This is exciting. Joost is going to be at nextMEDIA in Banff, which takes place June 8-10, 2007. Joost is the most significant potential disruption and threat to the traditional video content distribution model in a long time, an innovation built on the architecture of the open Internet as we know it today and built on P2P technologies. Is it television? Sort of. It has the potential to be way better than television. Rogers or Bell could decide to throttle Joost to the point of being unusable for their Internet customers, reducing consumer choice while protecting their cable and satellite oligopoly from competition. Is that risk real? What should we think about it? What is the future of the Open Internet? What should Canadian content creators expect? I will be attending nextMEDIA and have been asked to participate in a "Town Hall" panel and conversation about Network Neutrality:

All media has become digital. Is the Internet a lucrative and profitable playing ground for a new generation of creators and consumers of media or a new and potentially extremely profitable channel for old gatekeepers? How independent is the relationship between user, content creator and media conglomerate and how will this affect the distribution revenues and expenditures? How have these relationships been changing over time and how will they affect your business? Explore the frontlines of the digital media landscape through a town hall meeting where everyone is invited to participate.

Many of us have been arguing that the industry in Canada needs to start opening up the conversation about net neutrality, and nextMEDIA organizer Mark Greenspan responded by adding the session into the schedule. This is "nextMEDIA" after all, and net neutrality is THE central issue in the development of the architecture of the media platform of the future, so it's a natural fit. The "Town Hall" is scheduled opposite Heritage Minister Bev Oda's speech. Off to the side and away from the view of the politicos, but at least the conversation is happening, which is some small measure of progress. If you're in Banff, please join us for what will no doubt be a stimulating discussion. Now if Kevin McArthur could finally give netneutrality.ca over to a good home!

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