Webupon

When you think of the internet, one of the things that immediately pops into your head is freedom. The internet offers you the freedom see what you want, when you want, and where you want. Because of this freedom, the internet has become a hub for ideas to flow freely. You may think that living in the US means you have access to everything the internet has to offer. If you have Comcast internet, however, you’re sadly mistaken. Due to pressure from various organizations, Comcast has blocked Peer to Peer (P2P) connections for users of their service.

For those of you who aren’t computer savvy, I will give you a brief overview of what P2P is (for those who already know what I’m talking about, feel free to skip this paragraph). The internet is not one large entity as it is made to sound, but rather a worldwide network of billions of computers linked together in some way. When you view a webpage, the content you are viewing is stored on a server. A server is designed to store content and allow other people to access it. 99% of all your web connections are the standard HTTP connections. P2P is different from HTTP in that there isn’t a dedicated server. Instead, you connect directly to another user’s computer to get the information (usually files) that you need. HTTP is like everyone sharing one big bowl of soup, while P2P is each person has their own bowl of soup and anyone can take some for themselves from any other person.

So, why is Comcast blocking P2P connections? Because P2P is the most common way for people to illegally share music, movies, programs, etc. What they fail to take into account is that only a fraction of P2P networks are used for filesharing. Blocking P2P connections due to piracy is like banning automobiles because there are wrecks. They’re focusing on one small bad thing and using that as a reason to ban it while completely ignoring the many benefits it provides.

Remember folks, the more things they block, the less free we are on the internet. If you have Comcast, send them an email and tell them to open the internet back up. If you don’t have Comcast, keep a wary eye. Rumor has it that AT&T and possibly other larger internet providers might attempt to block your access as well.