Several large and very popular websites, including Netflix and WordPress will be participating in an event known as “Internet Slowdown Day” on September 10th. The event, organized by several consumer advocacy groups, is being held to raise public awareness in the ongoing Net Neutrality debate and the imminent deadline (Sept 15) for public comments on the FCC’s proposed guidelines that govern how internet service providers operate. Chief among the concerns many have with the FCC’s proposal are the plans to allow ISP’s to establish premium fastlanes for content providers who can afford to pay extra. The easiest way to imagine how this might work is picturing someone paying to jump to the front of the line at a crowded amusement park.
What this mean for you:
In terms of September 10th, the various participants (this website included) aren’t actually slowing down delivery of content. Instead, they will be showing their support for Net Neutrality by prominently displaying various text and images that “simulate” what the internet would be like without Net Neutrality. Though it takes various forms depending on the platform and device on which it appears, everyone is intimately familiar with the “Loading, please wait…” animation. Regardless of how colorful, fancy or soothing it may try to appear, waiting for something to load is always aggravating and inconvenient. If you are still unsure what the fuss is about have a look at this video. It’s not the most objective of presentations, but it does a good job of explaining why Net Neutrality is worth preserving.
In case you were wondering where that whole “Network Neutrality” debate ended up, legislation/regulation is still being ruminated upon by the policy wonks at the FCC, Congress critters are still confused about “tubes”, but the knives have come out between content providers and ISPs. Netflix and Verizon are currently spatting over a particularly accusatory “error message” Netflix has been “testing” that shows a warning to its subscribers that Verizon’s network is too congested for them to enjoy Netflix content in HD. This, not just weeks after Google started its own page that shows you how well your ISP does when transmitting YouTube videos to you. In case you were wondering, most consumers weren’t pleased that Google & Netflix confirmed their worst suspicions: their ISP sucked when it came to watching videos, and it’s a safe bet that video watching wasn’t the only thing suffering from poor performance.
What this means for you:
Nothing as of this moment. Google and other content providers have been very vocal in the Network Neutrality debate, but when it comes to dealing with the government, “vocal” means writing a very stern letter and rounding up lobbyists to start scratching backs and/or eyes. But over here in the real world, the ringside bell just signaled another round of sparring and Netflix came out swinging. Verizon immediately lawyered up and sent its own sternly worded demand to Netflix to cease and desist, who just shrugged and said, “Hey, it was just a test. But we might be doing that again in the future. And oh, by the way, this is really your fault to begin with.” We’re fairly certain that it got a ton of attention from (allegedly) poorly served Verizon customers, who, like millions of other Americans, are basically stuck with zero choice when it comes to internet broadband. Get settled in, this is going to be a long fight, and those of us on the sidelines will probably get bloodied just as much as the titans, because, in case you hadn’t noticed, we’re all players on their gigantic chessboard.
Image courtesy of jasadaphorn / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
A secret war is being fought in the internet industry right now, but unless you are a die-hard student of all things tech, you might not even know it’s taking place. The more conspiratorial-inclined among us accuse the mainstream media of avoiding coverage of this debate because of their close ties to the opponents of net neutrality, but it’s also a very complex, “unsexy” topic that is hard to explain in easily digestible soundbites.
The principles of “network neutrality” have been the subject of hot debate for over a decade now, but as of yet, there has only been one highly publicized incident of a company actively “violating” the basic tenet of net neutrality, which is that all data on the internet should be treated equally, both in terms of accessibility (can I see it?) and how quickly it loads. For Americans, censorship is a hot-button topic, so the accessibility issue isn’t normally included in the ongoing debate. What’s at stake is whether internet service providers like Time Warner, Comcast and AT&T can charge content providers (NetFlix, Google, Spotify) more because they use so much data, and if those companies refuse to pay the premium, would their bandwidth be throttled, lowering the quality and/or value of the service itself.
Another aspect of this debate is whether the US Government (or any government, for that matter) should regulate the internet like a utility. Both sides of the net neutrality fight are of mixed opinion on this. Some argue this would encourage (enforce) competition in the ISP market, and would allow oversight into ensuring net neutrality was observed, but as many others have pointed out, this didn’t work so well for the telecomm industry the first time we tried this. The other thorny facet of this issue is the plain fact that the internet is not owned nor controlled by any one country, though it could be argued that the US holds a “majority stake” in its creation and continued wellbeing.
