A letter from eBay CEO, Meg Whitman

[HaydenTubbs]

Net Neutrality and the eBay Community: A Call to Action

 

Dear [eBay member],

As you know, I almost never reach out to you personally with a request to get involved in a debate in the U.S. Congress. However, today I feel I must.

 

Right now, the telephone and cable companies in control of Internet access are trying to use their enormous political muscle to dramatically change the Internet. It might be hard to believe, but lawmakers in Washington are seriously debating whether consumers should be free to use the Internet as they want in the future.

 

The phone and cable companies now control more than 95% of all Internet access. These large corporations are spending millions of dollars to promote legislation that would divide the Internet into a two-tiered system.

 

The top tier would be a "Pay-to-Play" high-speed toll-road restricted to only the largest companies that can afford to pay high fees for preferential access to the Net.

 

The bottom tier -- the slow lane -- would be what is left for everyone else. If the fast lane is the information "super-highway," the slow lane will operate more like a dirt road.

 

Today's Internet is an incredible open marketplace for goods, services, information and ideas. We can't give that up. A two lane system will restrict innovation because start-ups and small companies -- the companies that can't afford the high fees -- will be unable to succeed, and we'll lose out on the jobs, creativity and inspiration that come with them.

 

The power belongs with Internet users, not the big phone and cable companies. Let's use that power to send as many messages as possible to our elected officials in Washington. Please join me by clicking here right now to send a message to your representatives in Congress before it is too late. You can make the difference.

 

Thank you for reading this note. I hope you'll make your voice heard today.

 

Sincerely,

 

Meg Whitman

President and CEO

eBay Inc.

 

P.S. If you have any questions about this issue, please contact us at government_relations@ebay.com

 

 

Now judging from what she says in this e-mail,this bill sounds like "the great evil",and I really felt like sending in those letters. Does anyone know what this whole deal is about? I just heard of it two days ago in a TV ad, similar to this letter, bashing the bill but I really didn't think anything of it till this letter from eBay. Regardless of what eBay says,I thought it would be wise to read up on this bill before taking any further action.

 

 

Hayden

[Larry Dreher]

Hayden,

 

IMO this bill really is bad. Talk aboutr a slippery slope. Nothing good can come from allowing tiered internet services. There are better ways to support high priority traffic than this proposal. I'm in IT and most everybody I thalk to is opposed to this bill.

[gmarguli]

From what I've read, it is actually a good thing. Those companies that provide content that requires a lot of bandwidth or is a very popular site would have to pay more than those companies that require little. Why shouldn't a company that provides videos and other high bandwidth things pay more than a company that provides text only? eBay is just scared that they'll have to pay a lot more money since they are one of the top sites on the internet.

[Architecht]

Video is really the issue. As high bandwidth applications explode, the fear is that the internet as a whole will bog down. By charging differently for that usage, the idea is to be able to generate the money to help the infrastructure keep up with these new demands.

 

Of course, that's garbage. The internet has been in a continuous explosion of increasing need for bandwidth for years now to great result. There are plenty of solutions to these issues, and there is plenty of money pouring into the system to handle the situation. A large part of what drove the internet explosion was the willingness of companies to brave the model of offering high speed internet access for a flat and reasonable fee. It's part of what wove the internet as a tool into the fabric of day to day life. Continuing to drive data access into homes and businesses at reasonable dollar values and over a pricing model that promotes technological innovation to solve problems rather than just hiking rates on the status quo is beneficial to everyone.

[chinook]

Could someone explain to me why Ebay bought Skype? I am having trouble seeing how it fits into their business model.

[HaydenTubbs]

Could someone explain to me why Ebay bought Skype? I am having trouble seeing how it fits into their business model.

 

 

Perhaps they thought that with their huge base of eBay members they could greatly expand the Skype service.In my opinion it has worked...

 

 

Hayden

[chinook]

Could someone explain to me why Ebay bought Skype? I am having trouble seeing how it fits into their business model.

 

 

Perhaps they thought that with their huge base of eBay members they could greatly expand the Skype service.In my opinion it has worked...

 

 

Hayden

 

But Skype is free. What do they gain? And if they start to charge, everyone will leave.

