The following is iMPrint Blogger Chris Winn’s take on what this crazy concept known as “net neutrality” really is. For more on net neutrality, be sure to check out iMPrint Mulitmedia Editor Aaron Arm’s video Net Neutrality: What is it?

The Internet is, in essence, the virtual universe that we (everyone that has an Internet connection) co-exist in. My IP address interacts with every other IP address, whether it be a computer, website, server, router, or whatever else might come along. Every time an IP has an interaction, a cookie, or some other form of data, records that interaction— just as everything that I interact with in the real universe is affected somehow by my presence.

To keep going along with this universe idea, the Internet is ever-expanding. More people are becoming connected and creating more websites, more IP addresses to interact with, and a greater volume of accessible information. It’s just like the real universe— light forever moving, infinitely-expanding space. See what I mean?

So now imagine everyone is in a spaceship. Every individual person has their own spaceship, cruising around the universe, looking at whatever it is they want to be checking out. Remember, everyone’s engine has the same capabilities. That’s cool, to be equal. We can all float around the universe and check out each proprietor, see what they have to say, maybe buy something, look at their ads. Everyone’s doing alright.

But now imagine a land grab occurring. People would claim and buy up all the planets and build tolled speedways to their destinations. My buddy Tim would charge me $5 and he’d get me to his stuff real quick, faster than everyone else. I like Tim, so I’m assuming he’ll tell me everything I want to know. But, I only got $5. I got hungry and bought a sandwich. So I can’t go check out my other friend Kate’s page. Alright, I probably could. But it would require me getting off at some sketchy exit; I’d probably get lost in some asteroid field, meet some axe-murderer. It’s just not worth it. I’m putting a lot of trust in Tim. Sure hope he tells me everything that’s going on.

And thus, the question of whether or not to lobby for net neutrality.

Wikipedia gave me the general idea of what net neutrality is all about. I guess it rattles back to a communist/capitalist argument, or resonates with the music industry/file sharing battle. See, we got this ever-growing meta-world where people are making billions of dollars, but there’s so much more money to be made. Why wouldn’t the corporate powers at be harness the industry to procure the greatest profits possible, if it is indeed possible? From the capitalist standpoint, I can’t object to it. There would indeed be much more money made in advancing each company’s network; battling over customers, being able to direct advertising more thoroughly, it would be fantastic. But right now, where we stand, the Internet is so public, so free, so rogue. Things that have become common in everyday life— Wikipedia, for instance— aren’t even recognized as English terms yet. And I like that. I like being able read an article and then cruise around the Internet to find all the dirt about that same company that was just praised.

Would losing “net neutrality” take away my ability to play detective and find out everything I should and shouldn’t know about everything and everyone? Or is it just the next step in the evolution? I remember back when America Online was essentially the Internet, and broadband was becoming “the new thing”. Everyone was worried that we wouldn’t be able to navigate this ocean of information without a helping hand to guide. Mozilla sufficed and everything turned out just fine.

Maybe steering clear of a government regulated and protected Internet is an awful idea. Maybe it isn’t. But I can’t imagine the qualms over a net-neutral Internet causing the end-all-be-all of the Internet’s future. It’s just the public trying to determine the destiny of a greater being than can’t be controlled. Do I think there is going to be a change in the Internet in the next five, ten years? Yep. Do I think it will be detrimental? Possibly. But I can’t help to do anything, but teeter on the edge of my seat in anticipation.