Essay about Google management

Posted: November 28th, 2013

Essay about Google management

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Network Neutrality

            Network neutrality or net neutrality is a system that advocates for freedom in the internet. This works in a way that internet service providers and governments shall not have the power to restrict any consumer of the internet access to the networks that participate therein. This means that a consumer shall not be restricted in terms of sites, content, platforms, modes of communication or the types of equipment that are used with the internet. Net neutrality shall also mean that everything in the internet shall be treated equally. For instance, if one chose to watch online videos, listen to online music or pod casts, use search engines, send e-mails, send instant chat messages or play games online, they would all get the services at the same rate and speed. Moreover, if a person wanted to attach extra devices on their computers like gaming devices or extra hard drives, to enhance their internet experience, they would get to do so at the same rate as any other person accessing the internet and at the same data speeds.

Though this principle is still in the debating stage, a lot about it could change. This is because the big companies like the biggest providers of telephone and cable services would like to give the services to people in exchange for money. The services include the access to websites, the permissions to use extra devices and the speed of running applications. The companies argue that they should have the right to charge the makers of devices, the website operators and the online applications providers for the rights and permissions to use their networks. Their catch shall be that those who shall not make the deals with them shall not be able to access the services. For instance, devices and applications will not work well and websites will not load. Therefore, to stay up and running companies will have to pay for the service.

There are several problems here as without proper legal protection, the consumers may find that network operators have blocked competing websites ore reduced their data speeds to unusable ones. The other problem, which ironically is suggested by the network users as a solution, is to make lanes of different speeds that are charged differently. This shall mean that for one to get faster speeds they shall have to pay for the faster lane. If this is instituted, several problems shall arise including the discrimination that shall face the consumers and websites. Today, the internet is an open medium where all media, web sites and features are treated without any discrimination. This makes the competition in the internet healthier as big names like New York Times compete with bloggers in terms of information. Moreover, musicians, authors and actors are able to build themselves from the underground viewers and listeners in the internet before they are recognized internationally. Today, when one uses the search engine, a list of websites appears that match the request. Soon what shall appear when one searches, are the websites that have paid to be advertised. Consumers’ basic internet freedoms shall be infringed.

Another problem shall be double or triple payments that will be made to the network owners. Today, the internet is charged for the pages accessed. When net neutrality is revised, the network owners shall add an extra charge for the activities one carries out when they are online and for the extra devices one connects when they are online. The charges shall not necessarily be rolled down to the consumer directly but to the service providers who shall then pass the cost to the consumer. The revision of net neutrality shall also hinder innovation. Net neutrality encourages small entrepreneurs and innovators to start small and maintain their dreams of making it big someday. If the neutrality of the internet is not preserved, all this shall be outdated. This is because the startups and the upcoming entrepreneurs shall be kicked out of the playing field by big corporations with enough resources to pay for their existence at the top.