Haven't visited here in a while, and I was stunned to see that there isn't more dialog on this.
We're about to lose the internet. Right now. It's happening. The United States just voted to allow telcos to give preferential treatment to anyone who can pay for it. This means that Google, for example, may no longer be the best search engine...you can't use it, because someone else paid SBC more, so your DSL connection no longer allows it. I may not be able to use Sunrocket VOIP because Comcast blocks it in favor of Comcast's VOIP service (more than twice the price, and half the features).
Sound nuts? It is nuts. The internet was built on the model of an open network which placed no value judgements on what content was made available. Imagine how this could change if money and the telcos controlled everything.
Some of you are Republican. Some of you are Democrat. Some others dislike both parties. Imagine if someone from the other party cut a deal with your internet service provider. For example, if SBC said hey, we're not going to allow access to any Democratic sites, because the Republicans give us nice tax cuts. So all you see online is constructive criticism and praise of the Republican party and harsh criticism of the Democrats. Or, if Bin Laden turns out to have more money than either party, all we see is OsamaSpace instead of MySpace, because MySpace couldn't pay enough to keep from getting blocked.
Is this the internet we want? Should AT have to pay to reach my computer? Actually, they should...and they DO. They pay tons of money for hosting and bandwidth. Why charge them even more just to let the telcos make some more money? How many of you use CraigsList? Should Craigslist vanish overnight because they couldn't pay SBCs protection money?
AND THIS IS HAPPENING NOW. AOL has already started bouncing any emails that criticize AOL or mention their new email filtering policy. Mention the website dearaol.com and the email bounces, with no notice to the recipient, claiming the user doesn't exist. We're not even allowed to communicate differing views, because AOL doesn't want us to. How long before Time Warner simply doesn't allow access to websites and blogs that criticize AOL or any of their other companies?
A telco in Canada did this already, cutting access to websites sympathetic to a union group they were negotiating with.
Our politicians are selling us out. I called Bobby Rush's office today, and was told that this was being done because his constituency demanded lower cable bills. Great...so putting more money in the hands of the telcos is going to lower my cable bill?
Tons more information and factual backing for this available here: Save The Internet.
I'd like to see the AT effect pound Congress, for once. Whichever side of the political fence you're on, I fail to see how any AT user could possibly think the internet needs to die this way. How do we do this? Should we call start making calls, writing letters, what?
AT mods...I've never asked for a sticky before, but I'd like to think this is important enough to warrant one (if not a front-page mention on AT).
Dave.
We're about to lose the internet. Right now. It's happening. The United States just voted to allow telcos to give preferential treatment to anyone who can pay for it. This means that Google, for example, may no longer be the best search engine...you can't use it, because someone else paid SBC more, so your DSL connection no longer allows it. I may not be able to use Sunrocket VOIP because Comcast blocks it in favor of Comcast's VOIP service (more than twice the price, and half the features).
Sound nuts? It is nuts. The internet was built on the model of an open network which placed no value judgements on what content was made available. Imagine how this could change if money and the telcos controlled everything.
Some of you are Republican. Some of you are Democrat. Some others dislike both parties. Imagine if someone from the other party cut a deal with your internet service provider. For example, if SBC said hey, we're not going to allow access to any Democratic sites, because the Republicans give us nice tax cuts. So all you see online is constructive criticism and praise of the Republican party and harsh criticism of the Democrats. Or, if Bin Laden turns out to have more money than either party, all we see is OsamaSpace instead of MySpace, because MySpace couldn't pay enough to keep from getting blocked.
Is this the internet we want? Should AT have to pay to reach my computer? Actually, they should...and they DO. They pay tons of money for hosting and bandwidth. Why charge them even more just to let the telcos make some more money? How many of you use CraigsList? Should Craigslist vanish overnight because they couldn't pay SBCs protection money?
AND THIS IS HAPPENING NOW. AOL has already started bouncing any emails that criticize AOL or mention their new email filtering policy. Mention the website dearaol.com and the email bounces, with no notice to the recipient, claiming the user doesn't exist. We're not even allowed to communicate differing views, because AOL doesn't want us to. How long before Time Warner simply doesn't allow access to websites and blogs that criticize AOL or any of their other companies?
A telco in Canada did this already, cutting access to websites sympathetic to a union group they were negotiating with.
Our politicians are selling us out. I called Bobby Rush's office today, and was told that this was being done because his constituency demanded lower cable bills. Great...so putting more money in the hands of the telcos is going to lower my cable bill?
Tons more information and factual backing for this available here: Save The Internet.
I'd like to see the AT effect pound Congress, for once. Whichever side of the political fence you're on, I fail to see how any AT user could possibly think the internet needs to die this way. How do we do this? Should we call start making calls, writing letters, what?
AT mods...I've never asked for a sticky before, but I'd like to think this is important enough to warrant one (if not a front-page mention on AT).
Dave.
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