Rename Net Neutrality: What Would You Have Called It?

Given the FCC's decision to abandon efforts at reaching a compromise on net neutrality and the new "tiered Internet" proposal from Google and Verizon, there's a chance net neutrality could eventually be a thing of the past.

Would a better name have saved it?

"Net neutrality" describes the principle that Internet service providers should treat all Internet traffic equally. But the term has been panned by many as being "Orwellian" and "utterly befuddling."

What do you think--is it unclear and confusing or captivating and clever?

If you think it should go, how would you rename "net neutrality?" Should the issue be framed as a debate over the "Open Internet"? Is it a fight for "No User Left Behind" ? Internet Freedom? Post your suggestions in the comments section below.

Quick Poll

"Net Neutrality":

is a great name--don't change it!

is a terrible name--it should be changed!

is okay...but I'm not sure what I think.

Share your vote on Facebook so your friends can take this poll

Comments

[powerhuff]

02:37 PM on 10/03/2010

Lets call it "porn".

[ragtag]

08:57 AM on 08/12/2010

Net Loss
Net Not / Not Net
Net Corp
My Big Net Brother
Exploit-a-rama
Poppa Bell

[Pectin]

12:10 AM on 08/12/2010

I'd call it "Too Late"...

[Loraine Despres]

12:09 AM on 08/12/2010

It should be called Internet Freedom. No one can object to Freedom.

[J5on]

10:39 PM on 08/11/2010

Studies have shown that names matter, and anything to better help the cause. My favs.

Open Internet
Democratic Internet

If it's anything other than a "Open Internet" it must be a "closed internet"
Demo = People | Cratic = Rule : People Rule Internet

[bjustrb]

09:33 PM on 08/11/2010

Yes, "net neutrality" should be renamed "democratic internet'.
What we have now is a democratic internet, upholding or favoring the interests of the common users and for the benefit of all.
As opposed to what google wants the net to be.

[dureau]

03:21 PM on 08/11/2010

:Le't call it the Googlizon Gulag. It is snappy and tells the truth about where we will all be if this happens. In the slow lane to complete access death.

[Jan Oxenberg]

03:00 PM on 08/11/2010

Internet Freedom. Even the Dems in Congress know this is what it should have been called. The bill to retain Internet Freedom (aka the deadly net neutrality) is called The Internet Freedom Preservation Bill.

[Arthur Spooner]

01:12 PM on 08/11/2010

Net Neuter

[Thucydides Jr.]

12:48 PM on 08/11/2010

Learn from the Repubs - don't define the status quo as a positive. Define the change the telecomms want as a negative. I think you'll see it puts the other side on the defensive.

Call what the telcomms want to:

Net Fencing
Net Restraint
Chaining the Net
Internet Slumming

That is the best approach on a massive corporate pushback like this, when the other side has tons of money. Redefine the fight.

[Culturegeek]

02:13 PM on 08/16/2010

I like this idea.

[politisophical]

12:45 PM on 08/11/2010

"family values internet" .. maybe 'assault riffle internet".... "american Christianity internet" .. "no gay marriage internet" ... if it works- go with in

[WasteNJ]

11:45 AM on 08/11/2010

Open Internet.

[blingladen]

10:02 AM on 08/11/2010

Brace yourself for impact - this will turns us into premium users and regular users. No valet parking for the riffraff.
"Cyber zone is for loading and unloading only"

[jsarets]

06:35 AM on 08/11/2010

The technical definition of net neutrality is "completely fair queuing". Packets are prioritized by the time they've spent waiting in the queue minus the time they will take to transmit.

This prevents large packets from hogging bandwidth from smaller packets while otherwise maintaining a first-in, first-out (FIFO) queuing scheme.

I don't think that "net equality" is a good name because this doesn't guarantee equality, only the absence of any discrimination for or against packets according to their qualitative attributes.

"Open Internet" is an appealing name, but "open" in this context usually indicates that programming interfaces to data structures and algorithms are transparent and unencumbered by exclusive intellectual property rights.

So I think net neutrality is an accurate name. I don't particularly understand the "Orwellian" accusations, but I suppose that one can perceive just about anything as such if one so desires.

Maybe "network non-discrimination"?

[ragtag]

09:04 AM on 08/12/2010

"This prevents large packets from hogging bandwidth from smaller packets while otherwise maintaining a first-in, first-out (FIFO) queuing scheme."

Which would also prevent discrimination against VoIP packets since they're usually much smaller and by nature are more prone to latency and delay issues...

[cordyc]

02:11 AM on 08/11/2010

We need several things to keep "free speech" alive and well on the net.

Universal access for all.

Many companies providing content. No mergers like Comcast/NBC. Separate carriers from content providers. Lot's of potential carriers. Lot's of content providers.