It seems quaint to tell you that I grew up during the "space age," but that's what they called it. Supposedly, it was the final frontier.
Today, space exploration is fun for the egg-heads at NASA, but for everyone else here on Earth, the real frontier is in the dissemination of information. Think back just 12 years or so - and most people weren't on the internet. It's hard to believe how young it is - and how far it's come! (Remember dial up???)
The beauty of the internet, is that unlike frontiers of yesteryear, we all get to be lead the expedition from the comfort of our own lap top. Columbus needed a lot of funding to set sail and space probes don't come cheap. The internet, on the other hand, is fairly easy for anyone to exploit. Big companies, small non-profits, home-based businesses and individual bloggers alike, can all post content on the internet. That content is then accessed by audiences with complete indifference to who has deep pockets and who doesn't. The Net is "Neutral." It doesn't care whether or not you have big bucks.
But not everyone would have it that way. Some telecoms and cable companies want to make extra dough by offering large companies the chance to get their content to you quicker. In other words, there'd be a separate speed lane on the superhighway for those who could come up with the funds. Smaller and less well funded sites wouldn't have a chance.
For some, it's the equivalent of letting a Walmart move into town while small businesses go bust. To others, government intervention to keep the net neutral is simply too much government intervention.
