Net-neutrality has been a trending topic for the past years. It should not concern me but it does. Even if I am not an American citizen it continues to bother me. My annoyance comes from a small thing called ideals. Let me explain in a few words.

The internet is still a recent invention. Born in the 1980-ties and properly implemented in the 21st century it opened the gateways of information for everyone with a connection. From dial-up phone connections to fast wireless WiFi of today once those gates are open you see things you cannot unsee.

The internet is an open platform to share information with little to no control from third parties. The users determine the content and the content is to be or can be checked by other users. That was and still is something revolutionary. If you want to enjoy cat videos fine. If you want to read in-depth articles about specific topics fine.

I am a curious person. Open platforms where you can (mostly) freely share information, compare and analyse to determine what information you need, are a slice of heaven for me. Net-neutrality allows this to happen because everybody benefits. Individuals, researchers, small-to-medium enterprises, corporations, organisations and governments all benefit.

We owe Wikipedia to the open nature of the internet. YouTube grew and thrived. From a small start-up to what it is now Amazon became what it is now. The internet allowed all this to happen and more.

When certain corporations, governments, lobbyists and politicians get their way this open platform will lose its ability to enable users to share information. Then we fall back into the age of books.

It took Luther and his friends in the 16th century to break the Roman Catholic Church’s grip on the text of the Bible. After the Reformation it still required centuries to make people think for themselves. Now in 2017  the one platform that can bring mutual understanding through sharing information is under threat. Think about that.

Net-neutrality enables people to go to the internet, share information and learn more about the world they live in. Sometimes you find out about terrible events, sometimes beautiful developments but that is the world we live in.

A future where people can understand each other better, is worth more than short-term interests and some Dollars. It really is that simple…