4 edits | It's interesting that you should mention the notion of "junk science." You see, Google -- the funding source behind most of the lobbying efforts for "network neutrality" -- has hired the infamous DCI Group to lobby for it in DC. According to SourceWatch and many other sources (just do a Web search on their name), The DCI Group is an "astroturf" front group which has run lobbying campaigns for the tobacco industry (in which it claimed that links between smoking and cancer were "junk science"), energy producers (in which it claimed that global warming was "junk science"), and McDonald's (in which it stated that any claims that its food was bad for you were "junk science"). It's now conducting campaigns on behalf of large insurance companies, opposing health care reform.
Likewise, the lobbyists who are pushing "network neutrality" regulations are well known for making false accusations of "junk science" on behalf of large corporations (such as Google) when in fact the science is real and proven. That's true in this case as well. Queueing theory and statistics show that networks must be managed to avoid problems. Reasonable network management means prioritizing time-sensitive protocols and limiting attempts to hog the network.
Also see this expose' in The Register for more on Google's astroturf lobbying. |
