We can’t let this one go.� Monday’s Center for American Progress debate between Vint Cerf and Dave Farber put in neon lights one of the inherent problems with regulating so-called Net neutrality.

Specifically, federal regulations on data treatment will inevitably forestall technology’s advance:

“Network architecture may be subject to dramatic change in the next five to 10 years,” said Farber in the debate.� “Whatever we do, we have to be sure that we don’t prejudge the path technology takes.”

He also added some important context to the current lobby campaign:

“When the government starts putting its finger in the Internet pie, it’s almost irresistible for the Congress to continue to stretch that.� [I see a future where] it’s going to be very hard to keep away from that slippery slope.� It’s a different type of threat but based on past performance, it’s a rational threat.”