Kicking you off the internet

How it works

But supporters of Net neutrality caution this is a very slippery slope. And they argue that these new business models will likely increase costs for companies operating on the Internet, and that eventually those costs will be passed onto consumers. What's more, erecting priority status for services online will result in bigger players being able to afford to pay the fees, while smaller upstarts will be blocked from competing because they won't be able to afford the fees that a Verizon or Time Warner Cable might impose.

Harvey Anderson, senior vice president of business and legal affairs for Mozilla, said the court's decision is alarming for Internet users because it will also provide broadband operators the legal ability to block any service they choose, which will undermine the once "free and unbiased Internet."

If you're not a "bigger player" who can afford the new pay to play system, you don't get to be involved anymore.

If you like what NOLA.com backed by its parent company Advance Publications presents you with, you should be pretty happy where this is going.  If you also like the diverse opinion and reporting you find from the wide variety of non-profit news organizations or independent bloggers you currently enjoy, you're probably going have to get used to a good deal less of that.