JOIN the Battle for a Fast, Open, and Awesome Internet

Can you imagine a time when you as an internet user have to pay extra fees, or suffer through a slower experience just to access your financial data? Imagine what amounts to pay-per-view TV, or “toll bridges”, just to access the same data you always have. That day could be coming, sooner than you think. Scary, right?

The basic concept we’re talking about is called “Net neutrality”. According to BattlefortheNet.com, net neutrality is defined this way:

Net neutrality is the basic principle that protects our free speech on the Internet. “Title II” of the Communications Act (In the US) is what provides the legal foundation for net neutrality and prevents Internet Service Providers like Comcast, Verizon, and AT&T from slowing down and blocking websites, or charging apps and sites extra fees to reach an audience (which they then pass along to consumers.)

Why Should I Care?

At Kashoo, our constant quest is to deliver our accounting software in the simplest, fastest, and most affordable way possible for our clients. This move by the US Federal Communication Commission (FCC) and big Internet Service Providers (ISPs) could limit our ability to do that. In short, we’re about simplicity and this introduces complexity. Not good for us, or you.

You could think about it like this, according to BattlefortheNet.com:

The Internet has thrived precisely because of net neutrality. It’s what makes it so vibrant and innovative—a place for creativity, free expression, and exchange of ideas. Without net neutrality, the Internet will become more like Cable TV, where the content you see is what your provider puts in front of you.

We’ve all been through that. You buy a “package” through your Cable Company and immediately you’re saddled with a bunch of channels you never even watch. Then, you go to watch a channel that is shown in your listing and guess what?! That channel isn’t part of your package! You either have to be content not watching that show, or PAY MORE to get access. The internet shouldn’t be like that.

Now imagine, you’re trying to access a website (like Kashoo.com) that has your financial information (the numbers you rely on to run your small business). What if you tried to login at Kashoo and were suddenly confronted with this:

Or worse yet, what if you saw this:

Upgrade your account to continue.

That’s not quite the experience we want – as users of the internet – or for our clients. The reality is, the cost of software like Kashoo could go up. Way up. What about the FaceTime or Skype calls you make almost daily? What about streaming music on Apple Music, movies on Netflix, or TV on the internet? You could pay a premium for that too, or even be denied access to those services altogether.

Do you remember when “long-distance” phone calling was expensive. Really expensive. The farther away you wanted to call, the more you paid. The more rural or remote your line was, the more you paid. We laugh because now, we all make calls all over North America, usually for ONE PRICE or for a set price. To think that calling would go back to the way it was is ludicrous. Now we’re talking about the internet doing the same thing. It’s like going back in time 30 years and getting raked over the coals for what should be cheap, fast, and reliable.

After all, isn’t this 2017?!