What is he talking about?

   I just read a very interesting op ed in the New York Times today, April 5th, 2008,  by Damian Kulash Jr, Beware of the New  New Thing.   I read it a couple of hours ago and I am still shaking my head in wonderment.   

    Actually he probably is still shaking his head in wonderment over having been asked by the House Judiciary Committee's antitrust task force to be the lead witness on a hearing on net neutrality.   Here is a young man who has made his fortune on the net.    His band's songs have been '...streamlined and downloaded hundreds of millions of times (orders of magnitude above...(his) CD sales.'   What an entrepreneur!   What a country!   He has found a way to increase his profits and exposure many  times over, by using the net to reach out to millions of fans and hasn't paid one penny for this privilege!!!.

    As an entrepreneur, I applaud that.    It's great.   He has found a way to sell his product at virtually no cost!  Isn't this what the internet is all about?  

   Well, yes and no.   I'm thrilled he is successful, but does it have to be at my expense - and at the expense of hundreds of thousands of other entrepreneurs who have valid products and services that they market and sell on line?  Does it have to be at the expense of millions of consumers and users  who have come to count on using the internet for research,  homework, exploring new and exciting worlds at an instant.   Don't we have the right to use the internet and expect the same speed and  service?

   The way he (and other bandwidth hogs) are using the net, is impacting our use of the internet - and as the use of videos increases it will put an ever increasing burden on the internet, and cause it to slow down and struggle with the load.  Videos use up a lot of space and resources.    He is making millions without paying for the cost to do business - and intruding on our space!   

   When I have a product to sell there are costs associated with it - and I have to pay them to get my product into the marketplace.   Those costs are figured into my sale price.   Damian has found a way to increase his profits with little to no cost of bringing his product to market.   Is that fair, I ask you?    If I have a product that I am marketing on line, and I am driving that product out to millions - I expect there to be a cost to do this business.  I want my product out there and I want it easily and rapidly  accessible to the public - so I am willing to pay a fair and reasonable rate to have it delivered quicklyand promptly. I am not willing to deliver my product to market at the expense of citizens for whom the net has become a very important resource in their lives, nor do I want it delivered by pony express.

     Damian Kulash - wake up!   It is not our responsibility to feed and clothe  you in the style you have so recently become accustomed to!   You have a responsibility to act decently and fairly - and pay your fair share!   

    And to the House Judiciary Committee - what are you thinking when you ask this person to be a star witness?