I apologize in advance if this gets a little catty or simplistic. The subject matter annoys me to no end.
Perhaps the most surprising part of the whole Google/Verizon deal is that so many people in the tech community were blindsided by it. Since when did we start trusting our international multi-billion dollar conglomerates? But more so, it begs the question: why do the start-ups think that their capitalist intentions are any more entitled than that of their mega-corporation oppressors?
Net neutrality is idealistic. It’s a pro-start up theory that completely ignores the intentions of those it’s trying to protect. Start ups want to turn a profit and dominate their market, essentially to become the very multi-billion dollar corporations that they are claiming want to treat them unfairly.
C’mon guys. Don’t play capitalist until it’s time for the bill.
By economic law, the playing field is never even in capitalism. No matter how much you believe in it, your profitable business is ultimately not for the good of mankind… it’s for the good of your wallet. When you introduce profit into the equation, you’ve begun to compete for resources- and you voluntarily enter the same jungle as the bigger, better equipped predators. They’ve been there longer, and they know their terrain well enough to control it.
I try not to criticize without a solution, so here goes: if you really want your tech start up to succeed but aren’t interested in getting rich, take it to the public sector. There will likely always be a “non-premium” version of the internet that is run by the global community rather than investors and advertisers. If you’re truly interested in social innovation and serving the greater good, that’s where you belong anyway.
