20070514

Save The Internet

Dear readers,

I believe that if you read enough online, you probably will come across the principle of net neutrality: a tollbooth on the Internet highway designed to separate even further, the all jokes aside, Proletariat and Bourgeoisie, the latter being the average online users and the former, multi-national media corporations.

To this impending doom for low budget bloggers, online radio streams, among many others, I post here in hopes of awareness and encouragement, two well done YouTube clips that best explains the concept.

Speak with your local representatives if you believe that this last beacon of freedom, the Internet, should be readily and equally available to anyone who uses it regardless of income, personal beliefs, or political affiliation.

Also, go to SavetheInternet and educate yourself in the consequences of an Internet future that works like your TV or radio: many channels, a handful of owners, and few real choices. In the corporations' defense, they need to make as much money as possible to keep quarterly earnings up.

Find out for yourself whether this truly is important, or just another lost cause.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

FiliTico - Don't be fooled by the scare tactics! For some reason, the folks at save the internet would rather live in today's world with today's infrastructure but I would like to get ready for tomorrow's technologies. Things like web video, telemedicine and music sharing like we've never seen before - will require significant upgrades to the internet's backbone. In fact, check out this video. Net neutrality is governemnt regulation that would hurt innovation and all the people who would benefit.

More info is available at Hands Off the Internet at handsoff.org. I also do some consulting for them.

A.J. said...

I appreciate your input. I am willing to hear any constructive argument, since all I want is for people to be aware and discuss this.

So far it seemes that the arguments in your provided link have only mentioned large corporations's reasons why this should happen.

Tomorrow's technologies have nothing to do with the argument. It is the allocation of resources going to a handful of corporations that I have a problem with.

A preferential treatment to these companies will slow me and my fellow bloggers down. Sure, if you pay the extra fees, then you will be fine. Most of us make no money off our blogs (google advertising is chumpchange). We do this as part of our right to express ourselves and our right to have a medium to do so (for me to come out on TV, radio, or newspapers is pretty much impossible)

Your organization eventually wants to turn the Internet into what Radio or Television has become. The average person has no input.

Correct me if I am wrong. A blog like this one will only get the equivalent of public radio, a marginal piece of the spectrum, if any.

I have had to turn to Internet radio because no radio plays my music. I could share my radio shows as podcasts. Your video never mentioned those. And the fact that you do some consulting for them doesn't exactly do wonders for your objectivity.

Then again, I am supporting a discussion about this. I do not want another Telecommunications Act of 1996 to happen and then everybody except billion dollar companies loses.

Net Neutrality is government regulation that curbs a few to protect the many, hence my original post.

Thank you and feel free to discuss further.

Cloud Nine