Imagine you and a friend are driving down the highway. Both of you are going the exact same speed and you are headed to the same Mall. On the way, you decide you are going to go to Sears and your friend decides that she wants to go to Barnes and Nobel--still at the same Mall. Mysteriously your car drops from 65 miles an hour to 35 miles an hour but your friend, she is still going full speed ahead. When you get to Mall, you find out the reason your car slowed down was because the Sears hadn't paid a fee to the municipality that owns the on ramp to the highway but Barnes and Nobel did.

Net Neutrality is one of my hot button issues.  In the 109th Congress, Ted Stevens launched an attack on Neutrality and through concerted effort of folks who care about keeping the Internet a flat and equitable environment.

Last week the FCC announced that it was going to study if language needs to be be even stronger to protect neutrality.  This is a step in the right direction, but many groups including some Democrats in Congress don't think that these steps are enough to protect open access.

Save the Internet | Rock the Vote

Powered by Qumana

Once again, the cable and telecom industry are quietly trying to do away with open-ness, fairness, and equality on the Internet. We were successful at scuttling Ted Steven's wacky plan to allow the big guys throttle through put based on what ever criteria they deemed fit.

That's the good news. Thanks to all who emailed, faxed, or called a congress person.

The phone and cable companies have started lobbying congress again to try and topple the idea of Net Neutrality.

Why is Net Neutrality SO important to the Arts and to the non-profit industry as a whole? Any of our organizations that rely on the Internet for marketing, if you sell products or online services, if you use the Net in any way to further your agenda then it is critical to keep it flat. The telecoms and cable companies want to dictate HOW FAST content is served up based on criteria that has never been explained. Personally I think that they plan on charging a surcharge--protection money--for you to ensure your content is served in a timely way.