How to Keep the Carriers from Flushing the Net Down the Tubes

A rather long and geekish article, but one that addresses some issues that could have profound effects on the operation of the entire internet – so if this has any relevance to what you do, it’s worth a look-see, if not a more direct response.

We’re hearing tales of two scenarios–one pessimistic, one optimistic–for the future of the Net. If the paranoids are right, the Net’s toast. If they’re not, it will be because we fought to save it, perhaps in a new way we haven’t talked about before. Davids, meet your Goliaths.

This is a long essay. There is, however, no limit to how long I could have made it. The subjects covered here are no less enormous than the Net and its future. Even optimists agree that the Net’s future as a free and open environment for business and culture is facing many threats. We can’t begin to cover them all or cover all the ways we can fight them. I believe, however, that there is one sure way to fight all of these threats at once, and without doing it the bad guys will win. That’s what this essay is about.

Here’s a brief outline of the article. If you want to go straight to the solution, skip to the third section:
* Scenario I: The Carriers Win
* Scenario II: The Public Workaround
* Scenario III: Fight with Words and Not Just Deeds

Check it out!