Freedom of Choice on the Internet

They have: 75 posts

Joined: Mar 2000

Hey,

I just got an email from this place (free press):

http://www.freepress.net/action/neutrality

They're saying that big media conglomerates are trying to moderate what we view/see instead of going by "network neutrality" (which basicaly means they give us a connection, we do/view what we want).

Have you guys heard anything on this? Think this email is legit? What do you think will happen?

I think the email explains it better than I can, so here's the original email:

*********************
Internet Freedom Under Fire: Act Now
from Free Press

After destroying TV and radio, mega-media corporations are scheming to control what content you can view and which services you can use online.

Streaming video, Internet phones, podcasting and online games are the future of the Internet. But companies like Verizon, AT&T and Comcast want Congress to let them deliver only their own products at super-high speeds ... while sticking the rest of us in the slow lane.

This predatory scheme would be a dead end for independent voices and Internet innovators: bloggers, producers, and any new channels and services that might compete with the conglomerates.

The only way to stop them is to raise hell right now:

Tell Big Media and Congress: Hands Off Our Internet

From its beginnings, the Internet was built on a cooperative, democratic ideal. The infrastructure.s only job was to move data between users . regardless of where it came from or what it contained.

This .network neutrality. fostered a medium that did not exclude anyone, allowed for far-reaching innovations, and created the Internet as we know it.

Past experience shows that when large media companies are left to their own devices, the result is content and services that serve nothing but their bank accounts. An open and independent Internet is the antidote to these media gatekeepers.

If big media companies are allowed to limit the fastest services to those who can pay their toll, upstart Web services, consumers, bloggers and new media makers alike all would be cut off from the digital revolution.

Tell Big Media and Congress: Hands Off Our Internet

Free Press will deliver a letter to the CEO of your broadband provider and send copies to your members of Congress, urging them to write .network neutrality. into law.

Act now. We must defend our Net freedoms before we lose them altogether.

Onward,

Timothy Karr
Campaign Director
freepress.net
***************************

-tallon

Busy's picture

He has: 6,151 posts

Joined: May 2001

There is an issue going on with google and US gov. (and China) but they werent mentioned in the email so who knows

He has: 490 posts

Joined: May 2005

The internet is under FCC domain. They are supposed to regulate the rules. But when big business OWNS your government, who's to say what they can get by with. Mad Mad Mad

Megan's picture

She has: 11,421 posts

Joined: Jun 1999

I've read about this in other sources so yes, it is legit. The question is - will it ever happen?

It is an appalling thought. These companies clearly have no idea of what the internet is really about. Its quite rediculous that they would try to do this - and that the government would go along with it.

In reality, I don't think it will ever happen. People won't stand for it. I pay good money for high speed access - it better deliver every website fast, not just the ones who are in cahoots with the service provider.

Yes, hands off our internet, big business, and I would say the same to the US government as well (or any individual government). There needs to be some sort of unbiased, international group to oversee the high end operations so they don't fall into the hands of a few corporate self interest driven individuals.

He has: 377 posts

Joined: May 2005

the media companies are the ones with real power. They effectively select the presidents, prime ministers and the government knows it!

They decide which politicians get good publicity and which ones get bad publicity and the voters basically vote for the images portrayed to them on the media.

They have: 75 posts

Joined: Mar 2000

So do you think it's a good idea to sign the petition on that webpage? (given in the email)

Megan's picture

She has: 11,421 posts

Joined: Jun 1999

Here's an article that describes the pros and cons of this issue:

http://news.com.com/2100-1034_3-6035906.html?part=rss&tag=6035906&subj=news

This one suggests that the premiums paid by companies for improved bandwidth will be transferred to consumers. I don't think that's necessairly the biggest problem - it is that the big companies can effecitvely drown out the smaller competitors who can't pay the price.

Tallon - signing the petition couldn't hurt, I guess. I think the main way to combat this would be to make people aware of what is happening and that they could be paying for compromised service.

Busy's picture

He has: 6,151 posts

Joined: May 2001

But could it really happen?
Joe Bloggs can set up a server from his bedroom these days, sure he'd be classed as a outlaw but the only way would be at the domain name end which could be regulated but they don't actually control anything on the web (apart from names), even then the IP of the server could be used.

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