Why I'm Amused Rather Than Outraged Over New "Industry Negotiations"

[Commentary] Feld is neither surprised nor outraged at the recent news that members of the Information Technology Industry Council (ITIC) are picking up where the Federal Communications Commission "secret meetings" left off and trying to come up with a net neutrality consensus framework. To him, it seems rather sad and funny.

His only surprise is that even in Washington, the notion of an industry trade association working with its members is anything unusual or significant. I mean, that's what industry trade associations do after all. Alas, the FCC continues to send some rather mixed signals on this, and scuttlebutt around town has it that various folks from the Chairman's office are encouraging this in the hopes of creating a "consensus" that will go over with the public and Congress much better than the Google-Verizon "consensus proposal" did. To which Feld can only respond "seriously?" Guys, the public flipped out over a deal between Google and Verizon cutting a deal -- and with good reason. You think it gets more acceptable when you add AT&T and Microsoft to the bottom line?