Removal of Net Neutrality may hinder our work!

[cfalcon]

Hello everyone, please read this post. It involves the future of the internet and the business of web design as it affects our clients. I've never used a pulpit before but this could affect us. Below is the original link to the Huffington Post story that includes links within the story for getting involved and below that the story itself. Please read and react. Thanks.

 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/josh-silver/google-verizon-deal-the-e_b_671617.html

 

 

GOOGLE & VERIZON DEAL: THE END OF THE INTERNET AS WE KNOW IT

Reported by: Josh Silver, President, Free Press

August 5, 2010

 

 

 

For years, Internet advocates have warned of the doomsday scenario that will play out on Monday: Google and Verizon will announce a deal that the New York Times reports "could allow Verizon to speed some online content to Internet users more quickly if the content's creators are willing to pay for the privilege."

 

The deal marks the beginning of the end of the Internet as you know it. Since its beginnings, the Net was a level playing field that allowed all content to move at the same speed, whether it's ABC News or your uncle's video blog. That's all about to change, and the result couldn't be more bleak for the future of the Internet, for television, radio and independent voices.

 

How did this happen? We have a Federal Communications Commission that has been denied authority by the courts to police the activities of Internet service providers like Verizon and Comcast. All because of a bad decision by the Bush-era FCC. We have a pro-industry FCC Chairman who is terrified of making a decision, conducting back room dealmaking, and willing to sit on his hands rather than reassert his agency's authority. We have a president who promised to "take a back seat to no one on Net Neutrality" yet remains silent. We have a congress that is nearly completely captured by industry. Yes, more than half of the US congress will do pretty much whatever the phone and cable companies ask them to. Add the clout of Google, and you have near-complete control of Capitol Hill.

 

A non-neutral Internet means that companies like AT&T, Comcast, Verizon and Google can turn the Net into cable TV and pick winners and losers online. A problem just for Internet geeks? You wish. All video, radio, phone and other services will soon be delivered through an Internet connection. Ending Net Neutrality would end the revolutionary potential that any website can act as a television or radio network. It would spell the end of our opportunity to wrest access and distribution of media content away from the handful of massive media corporations that currently control the television and radio dial.

 

So the Google-Verizon deal can be summed up as this: "FCC, you have no authority over us and you're not going to do anything about it. Congress, we own you, and we'll get whatever legislation we want. And American people, you can't stop us.

 

This Google-Verizon deal, this industry-captured FCC, and the way this is playing out is akin to the largest banks and the largest hedge funds writing the regulatory policy on derivative trading without any oversight or input from the public, and having it rubber stamped by the SEC. It's like BP and Haliburton ironing out the rules for offshore oil drilling with no public input, and having MMS sign off.

 

Fortunately, while they are outnumbered, there are several powerful Net Neutrality champions on Capitol Hill, like Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, Henry Waxman, Jay Rockefeller, Ed Markey, Jay Inslee and many others. But they will not be able to turn this tide unless they have massive, visible support from every American who uses the Internet --- whether it's for news, email, shopping, Facebook, Twitter --- whatever. So stop what you're doing and tell them you're not letting the Internet go the way of Big Oil and Big Banks. The future of the Internet, and your access to information depends on it.

 

Author's note: Notice how a company can change their tune in the name of profitmaking. From Google in 2006: "Today the Internet is an information highway where anybody - no matter how large or small, how traditional or unconventional - has equal access. But the phone and cable monopolies, who control almost all Internet access, want the power to choose who gets access to high-speed lanes and whose content gets seen first and fastest. They want to build a two-tiered system and block the on-ramps for those who can't pay."

[newseed]

It's all about the bottom line....money. If greed were to be removed from human nature then we would all be better off financially.

 

That's my two-bits worth.

[administrator]

It's all about the bottom line....money. If greed were to be removed from human nature then we would all be better off financially.

 

That's my two-bits worth.

 

Good luck with that!!

 

 

I think there will be a battle but hopefully with luck, things will be pushed back. The Web should remain an open space.

 

Stefan

[falkencreative]

Just thought I'd point out... Apparently Google put out a statement today stating that it hasn't been in talks with Verizon and the original New York Times article (which the Huffington Post article above was based on) was incorrect/misinformed.

