Dfrank231's Blog

Digital Story and Executive Summary

dfrank231 — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 17:00:29 +0000

Executive Summary

As the internet currently stands, were are accustomed to being able to access information and bits at the click of a button, and this open internet is operating in a similar manner for everyone. This may change in the near future, and thus enters the issue of “network neutrality.” Network neutrality is best defined as “the principle that Internet users should be able to access any web content they choose and use any applications they choose, without restrictions or limitations imposed by their Internet service provider.” The ISP’s (telecom and cable companies) are trying to make it so that they can charge you extra money in order to be put in a fast lane of internet accessibility.

Anti-network neutrality movement is headed by companies trying to make some extra money.
The Internet is a superhighway, and the cable companies want to set up virtual toll roads to access the content we are already paying to access.
- This would have a negative impact on small businesses and blog writers.
Considered by many to be one of President Obama’s most important technological issue to deal with in his presidency.
- “You could get much better quality from the Fox News site and you’d be getting rotten service from some mom-and-pop site. And that, I think, destroys some of the best things about the Internet, which is that there is this incredible equality there.”

Evidence:
- Comcast has already tried to throttle BitTorrent traffic.
- Time Warner Cable is testing “consumption based billing” in San Antonio.

Issue in the academic world (university)
- Distance learning would be affected negatively.
- Would affect research
- Would affect the university’s ability to compete internationally.
- University-to-university communication

Anti-network neutrality statements:
- Aiming for a solution to problem that is not there
- Networks are private property and should be regulated by the ISPs
- Network neutrality would discourage investment in the networks

The impact upon the common American, as well as the Americans involved in the education spectrum would be very negative, and would reflect poorly upon the business practices of our country. The founding principle of the Internet was one of openness, where everyone regardless of creed or income level was on the same level of the playing field.

Graphs from Digital Story

dfrank231 — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 06:16:37 +0000

Here are the graphs i used in my Digital Story

Digital Story Script

dfrank231 — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 02:51:26 +0000

Neutral Bits: Network neutrality is a rising issue in our time that is rarely addressed by the media. The problem that stems from this is that most people do not understand or know what the concept of net neutrality is all about. It is an issue onset by the increase in our dependence on technology and the internet.

Black Screen: Network neutrality is best defined as “the principle that Internet users should be able to access any web content they choose and use any applications they choose, without restrictions or limitations imposed by their Internet service provider”

HuluYoutube: These mentioned applications can be anything on the internet, from streaming video on Youtube and Hulu to streaming audio to playing a video game over a network with numerous other people.

Cable companies: The opponents to network neutrality are the large telecom and cable companies such as Comcast, Time Warner Cable and Verizon. They want to increase their profits, even though it would be at the expense of their customers. What are they trying to do to change the internet? They are working towards turning the internet into superhighway with virtual tollbooths.

Webtoll_485: The most common explanation of the Internet is the comparison a superhighway with many lanes that can be traveled, and anyone can access these roads. Currently, large corporations and the common American citizen can access the internet and reach others in an equal manner. This could all be at risk in the near future, as the cable companies are working to instill virtual toll roads.

Toll plaza: If these phone and cable companies achieve their goal, the small time users of the internet would be put in the slow lane, whereas the large companies who can afford to pay for the ‘tolls’ would completely dominate what Internet users can access.

Net-neutrality-cartoon: The implementation of these virtual toll roads would lead to a lack of accessibility which would in turn lead to a lack of consumer choice and innovation/ Network neutrality could fix this issue by guaranteeing no preferential treatment and not allowing the small guys to be placed in the slow lanes.

Percent of population: The opponents of network neutrality hold their best argument in that American has the highest percentage of its population using the internet, compared to other regions of the world. However, what they fail to mention is how America has not seen the same growth since 2000 as other regions.

Percent Increase: This graph shows that America has the lowest increase in population usage of the internet in the world since 2000. So why would the cable companies be saying that we need to monitor bandwidth and that it is taking money out of their pockets? It does not make sense to have to alter the way we access the internet just so the cable companies can put an extra dollar in their pocket.

Problem doesn’t exist: The major cable companies want users of the internet to believe that proponents of network neutrality are working towards a solution for a problem that doesn’t exist. This simply is not the case, as video streaming is only in its infancy, and is expected to increase in quality and quantity in the upcoming years. Because of this, there is an expected desire by the cable companies to try to block and regulate this sort of content (especially television shows that they would prefer you to watch through their cable TV services).

