Came across this debate between a conservative and a liberal about net neutrality. I'm a bit lost as to which one was getting his facts straight so I'd appreciate a critique of their statements from somebody knowledgable about NN.
TL;DR: was the internet de facto neutral from 1994 until a couple of ISPs started doing some things in the ~2010s? Then Obama had to step in to maintain the status quo of NN? Or was the internet decidedly un-neutral for most of its history, with ISPs putting their hands on the traffic with impunity until Obama put that to a stop?
Did ISPs' prices for their services go up faster than normal when NN was enforced?
Did NN, after it was enforced in 2015, make any aspect of the internet objectively worse?
The debate
Mr. Conservative: After the repeal, the internet companies will be able to compete once again and investors will be flocking back into technology based innovative programs. Before this dumb law was enacted by Obama there were no shortage of investors for internet provider companies. When it became a law it took away the incentive from investors which made it difficult for internet companies to develop new ideas and new technology. It also prevented them from being competitive, in search for customers who might want to choose their own package / price options. Actually the price of internet went up on most everybody since the law was enacted. Why? Because it discouraged competition. Without this law they can now compete for customers and offer different packages / prices. Believe it or not, it will lower the price of internet. The scare tactic of higher internet is a myth.
Mr. Liberal: Right wing propaganda. The only companies that are against NN are ISPs which don't add much value beyond providing internet connection.
Mr. Conservative: what you just said is a left wing propaganda. Countless of companies besides ISPs are against NN. You can google it up.
Mr. Liberal: I'm a web developer who deals with the internet on everyday basis - it's my lifeblood. So I can say with certainty that things have NOT worsen since NN was enacted. What you said was nonsense.
Mr. Conservative: so is my brother. He is against NN.
Mr. Liberal: My point is not that web developers should support NN, it's that things haven't worsen even a bit the past 2 years.
Mr. Liberal: The internet was NN by default until an ISP held Netflix hostage, demanding ransom to resume streaming its video at normal speed. There were further plans from ISPs to control the internet until Obama stepped in.
Mr. Conservative: Clearly you’ve forgotten what it was like before Obama enacted this silly law.
Mr. Conservative: Before net neutrality I didn’t have to pay for hotmail account. I didn’t have to pay for a lot of things. With Net Neutrality I seem to pay more. I am paying more for access to internet. My internet is higher now with Net Neutrality. I checked my old budget book from 1990’s and 2000’s. And it was $20 monthly to $40 monthly. Now I pay a little over $80. So much for net neutrality because it destroyed competition.
Mr. Liberal: lol NN is only two years old. You'll have to look at the trajectory from the 1990s till 2015
Mr. Liberal: Actually, you may not realize it but you proved my point when you said you liked things the way they were "before NN". From the beginning, the internet was NN by default, as ISPs didn't interfere with internet traffic. It was only when a couple of companies started to encroach on the traffic that NN was formally enforced. Since NN was all what we've experienced up to date, and you liked what you experienced, you like NN. A large majority of the public like it. So the burden is on you to prove that we're better off with this recent change.
Mr. Conservative: no don’t lie and twist what I said... that’s what liberals does very well. Lying becomes them and you just demonstrated that. If there was an ounce of truth to what you claimed, that of NN being the default of Internet then why did Obama enact NN in the first place? Sounds like a bunch of hog washes. Quite typical of liberals. Shameful. Pathetic
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