Out of Pod Experience

While this does not directly relate to EVE the game it does impact the game and its community. This is NOT a political message. This is a COMMUNITY OUTREACH. The topic of Net neutrality and its implementation is something that will effect every gamer on these forums in some way or another and as such is something I feel is important enough that I'm reaching out to our community at large and asking for help on everyone's behalf. I am aware I'm opening myself up to ignorant ridicule and flaming by those less informed (or just plain D-bags) I accept that in the face of the severity of the content presented below. I respectfully request the Moderators not Lock this thread for at least the following 24hrs. (until the FCC regulations are released to the public) I also request the moderators themselves actually READ the following post and add CCP to the list of companies apposed to a closed internet. If possible please sticky this for the same 24hr period. Thank you.

As many of our members may/may not be aware the FCC is set to propose changing the rules that govern internet neutrality and are poised to give the Big 3 ISP's (Comcast/Time Warner Cable, AT&T, Verizon) absolute control over what goes at what speed over their pipes. The current head of the FCC (Federal communications Committee) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Wheeler Spent a long and profitable 20yrs as the head lobbyist for Telecommunications companies and Internet service providers. Now he's set to change the very foundation of the internet for the USA. The proposed changes would allow ISP's to charge companies arbitrary fee's for access to a "fast lane" of service. Allowing the service providers to regulate what content is delivered at what speed instead of treating all traffic equally. This simply CANNOT be allowed to happen. The economic impact alone could cause serious damage to US based internet companies, stifle start-ups and allow ISP's to choke competitors services on their lines.

For a simple example;

Hulu & Netflix, both provide the same service (streaming T.V. and movies) both companies currently compete for customers based on quality of service, variety of programs available and ease of use. NOT which service has access to faster service from the ISP to the customers. They compete on equal footing without preferential treatment of the ISP. The traffic is just traffic going through the pipes. Imagine if your water company charged you more for higher water pressure on top of charging you for the amount of water you used? Imagine if they charged your local car wash in the same fashion? The Water company is charging both the consumer and the service (car wash twice) for access to their water.

If these laws are allowed to happen the company that pays for better access is going to have a significant advantage over its competitors. For example if HULU and netflix are competing for the same customers with the same service But HULU is paying for better access speeds and thus has less buffering, less waiting for menu's to load etc. Netflix is going to lose customers based on the simple ease of use principles of business. HULU won't be gaining subscribers because they offer a better service but because they paid for an advantage over their competitors. An advantage that start-ups and independent companies simply won't be able to afford since the FCC lacks the power to regulate the fee's those ISP's can charge for "fast lane access". These regulations go against every principle of a free market economy and take huge strides towards privatizing the internet and leaving all of the control within the hands of a small select group of Immensely powerful corporations. Effectively giving them free reign to "double dip" by charging consumers for access to the internet while charging companies for equal access to its consumers as the competition.

Over 100 of the worlds largest internet companies have signed a letter to the FCC Net Neutrality Company Sign on Letter asking that these rules NOT be allowed to happen and that ISP's be classified as "common carriers" which would put them under the same guidelines that telephone and other utility companies operate under. Those companies inlcude the likes of LinkedIn, Google, Amazon, NetFlix, 4chan and many other of the webs largest businesses.

What I'm asking is simple, that you call, tweet, email and otherwise make it known that you as a consumer what your internet to remain NEUTRAL. and that you do NOT WANT the ISP's to have control over what content is available to whom at what speeds!

Tweet to: @FCC @WhiteHouse "Please keep our internet NUETRAL. Do not give control to the ISP's!"

Call: Phone: 1-888-CALL-FCC (1-888-225-5322)

Email to:
Tom.Wheeler@fcc.gov
Chairman Tom Wheeler: Tom.Wheeler@fcc.gov
Commissioner Mignon Clyburn: Mignon.Clyburn@fcc.gov
Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel: Jessica.Rosenworcel@fcc.gov
Commissioner Ajit Pai: Ajit.Pai@fcc.gov
Commissioner Michael O’Rielly: Mike.O'Rielly@fcc.gov
The White House/President http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/submit-questions-and-comments

Even if you reside outside the USA, these regulations WILL impact you, your corpmates and possible your gaming as well. Imagine if your steam downloads were being throttled because Valve doesn't want to pay for the "fast lane"? meanwhile EA's origin service is?
11 (Eleven) U.S. Senators have voiced concerns with the proposed rules and question its impact on free market economy. If a politician is showing concern over a civil rights issue that doesn't pertain to a specific voting block, chances are its something worth worrying about!

All I ask is that everyone take 2-10 (depending on how important you feel this is) minutes out of your station spinning time and help persuade the FCC to classify Internet Service Providers

Net neutrality is an issue but I don't foresee it being a huge deal for EVE. Keeping an active server connection takes only a small amount of bandwidth (<1 megabit). It would only be an issue if they decided to throttle EVE's download servers, but EVE is still niche enough that they might get by.

Now Steam, on the other hand, could be screwed.

Take your example, TWC decides to throttle EVE because they need to bandwidth for EA's new space sim (which pays for fast lane service while CCP does not)...EVE starts bleeding US based players because of this and is forced to shutter....while a bit extreme it is a very real possibility under the upcoming guidelines.

Now you're just being confusing.

What about youtube, Lolcats or any of a thousand other content creators websites? Totalbicuit maybe? or extra credits? 4chan maybe? point is these regualtions are going to fundamentally change how US citizens access the internet and the regulations are being created by a group of ex telecom Lobbyists. It isn't a site or service specific issue.

Not really. its fairly simple ISP's want the right to prioritize internet traffic based on the content of said traffic, the provider of the traffic and the consumer of the traffic. It's either pay up or we slow your traffic down on both ends.

Well in that case I'd want ISP's around that do offer that choice, and would like the chance to run or invest in one. And on that point the only thing I want the govt involved in is enforcing the anti-monopoly laws so this can happen.

I live in a major US city and the choice of internet providers is absolutely pathetic, and the only thing govt pencil pushers trying to make "fairness" rules does is to assure behemoths like Comcast run the show and make things suck for everyone.

please use the links in the OP to help ensure this doesn't happen then! take a minute to help Everyone you interact with online everyday!

Essentially yes. Any of the ISP's that chose to charge for better access speeds by content providers.

True, but the shepherd can only ignore the cries of the sheep for so long before he has to do something about it.