Hypertext Proposal

For my hypertext I want to integrate a very current event with a theme that is very prevalent in Little Brother. Comcast recently won a lawsuit against the FCC that allows them to meter internet traffic. This suit originated back in 2008 when the FCC ordered Comcast to stop blocking all traffic that travels on the BitTorrent protocol. This protocol heavily uses both up- and down-streams, and accounts for approximately 44% of all traffic worldwide. As a protocol that is used mostly for the transmission of pirated media, it is an easy target. Preventing the usage of the protocol will free up a lot of bandwidth for Comcast, and (as they say), “provide a much faster experience for the majority of our customers.”

However this suit has given Comcast a lot more power than any corporation should be given. They now legally have the right to meter ANY traffic. For instance they can slow down the flash movie protocol, seeing as it might give their TV division a boost in profits. Maybe they might slow down, or charge extra for the use of any supernode VoIP protocols used by companies like Skype. What they are currently capable of doing is horrifying and completely goes against the policy of net neutrality, which is a principle that is almost as old as the Internet itself.

Little Brother doesn’t exactly cover the idea of net neutrality, however it does deal with electronic information and censorship a good deal. Marcus also goes over how certain protocols are being watched, and even details how to hide a protocol inside of another. While the DHS may not be a corporation, they still have the same power that Comcast has, and they do use their control over the internet a lot more than they should.

Doctorow has actually written extensively about the topic of net neutrality on some of the blogs and periodicals that he manages and contributes to. He believes that net neutrality is an incredibly essential policy that has allowed start-up companies like Google to “get out of the garage.” Net neutrality to him will prevent small businesses and individuals from being able to take advantage of all that the internet has to offer, and instead will force a monopolisation by larger established companies.