Money: The Cable Companies are so interested in their own profit that they are willing to scrafice good customer relation in an effort to make an extra buck. A lack of network neutrality would reflect poorly on the businesses in our country as they would be hindering the ‘American Dream’ of aspiring writers and small businesses trying to make their way using the internet as an outlet, only to be put in the slow lane. This is a debate that will last for many years until something is resolved, and until then we can only hope that the internet does not turn into this:

TIERS

Credits

Much needed update

dfrank231 — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 02:48:37 +0000

so much has happened since my last update. I had my draft evaluated by both D’Arcy and Laura, and i received some very well appreciated feedback on my progress and the content of my paper. I spent most of today researching statistics, making the excel graphs, and compiling my digital story. i used audacity to combine two Pink Floyd songs into one file with a long period of silence in between. I used ‘Burning Bridges’ as an intro because it just sounds like a good introduction piece, and for the outro i used ‘Pigs (Three Different Ones)’ because the pigs are a reference to people who are too rich and taking advantage of those less fortunate, and how much of a joke they are…and this fits my story because it is a reference to the cable companies. I have pretty much worked for the past 9 hours on his class, as i also met with my group in the library, where we compiled our papers into one and monitored its flow. The paper turned out nice, and we started to work on a draft for our digital story. we got a few slides down and found a lot of pictures before we all hit a thinking block and decided to meet again tomorrow at the same time, same place, to finish the work. I still have to do some more for my part of the group paper, most notably how the American army uses games to simulate combat situations.

I wanted to upload my presentation to youtube, but it is undergoing some maintenance right now, so i will have to do that some other time. I intend on posting a link to the video as well as the executive summary, which i have yet to complete, in the near future.

completed draft

dfrank231 — Sat, 30 May 2009 20:31:11 +0000

Today i completed a draft of the whole paper including an introduction and a conclusion. I emailed it to Laura for review. I plan on working on my digital story tomorrow. I also updated and submitted my annotated bibliography to carmen. My group is meeting Tuesday to work out the kinks on the group paper.

second to last week-thursday

dfrank231 — Thu, 28 May 2009 19:46:42 +0000

Today i found a wonderful source. It not only lays out arguments, counter arguments, and then rebuttal’s, it also explains the possible effect of net neutrality on universities. Since this course is about technology in learning, i figured it would be more than appropriate to write a paragraph about it for the paper. Today i wrote almost two and a half pages, half a page more than the goal i set for myself yesterday. Because i found this source and there is so much information in it, i have decided to upgrade to a goal of two pages written on friday (instead of the one page i set for myself yesterday). The total paper is a few lines short of 6 full pages right now, and i still have to write about the effect of media transmittal (movies, tv shows, and video games) over the internet.

I also made an amendment on the statement President Obama made on the subject after i found video of where he originally stated the quote that i had already written about. even though i despise MTV with almost ever fiber of my being, his statement on MTV helps me in this paper. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vd8qY6myrrE

second to last week-wednesday

dfrank231 — Wed, 27 May 2009 21:53:08 +0000

I just wrote a few solid paragraphs talking about the FCC statement to Comcast and the reaction from other cable companies on the subject. i had a few argument/counter arguments in this paragraph. another paragraph i wrote was about Time Warner Cable initiating consumption based billing, it’s effect on the regions, and reaction from some users. I broke down their policy and discussed why i think it is a bad policy. Finally, i wrote part of my introduction, which basically explained what the concept of network neutrality is in terms of the internet as we know it, and where it is headed. it totals three and a half pages, and i hope to be able to write at least two more pages tomorrow, and one Friday. This weekend i hope to get up to at least ten pages, then break it down and move some paragraphs around and make sure it flows well, then the following week i will work on my digital story.

dfrank231 — Fri, 22 May 2009 01:07:50 +0000

As i sit here writing a body paragraph for my group project, i am feeling a bit better about the papers due in two weeks. i havent started writing my personal one, but i feel that the rest of my classes are kind of winding down and looking into assignments due for them, i will have ample time to work on it. I hope to have at least two pages done for my group contribution, and i think my sources and arguments are pretty solid and worth using. I have no clue what to do about the ‘original graphs or model.’ I do not know if it needs to be a survey we do ourselves or if we find statistics on the internet and just make a model out of that.

week 7

dfrank231 — Sun, 17 May 2009 22:02:16 +0000

we have had good group discussion lately and i feel our group is on track for our paper. i really need to work on my individual project though. i need to delve further into the opponents of net neutrality and try to understand their thinking, as well as how i can counter their claims. this upcoming week will be big for me, because i definitely need to start composing my paper. i also need to start thinking of my visual story, notably the two images i must produce. my aim over the next couple of weeks is to have a much deeper understanding of net neutrality and why it is controversial. to me it is common sense to uphold net neutrality, but in this world not everyone can agree on everything.

dfrank231 — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 22:12:02 +0000

I have decide to change my topic because i could not find enough good sources for my original topic and position.

I now plan on writing a paper about “net neutrality”

My position is that net neutrality should be maintained as it currently is, and not affected by the big cable companies.