Net Neutrality has become a hot topic lately. Basically, the Big Corporations that own the lines through which your data travel want to make sure that they can prioritize data for which you’ve paid a premium, ensure their content, and hierarchically stagger data transmissions based on certain criteria (centered around moneys received, of course). This is a Bad Thing™.

For more information, check out [1] this primer from Common Cause, or the highly detailed [2] article at Wikipedia.

To find out where your senator stands, you can try [3] this site. I’m curious, though, because when one clicks on (e.g.) South Carolina, it seems that while Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC) is listed as against net neutrality. But looking at his quote on the matter, it seems he is either misinformed about the nature of the bill (possible, especially in the light of [4] Ted Stevens‘ [R-AK] ignorance), or is actually FOR net neutrality and either doesn’t realize it or is mislabeled on this site, or worst of all is not only ignorant of it, but is actually spouting rhetoric because his fellow senators told him to.

Now, those more knowledgeable than I about these matters: there has been much discussion about how Republicans are all against neutrality and Dems are for it. Is this party split true? And if so, is this because Reps think this will be good for business?

Even [5] Google’s weighing in on this publicly.

Net Neutrality has become a hot topic lately. Basically, the Big Corporations that own the lines through which your data travel want to make sure that they can prioritize data for which you’ve paid a premium, ensure their content, and hierarchically stagger data transmissions based on certain criteria (centered around moneys received, of course). This is a Bad Thing™.

For more information, check out [6] this primer from Common Cause, or the highly detailed [7] article at Wikipedia.

To find out where your senator stands, you can try [8] this site. I’m curious, though, because when one clicks on (e.g.) South Carolina, it seems that while Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC) is listed as against net neutrality. But looking at his quote on the matter, it seems he is either misinformed about the nature of the bill (possible, especially in the light of [9] Ted Stevens‘ [R-AK] ignorance), or is actually FOR net neutrality and either doesn’t realize it or is mislabeled on this site, or worst of all is not only ignorant of it, but is actually spouting rhetoric because his fellow senators told him to.

Now, those more knowledgeable than I about these matters: there has been much discussion about how Republicans are all against neutrality and Dems are for it. Is this party split true? And if so, is this because Reps think this will be good for business?

Even [10] Google’s weighing in on this publicly.