[governance] What is Network Neutrality

[Meryem Marzouki]

Le 12 janv. 09 à 15:15, McTim a écrit :

> Parminder,
>
>  And, consequently, it turns the basic
>> logic of the Internet on its head.
>
> no, it IS the basic logic of the Internet.  User types in a url, DNS
> resolves it, web page requested by browser, web page delivered over x
> networks.  making x a smaller number is good for everyone.

yes, definitely, provided that x is not only smaller for everyone but  
also smaller for any web page accessed by the same person. Otherwise,  
people will access only (or mainly) the content that is best (lest  
costly) accessed.
Although this is entirely different from a technical point of view,  
it's conceptually the same problem with google results appearing on  
the first page vs. those appearing on the 30th page, with the same  
query. Who would bother checking all 29 result pages before reaching  
the potentially alternative views provided on the 30th page? Note  
that this 30th page result is not only still technically reachable,  
but also quickly and directly accessible if I decide, say, that as a  
matter of principle I would always give some privilege to the results  
appearing on the 30th page instead of relying on google search  
algorithms. In case we want to make a better analogy, then we should  
suppose that one can only access the 30th pages results after having  
gone through the 29 previous pages. Who wouldn't give up far before  
reaching the 30th page? (and actually, as studies have shown,  
everyone does..).

> In your quest for some brand of egalitarianism, you have actually
> taken a deeply anti-development stance on this issue.

actually, you might yourself legitimize a "double penalty" for people  
in developing countries: not only Internet access is more expensive  
and cumbersome in general, but also, with such caching, there is less  
capacity of choice between mainstream content (whose provider can  
afford expensive caching systems in these countries) and alternative  
content, even though provided by the NGO next to your door.

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