Vint Cerf on Net Neutrality

Interview of Vint Cerf, Google's Chief Internet Evangelist, on Net neutrality. This video has been produced by CitizenValley.org, the only community-run news web site in French covering Silicon Valley with the support of Gervais Restaurant, the only authentic French restaurant in Silicon Valley (www.gervaisrestaurant.com).

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• net
• neutrality
• veint
• cerf
• google

[herzogsbuick]

Dr. Cerf, I disagree with your approach: without legislation to either define or subsidize a bad business model, it won't persist.

So what if we have even several years of companies trying out the proposals of the exchanges, if it's bad and decreases accesibility they will lose money and revert. Contrast this, to submitting a bill to Congress, that can have god-knows-what attached and hidden etc etc...the approach is like trying to cool a stove with your face. Just let it cool down I say.

[brentpieczynski]

He did seem to communicate that Google isn't large enough at this time, to take over the entire-Internet. Which is by my inference an active avoidance of those, future plans of Google, with some people might interpreting this as a lie by omission.

[mvp111MCA]

so far it s cool but i know that net will definitely be like your phone..you pay for any site beause the hungry capitalist can not leave this free for ever...let us enjoy now ....though i am afraid they already blocking p2p sharing ending my RIGHT to KNOW

[KlaxonCow]

It's purposefully shooting yourself in the foot. It's deliberately choosing to be uncompetitive and backward in a global market.

It's just pure, pure, pure unadulterated insanity.

[KlaxonCow]

Indeed, these "backward" peers would prove to be an annoying and expensive hindrance to passing the bits around for the 'Net as a whole. Expect America to be increasingly "re-routed" around, wherever possible.

And this is just the simple "architecture" pragmatics of removing Net Neutrality, without yet even mentioning the impact it'd have on freedom of speech, censorship, destruction of consumer choice, the division of the global 'Net into effectively ISP "intranet" islands, etc.

[KlaxonCow]

I mean, the American economy is already not exactly having its finest day. To hit it with this would be a form of economic and technological suicide.

As no-one would understand better than Vint Cerf, the Internet is essentially a gigantic "peer to peer" network.

If some "peers" choose to cripple themselves (the American part of the Internet), this has no effect on the "peers" who don't and communicate directly with each other.

[KlaxonCow]

The bleeding edge of new technologies will, therefore, start happening outside America.

The jobs and finest brains will drain out of America, because the bleeding edge is happening elsewhere and that's where they'll follow.

With the Internet already a potent economic force and it can only become more so, to start to lose business, lose the bleeding edge, be "crippled", have additional costs that no-one else pays, then America will gradually fall behind in this crucial global market.

[KlaxonCow]

Then you create a divided 'Net, where the world starts leaving America out. Avoids America. Excludes America.

When the rest of the world can deal with each other at high bandwidth, with no red tape nor "permission" nor additional costs, but there's this "crippled", expensive island - America - sitting in the middle of the Internet, it makes doing business with America difficult.

And that works both ways as it'll be more difficult for America to do business with the rest of the world too.

[KlaxonCow]

America's an important market, of course, at 300 million people who are "rich" in global terms.

But, well, there's vastly more people outside America, than in it. You know, 6 billion or so people.

The American economy is vast. But the combined non-American economy is far vaster.

Will non-American businesses be prepared to put up with the crippling and the costs?

Well, some will. But others won't (and for small start ups, possibly just can't).

[KlaxonCow]

Meanwhile, over in Norway, two guys - Bjorn and Sven - have the exact same idea as Chad and Steve. They're also just a start up running out of a garage.

But they don't have to get any "permission" or pay any fees to start up their YouTube-alike.

They hit the market first. They establish themselves first. Sorry, but they win. Easily.

America's an important market, of course, at 300 million people who are "rich" in global terms.