Death of the Internet

Death of the Internet via Weblogg-ed

Quote: “The Internet’s promise as a new medium — where text, audio, video and data can be freely exchanged — is under attack by the corporations that control the public’s access to the ‘Net, as they see opportunities to monitor and charge for the content people seek and send. The industry’s vision is the online equivalent of seizing the taxpayer-owned airways, as radio and television conglomerates did over the course of the 20th century.”
Comment: Little doubt that the Internet is “closing”…beginning stages is evident by the amount of subscription based sites (while not charging yet, the structure is in place). Notable thought: “Consumption-based pricing and other restrictive access controls contradict the spirit of openness and innovation that built the Internet in the first place, and will do irreparable harm to its future as a medium for small business initiatives, non-commercial users and democratic discourse. “…education institutions will be the first (and greatest) victim.