Net blackout sparks talk of new rules

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Right to Connect

This to me seems like a similar problem we're facing with the EU/UN threatening to "take over" assignment of internet names and numbers.

My major point of contention with government intervention, whether US-based or international is this: Since when did people have the right to connect to the internet? People seem to think that because net access is ubiquitous in developed countries, it's something that they have some inalienable right to use. No one forced them to start an e-commerce site, get an e-mail address, or start writing a blog. All the decisions they've made in terms of their connectivity have been voluntary.

Level3 and Cogent are corporate entities, and as such, their only responsibilities are to make money and to deliver on any use promises they've made to their customers. The best way to solve problems like this, in my most humble opinion, is not to seek government intervention, but to stop using services with which you're unhappy. If you go to McDonald's and aren't able to get a hamburger because the union that handles their shipping is on strike, you don't go to your local government to complain, you go to the Burger King across the street.

I realize that's a somewhat facile statement, because you as an end user can't exactly choose which trunk you connect through, but you can hold your local ISP responsible for your lack of connectivity, which, presuming enough customers did the same, should make them hold their providers responsible, on up the chain until entities like Level3 realize they won't have any customers if they can't provide connectivity through their peers.

Posted by: kgrant   Posted on: 10/07/05 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use

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