Net Neutrality – Avoiding the “Mushy Middle”

Thanks to Techmeme, I saw Craig Aaron’s great article on Huffington Post entitled “Net Neutrality’s New Enemy: The Mythical Mushy Middle.” I recommend you read it, as it does a great job explaining what happens when corporate interests get involved – netizens and those who haven’t taken a side are caught in what he terms the “mushy middle.”

To me, here’s the heart of the argument to take a side:

Either you think Net Neutrality should apply no matter how you access the Internet, or you’re Googizon and say wireless networks don’t count. You either expand the open Internet for everyone and continue building an amazing resource for free speech and innovation, or you invest in private toll lanes for the select few. You either believe the FCC should have the power to protect Internet users, or you want a toothless watchdog. You have to choose.

I believe netizens should carefully review all network neutrality proposals and figure out what makes each one different. They should determine which ones they can support and which ones they can’t, and why. They should then make their choices or preferences known, through grass roots efforts if necessary.

I respect that reasonable minds can differ on the questions here, but either way you must choose and make your preference known.