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Posted by Leslie Poston Apr 27, 2006 |
Have you been paying attention to the battle raging over Network Neutrality lately? Possibly not. It seems such a distant proiblem, and so seemingly unlikely to affect readers, writers and bloggers. You may not even know what Network Neutrality is, really. I know I didn't really think of it until I started following the current legislature on it that was in committee in the House.
For the curious, Wikipedia defines Network Neutrality as follows:
Network neutrality is a principle of network design. It asserts that, in order to promote innovation, network service providers such as telephone and cable internet companies should not be permitted to dictate how those networks are used (i.e., not permitted to ban certain types of programs, to ban certain types of devices connecting to the network, or to favor carriage of traffic to certain web sites over others).
Save The Internet adds this to the standard definition of Network Neutrality:
Net Neutrality allows everyone to compete on a level playing field and is the reason that the Internet is a force for economic innovation, civic participation and free speech. If the public doesn't speak up now, Congress will cave to a multi-million dollar lobbying campaign by telephone and cable companies that want to decide what you do, where you go, and what you watch online.
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The team of Congressmen who are helping the Big Three telecom companies (AT&T, Verizon, and ComCast, and now with new player Time Warner making them four) take control of the Internet through the defeat of the Markey Ammendment and the introduction of a new bill currently in committee are now being forced to listen to the immense numbers of Americans who are against giving the Big Three control of the "pipes" and, thus, what we can see and post online. You can read more about it (and sign the petition and write your congressman) at Save the Internet, Free Press, Move On and many other sites with links from the main three. You can also view who else has joined the Coalition to preserve the internet unbiased use (and you will be pleasantly surprised how this issue has brought together a diverse group with very different political and moral agendas).
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How could the loss of the Internet's Neutrality affect you? Imagine you are forced to sign up with AT&T, a company already admittedly allowing the Bush Administration to spy on its users, because this new legislation is put into effect giving them control of the "pipes" in your area. Now imagine you need information on several books to write a piece on racism in American Fiction. What would you do if the higher ups at AT&T had banned information on Harriet Beecher Stowe, Mark Twain's stories of Huck and Tom, or the poetry of Maya Angelou or Nikki Giovanni simply because they found their content personally objectionable?
Imagine another scenario - you have written a fictional novel with overtones of political unease, and now wish to shop it to several publishers. What would happen if your internet provider scanned emails for objectionable content, preventing it's transmission?
Perhaps you are a small businessperson or freelancer, like myself. I do 99% of my work and research online because I live in a small town. What would happen to my career as a freelancer if access to unbiased research was restricted? What would happen to yours?
How would you get your news? Could you be certain it was unbiased? Would you see book reviews on controversial books any more?
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Even if you are not normally a political person, please take a moment to inform yourself of the issue of Network Neutrality and how it may affect you. Visit the sites mentioned above, and make your voice heard to preserve a level playing field for freelancers and small business, and an unbiased source of information.
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