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PragerU (and Me) on Net Neutrality
About 100 outrage cycles ago, the internet melted down over FCC Commissioner Ajit Pai’s plan to end the Obama-era Net Neutrality rules. Like most big-government schemes, the 2015 regulations sounded like a nice idea (who could oppose “neutrality?”) but when you stripped away the platitudes, they meant more government control. The fine folks over at Prager University invited me to explain Net Neutrality for their viewers.
Ever since Pai started the process late last year, the media was in hysterics over the repeal. Of course, net neutrality was repealed on June 11 and … nothing much changed. So what exactly is net neutrality and why do so many people have such strong opinions about something they don’t understand? These video aims to cut through the hysteria to bring you the facts.
Published in General
Good that you’re mentioning it here. Because Youtube likes to bury PragerU in a deep dark hole.
Nicely done.
Amazing how quickly the internet went from a bunch of wildly independent libertarians who were fiercely devoted to an open internet free from government regulation to a group clamoring for the government to step in and ensure ‘fairness’.
(Like they have ever succeeded at that!)
Ten years ago it was commonly understood that if governments, any of them, got control of the net it would become a propaganda and repression tool. Now, it seems, many of the same people are desperate for exactly that.
I actually got served a PragerU ad while I was watching too many Penn and Teller videos. (Soooo many…)
I have to admit I was stunned. Partly because it was a Prager ad (and I’ve been told that Google has vans driving around like in Ready Player One and blowing up screens that are showing them) and partly because it wasn’t an anti-McSally ad.
Well done, indeed. I like to ask the tech evangelists, especially the older ones, “what was wrong with the good old days on the internet? You know, before 2015?”
Straightforward, logical, common sense explanation, but I’m pretty sure the net neutrality repeal will cause the end of the world as we know it. I mean, important people, like actors, wouldn’t be making hysterical comments if that wasn’t the case.
Love your explanation, Jon.
Last year’s hysteria is embedded in my brain. My h.s. seniors came into class lamenting having to pay more for Netflix now Net Neutrality was over. The world was unfair.
Horrible teacher person that I am, I asked why they, Netflix, etc. shouldn’t have to pay more if they use more? Infrastructure costs money. Don’t they want the ISPs’ employees to be paid? How about the infrastructure vendors? Shouldn’t they be paid? Now, go read “The Wife of Bath’s Tale” and do your homework. You’ll have less time for Netflix, save money, and get better grades.
Those students are off in college. This year’s seniors? Not a peep about Net Neutrality. It’s a non-issue.
Congratulations! You’re a star!
Can’t handle. Too sexy
Well done Jon.
Good job, Jon. It hasn’t been covered in the press much, but I recall reading that after Net Neutrality passed, the big ISP’s slowed down their spending on building up the infrastructure. I wonder if the internet infrastructure growth has returned to it’s pre-NN rate?
Oh, they feared AT&T or Verizon would takeover. I guess Google and Facebook is ok to them.