Net Neutrality - treating all data as equal is necessary when we have paid for Internet data pack. Telecos should not, cannot and now with this debate - "will not" charge separately like- "Whatsapp pack" , "Youtube pack" etc.. I totally support Net Neutrality in this scenario.
But in having this debate we are harming something else.
Don't get carried away by all the online outrage that exists, beware of it, cause we are all easily affected by it. We just love "Online outrage" , online public shaming, etc.. google it and find out.
Reason out this time, think calmly.
What is it we are harming or not thinking about ?
Ideas like Internet.org and Airtel Zero give part of internet access for free. So people who never had the experience of internet can get a taste of it now.
Internet.org and Airtel Zero give people free access to some of the services on the internet even though they haven't paid for any data pack.
Yes it is against Net neutrality but it is Free!
Hellooo.. do you not notice the term free ? Are you used to only the big colourful fonts of "FREE!!" ?
If you are get something for free how can you argue for its neutrality ?
My point - Plain , simple and clear is ...
"If someone is giving something for free you cannot accuse them of any crime." (Unless its drugs/weapons)
1) Everyone who gives away freebies has an intention behind the act. Free samples in supermarket are given so that you buy their product. Free Ola cab rides are given so that you enjoy the ola experience and use it for all future cab needs. So why does it matter if Flipkart signs up on Airtel Zero to provide free access without buying an internet pack ?
2) Its your choice to accept/use those freebies or not, its not a compulsion.
How can anyone have a problem with something that is given for free. Argue for Net-neutrality when you have paid for internet, not when you are enjoying free services.
There are few people who paint a picture of what happens if ideas like Internet.org and Airtel Zero are allowed; my counter arguments are :
- If Flipkart charges more because its spending to be on Airtel Zero, people are clever enough to move to cheaper options where they get good deals.
- Its only for e-commerce that these plans make sense. Why would anyone else pay for your data usage if they don't get big returns from you.
- The only way to make people to survive on Airtel Zero plan "only" ( i.e without Data pack) would be to provide services like Fb, Youtube, twitter, google & Whatsapp for free. Which burns big holes in their pockets and they can never do it.
These plans will only encourage non-internet users to buy data packs to access full internet. Which is good. More and more people will be on Internet. Nothing much to it. But if you have paid for Internet services then these ISPs have no right to control your data traffic - Fight only for this.
Lets not indulge in outrages and shaming like this one - to Sachin Bansal and Airtel here : http://tech.firstpost.com/news-analysis/forget-the-big-billion-fiasco-flipkarts-net-neutrality-stand-is-a-whole-new-level-of-social-media-fail-262987.html
But in having this debate we are harming something else.
Don't get carried away by all the online outrage that exists, beware of it, cause we are all easily affected by it. We just love "Online outrage" , online public shaming, etc.. google it and find out.
Reason out this time, think calmly.
What is it we are harming or not thinking about ?
Ideas like Internet.org and Airtel Zero give part of internet access for free. So people who never had the experience of internet can get a taste of it now.
Internet.org and Airtel Zero give people free access to some of the services on the internet even though they haven't paid for any data pack.
Yes it is against Net neutrality but it is Free!
Hellooo.. do you not notice the term free ? Are you used to only the big colourful fonts of "FREE!!" ?
If you are get something for free how can you argue for its neutrality ?
My point - Plain , simple and clear is ...
"If someone is giving something for free you cannot accuse them of any crime." (Unless its drugs/weapons)
1) Everyone who gives away freebies has an intention behind the act. Free samples in supermarket are given so that you buy their product. Free Ola cab rides are given so that you enjoy the ola experience and use it for all future cab needs. So why does it matter if Flipkart signs up on Airtel Zero to provide free access without buying an internet pack ?
2) Its your choice to accept/use those freebies or not, its not a compulsion.
How can anyone have a problem with something that is given for free. Argue for Net-neutrality when you have paid for internet, not when you are enjoying free services.
There are few people who paint a picture of what happens if ideas like Internet.org and Airtel Zero are allowed; my counter arguments are :
- If Flipkart charges more because its spending to be on Airtel Zero, people are clever enough to move to cheaper options where they get good deals.
- Its only for e-commerce that these plans make sense. Why would anyone else pay for your data usage if they don't get big returns from you.
- The only way to make people to survive on Airtel Zero plan "only" ( i.e without Data pack) would be to provide services like Fb, Youtube, twitter, google & Whatsapp for free. Which burns big holes in their pockets and they can never do it.
These plans will only encourage non-internet users to buy data packs to access full internet. Which is good. More and more people will be on Internet. Nothing much to it. But if you have paid for Internet services then these ISPs have no right to control your data traffic - Fight only for this.
Lets not indulge in outrages and shaming like this one - to Sachin Bansal and Airtel here : http://tech.firstpost.com/news-analysis/forget-the-big-billion-fiasco-flipkarts-net-neutrality-stand-is-a-whole-new-level-of-social-media-fail-262987.html
It is not simple as that, any site which get this deal will become bigger and market is jungle, big fish won't let small fish survive and, end of other small fish is deprivation of freedom for the fisherman, system becomes unfair.
ReplyDeleteBig fish is trying to increase their market by letting ppl who do not have internet, to access it. These ppl were never fisherman. Flipkart n Airtel r trying to convert them into fisherman by giving them a taste. It will in future benefit everyone as more & more of India connects to "full" internet because they liked the taste of it.
ReplyDelete