New World order? Nah. Just a different way of doing things. The conspiracy theorists will have a field day though.

I am a little surprised that people can be so easily sucked in by tripe like this.

But I guess that's the downside of the Internet. No-one knows you're a dog, and all that.

The issue here is internet freedom, not the internet itself.

The Internet will bumble along, as the Internet does.

Wikipedia will still be around for those who need a Readers' Digest version of reality. Google will still be driving "cloud" computing, and Microsoft will, unfortunately, still be Microsoft.

The Internet itself will still be, largely, free.

There have in recent years been a bazillion (perhaps I exaggerate, it might be only a gazillion) ideas bandied around by the Murdochs of this world, on the topic of "monetizing the Net".

None has even come close to answering the question "what happens if they refuse to pay?"

Because, sure as eggs, if there are to be battalions of ISPs demanding "gateway" fees of any kind, there will be other battalions of ISPs lined up offering no-gateway pricing.

The only way it could possibly ever work is if the sites themselves elect to be accessed exclusively by the gateway fees mob - and they, you can be sure, will be more motivated by a large volume of visitors who arrive "for free" than a small number who have paid, as it were, and in-advance access fee.

In summary, there are two parties involved here.

One is the "Free Internet" nerds (I loved the video where the cat walked across in front of the most-earnest speaker as she was in mid-spruik) who understand nothing about business and everything about the Internet, and the Ruperts of this world who know everything about business and nothing about the Internet. (Check how much Rupie paid for mySpace. Tell me he got value for money)

Oh, those two, plus the conspiracy dudes.

Great team.

Arjay this morning that link was umm... well yeah, but was back this afternoon.

I just saw an add for a movie called (if I heard right) U.S.A.I.O.U - you seen it? Sounded like stuff you explain about the banks and stuff.

We already pay for the internet don't we? I know I see it on the phone bill quite regularly. Oh and they send me e-mails saying they are slowing me down a lot. My son said it is because I need some other thingi that is faster.

There is nothing wrong with remaining vigulant.Pericles writes off anything he disagrees with as conspiracy theory.I'm just asking the question since people like Rupert Murdoch are hurting because their paper sales are plumetting and they want a piece if the internet with fewer competitors.

Does anyone think in their wildest dreams that the popular media will print articles about the corporate desires to monopolise the WEB?The pop media sees the WEB as destroying their power over information.There are too many sites on the WEB thus too much competition.

I think there will be many assaults on the independance of WEB by the corporate elites and Govt,since it gives autonomy to the individual.Anyone who has a contrary opinion is a fool.

Arjay
The question Arjay is not if the corporations want to control the internet, if they want to feed us ONLY FROM THEIR GRASS, BE SURE ABOUT IT! They question is if we allow them to use the internet as an other tool to control us, as an other tool to convince us that their benefits are our benefits too.
Arjay we are not so idiots to accept it, we are mature enouph and brave enouph to fight for our interests, for our basic rights as freedom of expression and freedom of information.
We know the benefits from the internet AND ONLY VERY IDIOTS WILL TRY TO BLOCK US FROM THE INTERNET! They are not so idiots! Sure they will try in long term to do what ever they want to do but not within 10 or 100 years!
Antonios Symeonakis
Adelaide

Thank you for this little gem, Arjay.

>>Pericles writes off anything he disagrees with as conspiracy theory<<

Reminds me of the old story...

Psychiatrist: (holding up Rorschach Blot) What do you see in this picture?

Patient: Two people making love in a field.

Psychiatrist: (holding up another) And what do you see in this picture?

Patient: Three people making love in a hotel room.

Psychiatrist: How about this one?

Patient: A Roman orgy in full swing

Psychiatrist: I think you may have a bit of an obsession about sex...

Patient: Me? You're the one with the dirty pictures.

As Antonios points out, Arjay, the Internet is not actually able to be controlled by the Murdochs of this world, however much they would like to. Simply because they are all hurting like crazy as the web extracts their easy advertising dollars doesn't change this simple fact.

The mechanics of the Web are such that however many ISPs decide that the ideal model is that of subscription TV, they will be unable to implement it.

Because if only one ISP offers an open service, they will corner the market, and starve the pay-per-channel people out of existence.

Yes, just one.

Which would you subscribe to?

Or are you happier just promulgating your perpetual "they're all out to squash us" conspiracy theories?