I believe most Americans don't know what's going on right now in Washington and worse, far worse, they don't know how it will effect them.
The issue is referred to as 'net neutrality, short for internet neutrality. What's happening is that the Federal Communications Commission--the FCC--is deciding if corporations that supply the internet can charge more for faster speeds to certain customers willing to pay more.
Actually, Senator Al Franken has led an effort to fight the big media corporations and save net neutrality. He gives terrific, clear information on the fight here and what it means to and for us all:
There are at least three things wrong with this. Two big things.
First, it means those with money will get and have and keep more data. That is, more information. This is the equivalent of the old "separate but equal" theory from America's history that we decided was unconstitutional decades ago. It's just wrong.
Second, it means the corporations, especially, will have more and more power and control of that information. That wouldn't be good for us either economically or in terms of business. It's great for them, patently negative for the nation. It's worst of all for the people, for you and I.
The third thing very wrong with this is that, sadly, frustratingly and even destructively, it's being decided by, controlled by a person at the FCC who is originally from the very industry this ruling could help go the corporations' way:
Obama Nominates Cable Industry Lobbyist
Anyone who knows me knows I'm for most of the work of our current president but in this case, as in some others, Mr. Obama did "more of the same" instead of changing Washington. He appointed a lobbyist and campaign fund bundler for the cable industry to the head of the very powerful FCC, the very agency created to monitor these people. To use a cliche', it's "a fox, guarding the henhouse."
Anyway, here's what's going on this week:
FCC and Net Neutrality: What You Need to Know Before Today's Big Meeting
The biggest Internet companies in the world are squaring off against the biggest ISPs in the country on this issue, which will dictate the future of the Internet.
On Thursday, the Federal Communications Commission is expected to publicly release its proposed rules about the future of the "Open Internet."
I highly recommend you click on the article link above, go to the article and read just what all this is, what's going on, why you should care and what it all means. The future of the internet and of information is being decided now.
Still Time to Speak Your Mind on Net Neutrality
Please go to at least one of these petitions, sign it, and help save net neutrality:
Additional links:
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2 comments:
Should a semi truck pay more taxes and tolls than a Prius? Why should that be different than the internet?
If a few customers are taking more than their fair share, should the internet provider be able to do something about them?
What if traffic shaping could make 95% of customers experience better with measurable but not noticeable difference for the other 5%?
This is my job. I understand how this stuff works. The level of detail required to make any sort of net neutrality laws work without crippling the internet would give big government complete control over the network--and would keep the current big internet companies in charge, with no hope of competition arising. We desperately need competition, more than any regulation.
But we also need to allow different classes of service. Some people need utterly reliable service but with little bandwidth some need sheer bandwidth, some need moderate bandwidth but low latency and jitter. Some need virtual circuits or leased lines between discrete locations, some need lower latency to a particular geographic location but not others. There's content networks where large files are cached locally at thousands of locations to reduce the amount of cross country bandwidth needed.
Where does our corporate network end and the internet begin? Does it make a difference if we use a virtual circuit between locations, a leased line or a tunneled connection?
And if you don't know what I'm talking about, you need to learn so you can have an informed opinion.
Or just vote party line, it's easier.
People act like the Internet is some sort of ocean, or maybe some Government created tank--and Internet providers are just selling a hose in and out of the water. Reality is that the internet is nothing but those hoses all connected together.
A semi truck paying more taxes than a car compared to those of us on the internet, paying more is not remotely a good analogy.
This is merely having people pay more to go faster.
A good analogy is actually 2 automobiles, traveling on the highway and if you want to go faster, you could pay more. That results in the wealthy and those with money--wealthy and corporations--to go faster and all the poor schlubs do what they can.
That's how we got the most expensive health care in the world, bar none, while the worst mortality and health rates of the top 17 industrialized nations.
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