WORDLE HURDLE

Network neutrality or Net neutrality has been in the media quite often recently, especially with SOPA and PIPA being voted down this past month. What's all the hype about? In a nutshell, Internet service providers (ISP's), like large telecommunication and cable companies, want to limit, ban, block, etc. certain sites and are pushing for metering Internet use. Basically, having a tiered pricing structure based on the amount of bandwidth consumed.  These large companies believe that differentiated pricing is the "fairest way" to finance necessary investments within their network infrastructures.  What a bunch of BS, right?  Is it just about money?

  

Let's take a closer look...ISP's point out the upsurge in piracy of copyrighted materials on the Internet, illegal file sharing for example (remember the huge Napster disaster?). Back in 2008, Comcast, the second largest Internet service provider in the United States, started slowing transmission of BitTorrent files.   The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) stepped in and ruled that Comcast  had to cease slowing peer-to-peer traffic.  Long story short, Comcast filed a law suit against the FCC challenging its authority to enforce network neutrality.  The federal court ruled in favor of Comcast and *poof*, the great debate was ignited!

So now what?  Well...advocates of net neutrality are pushing Congress to find way to regulate the industry to prevent large corporations/companies from adopting Comcast like practices (for lack of a better term).   They also argue that the risk of censorship increases when network operators can selectively block or slow access to certain content.  Proponents state that a neutral Internet gives everyone, especially small and/or new businesses, a level playing field to compete in the market.  (There are many more reasons, such as discrimination, that could be debated forever!)

Network owners believe regulation to enforce net neutrality will impede U.S. competitiveness, discourage new network's and possible loss of capital.  

I am an advocate for net neutrality.  I believe that open use of the Internet allows for more   economic growth, education opportunities, and communications around the world.  I also believe that reasonable network management is imperative to net neutrality, however, I am eager to learn what "reasonable network management" will look like.  

"We had an Instant Connection" 

The Internet.  

By definition, it's a global network of computers able to communicate and share information with one another. Sounds simple, right? Not so much...this enormous network has changed the world and the way we live. The Internet and the WorldWide Web are often mistaken for one another.  The WorldWideWeb is a way to use the Internet, such as browsing or surfing webpages/websites. Chat, IM, email and other daily activities are also ways to use the Internet.

Robert Kahn

Vinton Cerf

How did this all start?...Well, once upon a time,  back in the early 1960s...ARPANET became the world's first computer network.  ARPANET was a conglomerate of American educational academia, industry and government networks that became the core of what the Internet is today. ARPANET was able to connect computers to one another and share information from each via packet switching. Thanks to ARPANET, the TCP/IP was established and Internet pioneers like Lawrence Roberts, Vinton Cerf, Robert Kahn and Tim Berners-Lee laid the foundations of the modern Internet. 

Tim Berners-Lee

Lawrence Roberts

To connect to the Internet, people and businesses use several methods.  One option is by a LAN or Local Area Network.  This way connects computers together in a specific area, like a building, then the LAN connects to the Internet.  


An ISP or Internet Service Provider is a company that provides Internet access for home use and businesses.  ISP's are a hot topic at the moment because there is talk about providers limiting or trying to control what portion of the Internet can be used by the subscriber.  (more to come on this topic in the Net Neutrality debate)  ISP's use bandwidth to determine the speed of the connection.  Ever notice your connection at home being slower than usual?  Or trouble connecting to the Internet?  It could've been that too many people on your LAN were on-line at the same time as you.  All of this information flowing through the bandwidth got congested and caused a slow down.  


Other connections to the Internet for people and businesses alike include; Dial-up, Cable, Satellite, Microwave, Wi-Fi and Mobile wireless to name a few.  Each method to connect has Pro's and Con's; such as cost, installation, service, availability and so on.  I'd suggest doing research for your area to discover which option is best for you.  Personally, I have a need for speed!  What about you?


          

Blog Assignment

Blogger-ific

Creating a blog isn't too difficult.  Most blog websites (like blogger.com) make the blogging experience simple and user-friendly.  The directions are straight forward and most people should be able to follow along.  It's the maintenance, updating, linking, finding/creating images & videos, interacting with your followers, returning questions and comments and keeping your audience interested in your blog that makes the blogging experience somewhat of a challenge.  

So you might ask yourself..."How do I make this blog effective for its purpose?".  Don't worry, it's not complicated, there are a few *tips* some expert bloggers put out there to help guide us through this whole process. The "How to Blog" article by Farhad Manjoo reminds us to blog on a schedule, not be too wordy with our posts (I'm guilty of this one), and add something new (duh!).  The ProBlogger site also states that regular posting to your blog is beneficial for both the author and its followers.  Darren Rowse the author of the article on ProBlogger, makes a key point about not taking on too much at once especially with the multimedia world.  Keeping up on all of these social forums can be very time consuming!

Blogging for business purposes has skyrocketed over the past few years.  This way of marketing and business customer service has potentially huge returns, both positive and negative for a business. Highlights from Matthew Bandyk article on Business Blogging include; to be a reader of other blogs, not stressing too much about the content, and my personal favorite, telling a story without ranting.  Darrell Zahorsky points out how blogs can be beneficial for small business owners in his "What a Blog Can Do in Business" piece and shows us that blogging can be useful for personal gain as well as business.  His business focus on blogs explain how they can be cost effective as well as an opportunity to share your experiences with others.  Zahorsky gives tons of examples for ideas, inspiration, and insight.  

So, what are you waiting for?  Whether its for personal therapy or for business, starting typing and see where your blog can go!