The recent death of Adam Swartz has brought me to question how free the internet is in reality. I had always thought of the internet as the first true implementation of Communism (It works because there are unlimited resources, as in computer files). The Humble Bundle, Pirate Bay, and Creative Commons, among other web concepts, has led to a free and open world where something's value is based on utility. However, this does not please those companies that use the internet as a source of commerce.
Which is where we come into net neutrality. Companies like Comcast do not want a neutral internet. Without it, they could prevent access to sites that compete with their business. This, of course, would mean that they could control our perception of media. They could control the audience of Free Speech. In our digital world, the audience and creator are rapidly becoming one. If we limit the power of the audience, we have removed the freedom of the speaker.
The ability to effectively censor someone's beliefs, whether or not it is harmful to society, is the loss of freedom. If we lose that freedom in the digital venue, it sets a nasty world forward. Companies could end up with far too much control over society. If we are controlled by companies, we will lose those freedoms that a world of limitless gratis media provides.
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