Neutral Internet vital to innovation

Panelists spoke at Dalhousie about the future of the web

By Joshua Brown, The Dalhousie Gazette

HALIFAX (CUP)—It is absolutely critical that Canadians
get behind open and neutral networks that don’t place
restrictions on content, access or speed, according to Terry
Dalton, Chair of the Atlantic Canada Organization of
Research Networks in Nova Scotia.

“We were seeing more and more influences on some
of the Internet service providers in directing traffic, limiting
traffic,” said Dalton, who spoke at Dalhousie University n
Halifax on October 26. “Large advertisers come in and have
an agreement so you would see more of their advertising.”

Dalton was part of a panel discussion that focused
on a recent Canadian Radio and Television Commission
(CRTC) ruling. On October 21 the CRTC set new rules for
how Canadians can use the Internet, and how the Internet
companies can use users. Internet activities such as peer-
to-peer file sharing and streaming video suck up a lot more
bandwidth than email or browsing the Internet.

Internet
service providers
say they need
to be allowed to
throttle service
in some cases,
to prevent a
small minority of
heavy users from
clogging up their networks, illegally downloading copyright
material and slowing service for other Internet users. Media
companies, who have seen the loss of revenue to illegal
downloading, backed up the Internet service providers, like
Bell and Rogers, at the CRTC hearings.

In the ruling, the CRTC gave Canada’s telecoms a
green light to slow access to the Internet for bandwidth
hogs, but laid down specific guidelines for doing so. New
rules were created affecting the way Internet service
providers use the information that travels over their
networks. The commission specified standards of reasonable
traffic management and banned the use of personal
information with the exception of for traffic management
purposes. Service providers now have to describe their
traffic managing practices, and justify them any time a
consumer complains.

“[The CRTC] ruling is going to stimulate further future
discussion amongst politicians and amongst some of the
open access groups who want to see a broader level of net
neutrality,” said Dalton. “We're going to see the ISPs hands-
off with regards to any traffic flow and were going to see a
lot of discussion coming forward.”

Dalton spoke alongside Darren Abramson, an assistant
professor with Dalhousie’s department of philosophy who

specializes in logic and the philosophy of computer science.
The professor said relaxing users’ rights over copyrighted
materials could create economic activity. While throttling _
can put the breaks on illegal downloads of copyright
material, Abramson says new revenue streams are available
from sharing copyrighted works. “There is a whole new
class of musical interaction, such as Rock Band and Guitar
Hero, that create brand new revenue streams.”

Media companies have argued for throttling, saying
opposition to illegal downloading and greater protection
for copyright material is needed to promote future content
creation. But Abramson doesn’t see it that way. “The
interaction has drastically reduced the costs of content
creation and distribution,” Abramson said. “All kinds of
creative work is made possible by this.”

Timothy Reese, an independent musician, agrees with
Abramson. According to him, the Internet is a vital tool for
musicians like himself, without access to big distribution
networks. “It doesn’t really bode well for us to charge for
our music. I’d rather people just listen,” says Reese, whose

music is available
online for free.

“Using broadband legislation to prevent very specific problems is “Using broadband
like requiring permission to drive from town to town, to stop people legislation to prevent
from speeding or stealing cars.” —Timothy Reese

very specific problems
is like requiring
permission to drive
from town to town, 'to
stop people from speeding or stealing cars.”

Restrictions on throttling keep Internet service
providers from acting as the middleman between content
creators and content consumers. The CRTC’s decision keeps
service providers from having control over the pipes, saying
who can have access to what and how fast, said Dalton.
“When you give creative minds the open ability to innovate
and explore great things will come out of it,” Dalton said.
“Tf we restrict the flow of information, we’re going to be
restricting innovation, our curiosity, our ability to explore in
a creative manner.”

 

 

R.1.P. Slickity Jim’s

South Main icon goes up in flames

A three-alarm blaze Thursday morning levelled five businesses including the familiar haunt, a

Japanese restaurant and an accounting firm.
By Kristina Mameli, News Editor

massive fire on the corner of Main and Broadway
A: downtown Vancouver Thursday morning levelled
ve businesses, including the prominent and revered
Slickity Jim’s. The fire started at around 4 and is believed
to have been accidental. The exact cause of the fire that
knocked out power and diverted traffic is still not known
and an investigation is underway.

Vancouver foodies will have to find a new haunt now
that a unique neighbourhood café is no more. Slickity
Jim’s Chat N’ Chew was established with love in 1997. It
offered counter culture dining at its finest, inviting all “hip
hoppers, punk rockers and show stoppers” as the website so
eloquently describes.

The odd collection of knick knacks that always seemed
to change but never did and the hilarious menu with ironic
food titles will be greatly missed by many who enjoyed its
mandatory breakfast all day policy.

The vegan “We Don’t Need No Eggs and Bacon” with
a side of “Fun Gus” (mushrooms) was just one of the many

things that was just...well, fun to order. The loss of Slickity
Jim’s is a huge blow to the community. It was a unique
and homey place where most of the patrons were regulars,
and many of them were characters—all part of what gave
Slickity Jim’s its charm.

Luckily, no one was hurt in the fire and there has
already been talk by business owners of rebuilding.

 

 

 

News Shorts

By Kristina Mameli and Liam Britten

Local mountains to open early

Grouse Mountain was open for business a month
earlier than last year, kicking off its skiing and
snowboarding season Friday afternoon. While not yet
fully operational, a spokesman for the Mountain said
is a press release that it’s going to be a “momentous”
season.

Balloon Boy’s parents plead guilty

The parents of six-year-old Falcon Heene, more
commonly known as “Balloon Boy,” plead guilty to
charges related to false reports that their son had been
whisked off by a rogue weather balloon, an incident
that started a media frenzy last month. They turned
themselves in Friday.

Richard and Mayumi Heene could face jail time
and probation in Colorado for attempting to influence
a public servant and false reporting to authorities. The
first charge could hold two to six years of jail time, plus
three years of mandatory parole and a fine that could
reach as high as $500,000.

The Heene’s lawyer estimaies that Richard will
take a 90-day maximum jail sentence and Mayumi, a
60-day sentence outlined in a plea bargain.

HST exemptions in Ontario

The list of items that will be exempt from the looming
HST which comes into play July 1 has just increased in
Ontario. The McGuinty government was already able
to secure the eight per cent provincial part of the tax
off such items as children’s wear, books, diapers, car
seats, and feminine hygiene products, a move already
reportedly costing the province millions annually.

The latest additions, announced Thursday, include
fast food (hot and cold), coffee, fruits and vegetables,
deli items and newspapers, and will cost the province
$325 million.

The province says the move will eventually pay
for itself, having created more jobs, thus expanding the
tax base overall. It also says that over three years, the
HST plan will provide $10.6 billion in permanent tax
relief.

Items like prescription drugs and groceries and
services like childcare will also be exempt.

Fin Donnelly wins New Westminster-
Coquitlam by-election :

The NDP held onto the New Westminster-Coquitlam
riding during last week’s by-election when candidate
Fin Donnelly easily defeated Conservative challenger
Diana Dilworth. :

Donnelly, a former Coquitlam city councillor,
captured 49.6 per cent of the vote while Dilworth
received 35.8. Liberal candidate Ken Beck Lee placed
third with 10.3 per cent of the vote.

The by-election was called after former MP Dawn
Black resigned her seat in Parliament to run for MLA
for the New Westminster riding. Black had held the
federal riding since 2006.

Of note was extremely low voter turnout for the
by-election; only 29.9 per cent of eligible voters cast
ballots on November 10.

 

Fin Donnelly