[CurrierVentures]

From what I've read, it is actually a good thing. Those companies that provide content that requires a lot of bandwidth or is a very popular site would have to pay more than those companies that require little. Why shouldn't a company that provides videos and other high bandwidth things pay more than a company that provides text only? eBay is just scared that they'll have to pay a lot more money since they are one of the top sites on the internet.

 

Because there are a lot of free sites that provide valuable information without charge...including pictures and videos which take up considerable bandwidth. Why punish them? Why raise their overhead so Phone and Cable companies can make more money? Have you check your cell phone bill or cable bill recently?! Do they really need to take any more money from us?

[CurrierVentures]

Could someone explain to me why Ebay bought Skype? I am having trouble seeing how it fits into their business model.

 

Perhaps they will some day integrate skype into the ebay model and give buyers and sellers the ability to actually speak to each other during the auction process.

[HaydenTubbs]

 

But Skype is free. What do they gain? And if they start to charge, everyone will leave.

 

 

Skype to Skype is free,however their premium services are not. As you can imagine Skype tries to get people to sign up for these premium services after you've used the free Skype to Skype.

 

 

Hayden

[gmarguli]

From what I've read, it is actually a good thing. Those companies that provide content that requires a lot of bandwidth or is a very popular site would have to pay more than those companies that require little. Why shouldn't a company that provides videos and other high bandwidth things pay more than a company that provides text only? eBay is just scared that they'll have to pay a lot more money since they are one of the top sites on the internet.

 

Because there are a lot of free sites that provide valuable information without charge...including pictures and videos which take up considerable bandwidth. Why punish them? Why raise their overhead so Phone and Cable companies can make more money? Have you check your cell phone bill or cable bill recently?! Do they really need to take any more money from us?

 

1) It's great that they are free to the end users, but that doesn't mean other sites should help foot the bill for them.

 

2) In the phrase "Why punish them?", 'punish them' should be changed to "make them pay their fair share".

 

3) The phone and cable companies should be able to make as much money as they like. It's capitalism and they are businesses.

 

4) Yes, I looked at my cell phone and cable bill recently. $90 for the cell & $145 for cable. Funny thing, no one is forcing me to have either. If I don't like the price, I'll do without them. I'd never ask someone else to pay part of them for me since they have more money.

[chinook]

 

But Skype is free. What do they gain? And if they start to charge, everyone will leave.

 

 

Skype to Skype is free,however there premium services are not. As you can imagine Skype tries to get people to sign up for these premium services after you've used the free Skype to Skype.

 

 

Hayden

 

My wife uses Skype to talk to her friends in Poland. It is great. But there is no way in hell she would sign up for premium services. No reason to. My sister can call me from her cell phone from China and the Czech Republic. Skype make no business to me.

[midwest]

Hayden could you forward that email to spoof@ebay.com ?

[EZ_E]

I'm in IT and most everybody I thalk to is opposed to this bill.

 

Does everyone else in Information Technology thalk funny like you? Isn't that like an oxymoron?

 

[MAULEMALL]

I'm in IT and most everybody I thalk to is opposed to this bill.

 

Does everyone else in Information Technology thalk funny like you? Isn't that like an oxymoron?

 

[Regis44]

In a couple short years, it may change and all be run "by the government" and "for the government". And for that simple tax increase to 80% of earnings of 'working' people and those horrible companies, we'll get to see speed and uptime that we haven't seen since tin cans and string! I just hope our tax forms will be in English.

[Larry Dreher]

I'm in IT and most everybody I thalk to is opposed to this bill.

 

Does everyone else in Information Technology thalk funny like you? Isn't that like an oxymoron?

 

 

Nope, that accent you hear comes from being in Wisconsin

[HaydenTubbs]

 

My wife uses Skype to talk to her friends in Poland. It is great. But there is no way in hell she would sign up for premium services. No reason to. My sister can call me from her cell phone from China and the Czech Republic. Skype make no business to me.

 

Skypes premium services include caller id,an actual phone number for land lines to call you on skype,as well as the ability to call land lines. Yes,it's not for everyone but for some it is an inexpensive alternative to a land line.

 

 

Hayden