Net Neutrality primer draws a picture of pay-per-click future

When Verizon offered an Android-platform phone that only allowed the Bing search engine, locking out Google and all others, web designer Michael Ciarlo became an activist for Net Neutrality. His simple primer at TheOpenInter.Net should help to bring the geeky subject into focus for the rest of us.

from Why I Created TheOpenInter.net

By Michael Ciarlo

“I created TheOpenInter.net to depict a time in the future when ISPs control the Internet and all data is not downloaded equally. While creating the site’s design, I had the idea to bundle Netflix and Hulu as a package ISPs required you to buy. Halfway through development, I questioned the reality of my portrayal. Was I too far off-base? Then to my surprise a Wired article titled “Mobile Carriers Dream of Charging per Page” showed almost the exact same scenario. While there is no documentation within the article to prove wireless carriers have any current plans to implement a similar pricing structure, the fact that evidence exists to suggest its consideration is frightening.

So, why is network neutrality important? Why should ISPs treat all data the same? The web, more significantly the wireless web, is the next great frontier. If you think that an Internet service provider would never block access to Netflix, or remove Google Maps from your phone if it meant a higher monthly payment, then you live in a fantasy world. They’ve been testing the waters for years.”

TheOpenInter.net Provides a Simple Primer on Net Neutrality.