What this means for you:
Today, the FCC has presented a plan that many feel completely undermines network neutrality by providing a “regulated” means for ISPs to create “fast lanes” of service into which content providers may opt, and if they do not, presumably their content would be delivered via the “normal lanes”. If no one opted into the fast lanes, this would be a moot point, but as you all know, in business, those who get to the finish line first win, and everyone else, regardless of whether they finish at all, lose. Even the most altruistic of companies (Google maybe?) are willing to get their claws out when it comes to competing, and being slow on the internet is the difference between being Facebook or being MySpace.
In my opinion, network neutrality is a concept worth understanding at minimum, and if you take the long view on improving our civilization, an important principle that should be upheld. Competition is what made America great once, and it is what created the amazing technology we have now, including the internet. Creating tiers of accessibility and quality within a service that most would view as a fundamental need (if not right) might end up creating a version of the internet (at least in America – imagine the irony) that is the antithesis of internet that is spreading information, freedom and equality around the world.
Image courtesy of Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
One of my favorite bits of advice regarding suspicious emails is to encourage the recipient to pick up the phone and call the company that supposedly sent the email to see if it’s legitimate. Unfortunately that advice isn’t as valuable as it once was. Cybercriminals have broadened their repetoire to include fake customer support numbers for popular internet services, such as Netflix. This particular scam relies on a very common advertising vehicle wherein companies can buy ads that look very much like the top search result in both Google and Bing searches. Potential victims, using a search engine to find the customer support number for Netflix are shown ads with fake customer support numbers, and many searchers mistake the ad for the legitimate search result. The phone call to the phoney help desk quick escalates into the customers computer being “infected” with fake viruses, and soon followed by demands for cash to clean up the compromised computer.
What this means for you:
The internet veterans among you know how to tell the advertisements from the actual search results on Google and Bing, but there are just as many who do not realize there is a difference. This particular scam counts on it, on top of victimizing people who are already in some form of technology distress. If you count yourself among the search-engine savvy, make sure you educate those close to you on how to separate the ads from the search results, as well as showing them how to find the right support phone numbers for important services they use. This may be particularly useful to aging family members who are targeted specifically because of their neophyte technology tendencies and trusting nature towards phone technicians who sound like they know what they are doing.
Image courtesy of Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Unlike the hype build-up surrounding Glass which seemed to go on for months, Google stole a march on the media and surprised the world last week with a $35 device called Chromecast which is poised to rock the world of Television. This little gadget is designed to work with any HDMI-capable television or monitor and will stream specific provider content straight to your entertainment center big screen.
Which content providers? How about streaming heavy Netflix and, of course, all of Google’s content offerings, such as YouTube and Google Play music and video. Despite the “limited” content partners named at launch, Chromecast sold out online within hours of the announcement, and retail establishments like BestBuy were cleared out shortly thereafter. As expected, other content providers are jumping into what has the makings of a bona fide internet gold-rush, with both Vimeo and Netflix competitor RedBox announcing apps for the device. Hackers have also uncovered what appears to be hooks for HBO’s Go service, the arrival of which would truly cement Chromecast’s position in the entertainment ecosphere.
What this means for you:
If you are one of the hundreds of thousands of families that has an HDMI TV in your living room and wished there was a way you could watch Netflix streaming videos on it, this is your device. Netflix-capable devices have existed for years: all current gaming consoles (Wii, Playstation 3, Xbox 360) and other set-top devices like Apple TV, Google TV, Roku and Boxee, have this capability, but prices start at $100 and head North quickly.
The savvy among you know that you can easily hook a computer, laptop or tablet up to any modern television, either through a set of cables, or in Apple’s case, a not insignificant investment in Apple hardware. With the exception of the Apple solution, these solutions are encumbered by wires that essentially tether that device to your entertainment center more or less permanently, and Apple’s solution locks you into their tightly-controlled iTunes environment and a handful of Apple-approved apps.
Now, for the cost of an mid-quality HDMI cable, you can stream that same content (and who knows what else will arrive soon?) to any HDMI TV. Want to enjoy Game of Thrones at a friend’s house, but they don’t have HBO? Assuming the HBO Go app becomes a reality, you’ll be able to put the Chromecast device in your pocket, head over to your friend’s house and plug it in to their TV. Log into your HBO Go account from one of their computers or connect your smartphone to their WiFi, and you are good to go.