This isn't exactly the right place for my comment, but I don't see a "news" section. It's not entirely out of place either, though. Arstechnica released a story on Skype today, in regards to net neutrality. http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20060518-6860.html

This is a really big deal in the US, and around the globe. Many ISP's would like people to pay more to access features such as, oh, Skype. And some have already blocked Skype traffic altogether. In Brazil there was an instance of an ISP doing this, and it was reversed due to huge outcry from customers. As Skype is not well known or used in the US, ISP's such as Verizon have blocked Skype traffic and that continues now. The case in Brazil is important, though. You see, the tiered internet big ISP's want can be stopped.

Skype has actually helped save the internet as we know it. Skype users in Brazil fought back, and as a result, I don't think another ISP in Brazil will try to block Skype use. We need this in the US, big time! Since Skype has made calls free for US and Canadian users, this will hopefully build a huge Skype user-base here. While some Europeans are angry people in the US can now call other people in the US who don't use SKype for free, they may not understand that the internet they know is at stake, and a large Skype user-base in the US can actually protect the internet in Europe.

75% of all internet traffic goes through Silicon Valley in California. When US companies start blocking Skype traffic, when the worldwide telecom's and ISP's start blocking Skype, that will affect ALL Skype users, regardless of where you live. There is a grass roots movement in the US to keep net neutrality and thwart the sick attempts to make a tiered internet (where only the rich can use all the features of the internet, the the poor will be relegated to a sorely chopped up version). Skype users stopped it in Brazil. While yesterday I saw Skype as a great way to make calls and keep in touch, I know see Skype as a powerful way to protect the internet, and the rights for all of us.

In relation to the article on contacting friends and family in service, well, that can't happen if your ISP blocks Skype. Help build the Skype user-base, and if your ISP so much as considers blocking VOIP traffic, send letters and make calls, with Skype while you still can.

Both posts, the original and the comment, hit it right on the head. Kudos to both skype..osx and Scott for their insights and expansion of the Skype ideal.

I have personally come into contact with some amazing people from around the world by doing skypecasts. Having this as a free service can only be good for end consumers and having a tiered internet can only be bad for end consumers. So if you're in the US or have friends in the US, get them to sign up for Skype.

Viva Skype!

I live in Canukistan, a province of the U.S., which is in the process of "harmonizing" our laws to improve our relationship with the U.S. federal government.

We haven't yet "harmonized" our communication law with that of the U.S. In Canukistan, we have a regulatory agency, the CRTC, which administers communication legislation, including telephone and internet services. The CRTC may not allow internet service tiering but Canukistan ISPs may still effectively disable specific uses, such as Skype, by significantly slowing the rate of data transfer. One Canukistan ISP, Rogers, has done this with Bittorrent and other peer-to-peer data transfers. We who are Rogers subscribers have been Rogered by Rogers.

I will be using Skype to talk to my son in Iraq and hugely thanful for it!