Time Is Running Out
Imagine you are sitting at the computer and trying to access your favorite site. It won't open because Congress gave your Internet provider power over what you see and read about on the Web.
Put a stop to this now. Corporations have no right to choose the sites you see. Joining forces for net neutrality are groups as diverse as MoveOn.org and Gun Owners of America. That's a movement we can all get behind.
"If companies like AT&T have their way, Web sites ranging from Google to eBay to MoveOn either pay the equivalent of protection money to get into the "fast lane" or risk opening slowly on your computer. We can't allow the Internet—this incredible medium which has been such a revolutionary force for democratic participation, economic innovation, and free speech—to become captive to large corporations."
Next week, the House of Representatives will vote whether to protect or reject Network Neutrality. Please sign this petition to protect Internet freedom.
4 Comments:
If Congress abandons Network Neutrality, who will be affected?
*Advocacy groups like MoveOn—Political organizing could be slowed by a handful of dominant Internet providers who ask advocacy groups to pay "protection money" for their websites and online features to work correctly.
*Nonprofits—A charity's website could open at snail-speed, and online contributions could grind to a halt, if nonprofits can't pay dominant Internet providers for access to "the fast lane" of Internet service.
*Google users—Another search engine could pay dominant Internet providers like AT&T to guarantee the competing search engine opens faster than Google on your computer.
*Innovators with the "next big idea"—Startups and entrepreneurs will be muscled out of the marketplace by big corporations that pay Internet providers for dominant placing on the Web. The little guy will be left in the "slow lane" with inferior Internet service, unable to compete.
*iPod listeners—A company like Comcast could slow access to iTunes, steering you to a higher-priced music service that it owned.
Online purchasers—Companies could pay Internet providers to guarantee their online sales process faster than competitors—if BarnesandNoble.com was much slower than Amazon.com that would distort your choice as a consumer.
*Small businesses and tele-commuters—When Internet companies like AT&T favor their own services, you won't be able to choose more affordable providers for online video, teleconferencing, Internet phone calls, and software that connects your home computer to your office.
Parents and retirees—Your choices as a consumer could be controlled by your Internet provider, steering you to their preferred services for online banking, health care information, sending photos, planning vacations, etc.
*Bloggers—Costs will skyrocket to post and share video and audio clips—silencing citizen journalists and putting more power in the hands of a few corporate-owned media outlets.
love how you managed to ignore the recent pro-illegal immigration rally. just doesn't affect you yet. must be nice.
I'm gettin' there...give me a minute. Jeez.
Wow Kate, there's a measure of your blogging success that no site stat service can give. A heckler who stops by to disagree on the divisive issue dujour, then gripes because you posted on something else. Props!
I think a lawmaker's stance on net neutrality is truly a test of how out of touch,or not, he/she is. Never mind grassroots movements, music downloaders, and pissing contests between search engines-small business will be killed by relegation to the slow lane.
Ever heard of a hobo nickel? I hadn't either. A guy in my mother's hometown, population 99, is a world reknowned artist in this depression era craft of carving wooden "nickels." Without a web presence he'd never have fans, and sales, from Alabama to Australia. Not quite an earth shatteringly important use of the internet I know, but there are millions like the nickel carver who are able to participate in web based commerce only because the cost of entry has been so low. We need to make sure it stays low,
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