On Net Neutrality

‘It’s a series of tubes…’

It is amazing how a once uttered phrase can quickly become part of the modern lexicon. In this case, however, a previous statement about the internet has again become relevant.

Today, a large number of companies -- many of whose success is predicated upon the assumption of broadband connectivity -- participate in A Day of Action to save net neutrality. Enough has been written, at quite some length, that the details on both sides of the argument are available in a variety of media.

We have chosen to participate in the Day of Action. For those who have been Elastic users for some time, you may be aware of our approach to throttling requests to balance hardware resources during segment merging and other activities. However, the potential of throttled access to the Elastic Stack is disconcerting. Our users are doing important work with our products…whether powering a business, or fighting human trafficking, for profit or for the good of humanity. Our participation is a statement of support for the experience of users and for the broader impact on internet usage.

While this day of action is in response to US legislation, there is a broader, global statement that should be made. As Elastic, with employees who live and work all around the globe, we believe in net neutrality. We, as a company, believe in internet access free from restriction imposed by organizations regardless of location.