The net neutrality issue is similar to other historical events. In the late 1800's near

[wasupaloopa]

San Francisco the Central Pacific railroad had a monopoly on freight and passenger transportation. They pushed the wagon freight companies out of business near the bay and those businesses had to move to more remote areas or go out of business.

Once the Central Pacific had a monopoly they began to raise shipping rates. If you were a farmer you paid the higher rates or didn't sell your crop.

To avoid shipping on Central Pacific's trains communities built their own narrow gauge railroads. The narrow gauge railroads disappeared when paved roads and internal combustion engines became more efficient.

I think if net neutrality goes away communities may by pass providers like Comcast with smaller local providers like we use to have.

That is my hope. I am afraid that many people will roll over and pay the higher rates because they can't live without social media.

We will see.

[jberryhill]

1. But you already suggest what's going to happen...

...and you didn't notice how perceptive you are:

"because they can't live without social media"

That's the basis for pricing plans already popping up in some countries.

It works sort of like this:

------
Full internet $XXX

Bundle: Facebook, YouTube, Twitter $XX

A la Carte: Facebook only $X
------

Different social media apps or sites can be included in packages, just like cable channels, and/or with "an additional X Mb 'other'".

[wasupaloopa]

3. My mother-in-law will not be able to afford to pay for a package plan for what she now

gets for free. She doesn't have cable TV for that reason.

Many people on fixed incomes will do without.

[Hortensis]

2. Nice little window on the past. Farmers at other times

had to resort to violence against alliances of railroads and financiers that were exploiting them into destitution, even deliberately breaking them to take over their land.

Although the immediate egregious effects on freedom of information are more than enough to have us fighting this, even worse over not much time it can (and I believe will) have the same political effect that seizing radio stations still does in underdeveloped nations.

Controlling the media is critical to seizing power and overthrowing governments, and right now the new billionaire and centimillionaire classes already have control of most of our media. Inimical interests among them currently use the internet against us but do not control it.