[Infowarrior] - Preserve the Internet Standards for Net Neutrality

[Richard Forno]

(I am a signatory......rf)

http://dpsproject.com/

Preserve the Internet Standards for Net Neutrality

1) Facing Reality on Net Neutrality

Is there a place for fresh thinking and new recommendations in the infamous
"network neutrality" debate? The advocates below suggest there is. In the
following document we recommend the prosecution of distorted offerings of
Internet connectivity as "deceptive practice."

When several incumbent telephone carriers announced their plans to give
preferential treatment to favored Internet sites, a wide range of Internet
users and designers felt in their guts that it somehow violated the very
meaning of the term "Internet." On the other hand, many of these people feel
uncomfortable letting Congress set parameters for Internet service. It is
safer to deal with Internet offerings as a market issue, not to legislate
fundamental protocols or router behavior.

As a way to break the impasse, we offer the following draft language. We
believe the gut feeling -- that one cannot discriminate and still call the
service "Internet" -- is founded in reality. The very term "Internet"
suggests that participants assume their traffic will be passed without
interference; the concept is backed up by over thirty years of standards and
ISP behavior.

In effect, under the present circumstances, the system of developing
specifications, which involves the writing and review of formal documents
known as RFCs, which has held since the beginning of the Internet, would be
tossed out by a few large providers and equipment manufacturers and replaced
by corporate fiat. The loss of an open, consistent, and predictable platform
would also crimp innovation at higher levels.

Thus, we recommend that Congress clarify the meaning of offering Internet
connectivity and set up rules for the Federal Trade Commission to enforce
the definition.

1) Facing Reality on Net Neutrality
2) Two Types of Neutrality
3) Draft Legislative Proposal

Signed,

(Affiliations listed for identification only)

    John Bachir, Lead Developer, Lyceum
    Daniel Berninger, Senior Analyst, Tier1 Research
    Dave Burstein, Editor, DSL Prime
    Steven Cherry, Senior Associate Editor, IEEE Spectrum
    Gordon Cook, Editor, Publisher and Owner since 1992 of the COOK Report
on Internet Protocol
    Cynthia H. de Lorenzi, Washington Bureau for ISP Advocacy
    Miles R. Fidelman, President, The Center for Civic Networking
    Richard Forno (bio: http://www.infowarrior.org/rick.html)
    Bob Frankston, Telecommunications Analyst and Visionary
    Paul Ginsparg, Cornell University
    Lucas Gonze
    Saleem Jahangeer, Ph.D.
    Seth Johnson, New Yorkers for Fair Use
    Paul Jones, School of Information and Library Science, University of
North Carolina - Chapel Hill
    Peter D. Junger, Professor of Law Emeritus, Case Western Reserve
University
    Bruce Kushnick, chairman, Teletruth
    Michael Maranda, President, Association For Community Networking
    Sascha Meinrath, Champaign-Urbana Community Wireless Network, Free Press
    Edward Mills, Independent Technology Consultant
    John Mitchell, InteractionLaw
    Steve Mossbrook, President, Wyoming.com
    Andy Oram, Editor, O'Reilly Media
    Dave Pentecost, documentary television producer
    Jan L. Peterson, Software Developer
    David P. Reed, contributor to original Internet Protocol design
    Pamela Samuelson, Richard M. Sherman Distinguished Professor of
    Law, UC Berkeley
    Clay Shirky, Interactive Telecommunications Program, New York University
    Jay Sulzberger, New Yorkers for Fair Use
    Siva Vaidhyanathan, Department of Culture and Communication, New York
University
    Eric F. Van de Velde, Ph.D., Director, Library Information Technology,
California Institute of Technology
    Esme Vos, Founder, Muniwireless
    David Weinberger, Fellow, Harvard Berkman Center
    Michael J. Weisman, JD, LLM, Technology and Intellectual Property Law
and Policy
    Brett Wynkoop, Wynn Data Ltd.