with it.

[FCTE]

DevilMan wrote: cool, thanks for clearing that up for me. I didn't know if I was for or against it... But seeing as I'm not a multi billionaire who wants to make multi billions more, I think I don't like Net Neutrality. Its just another step toward censoring the net and then establishing laws over what you can and can't do... Although I'm pretty sure that it will pass just because the only people for it are rich and are the ones that really control the country. :(

The open source and hacking community would never let it get that bad, if it got to the point where the internet and computers no longer served the people they would pull the plug on the whole thing. Hopefully it would never come to that.

Consumers still hold all the power. If ISP's make their services unbearable then they won't have customers, same with software and hardware companies. There will always be another company to rise up and offer good services, products, and freedom. You still have control with companies and you can work with them, if the gov't steps in they are not so user freindly and choices are limited or dissolved.

[bob.appleyard]

micfranklin wrote: Well, now that I think about it, net neutrality must go. If I buy a computer (like I haven't done so already) I expect no one except for me to be monitoring it and I want to do what I want with it.

Net neutrality means that you have control over what you see, rather than your ISP.