 

In an article published yesterday, the New York Times said the two companies "are nearing an agreement that could allow Verizon to speed some online content to internet users more quickly if the content's creators are willing to pay for the privilege".

 

Today the search giant has said it remains as committed as ever to an internet where content exists on a level playing field.

 

A Google spokeswoman told the Guardian: "The New York Times is quite simply wrong. We have not had any conversations with Verizon about paying for carriage of Google traffic. We remain as committed as we always have been to an open internet."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/aug/05/gogle-denies-verizon-deal-net-neutrality

[cfalcon]

Just thought I'd point out... Apparently Google put out a statement today stating that it hasn't been in talks with Verizon and the original New York Times article (which the Huffington Post article above was based on) was incorrect/misinformed.

 

 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/aug/05/gogle-denies-verizon-deal-net-neutrality

 

 

Whew, that was close. And look it only took them less than 144 chars to state it. No No No, they want to convince me they need some face time being grilled by some faux anchor on some lame news channel. Twitts just don't cut it. When has twitter become a reliable source anyways? Even if the twit is truly how Google feels, then they should be verbally fighting in public for net neutrality as they did three years ago. Instead of saying, "nuh uhh" when being accused, they need to buy a $20 plaque to put on thier wall or under thier doorbell saying, "the is a NET-NEUTRAL facility." Sorry, folks this just bothers me. People always find a way to mess up a good thing, yaknow?

[newseed]

Sorry, folks this just bothers me. People always find a way to mess up a good thing, yaknow?

As I said before, so long there are greedy people 'a good thing' will always get messed up especially if money is involved.

[LSW]

What happened to Monopoly Laws? I know they used to exist and be enforced, but I get queezy when I look around... immediately for me:

 

1. Alaska Light & Power - the only power supplier in Juneau, raise prices as they see fit. Avalanches knock out a main line to Juneau two years running and prices jump 150% for die supplied power and Repairs. Increase price for a water power production area, prices upped again, but will solve the above so we get lower prices later. The thing is poorly built and springs leaks, up the prices for repairs.
2. Arrow Refuse - only company for trash collection. Lousy customer support, primitive operation, they fail to note payments made in the office so cut you off. We like so many choose to take hour trash to the dump ourselves and recycle which they refuse to do. They push the local government to force all citizens to use their service by having the city ban private trash runs.
3. In the mean time, one communications conglomerate who owns our local paper finds a loop hole and manages yet to own both Paper, Television and Radio news in Juneau, definitely against monopoly laws... but they did it.
4. Who owns the make of your car? Look behind the scenes at who owns what, how the car companies are being bought up by one another, or the drug companies, news networks etc. Hell, look at Adobe buying up the only real competitor they had, Macromedia. We went from Smart Watches to Smart cars.
5. Then politicians on the payroll everywhere. Sarah Palin, supposed to protect the Alaskan peoples interests, but pro oil, Polar Bears be damned... Hubby works for BP and they sponsor his snowmobile racing. The US postal service trying to get money for emails.

Face it, this article may be wrong... but for how long? It is reasonable, it is believable that this could happen in the nearer future. Maybe they have spoken of it secretly but it was not so far off so they deny it quickly. Microsoft tried to force links into our pages for their paying customers but we would get no money. Yea they stopped it before XP & IE8 went live, but they stated they are still dedicated to the idea.

 

I quit watching the news, as a depressive I cannot hear anymore, I feel like a small skiff in the ocean as a big black storm brews on the horizon and I know there is not safe harbor. It sounds paranoid I know, I laugh at all these conspiracy theories and alarmists... but every thing has a kernel of truth to it no matter how outrageous. Big business has always played strong armed, Look at the 30's and 40's. Look back in history folks. Many know that the west allowed Hitler to take Poland and the Sudaten Lande (Balkans), we knew what was going on. But did you know this?:

 

1. The Hero of the Third Reich and Eichler was Henry Ford, he visited them. His Photo hung in the Reichstag and he met with Hitler many times. The German war production was based on Fords Assembly line.
2. The trucks used in the Balkan and Poland campaigns were American made, the best selling truck of the time. They also supplied engines for a bit for German fighters. When requested to supply engines for the British Spitfire, they refused as the engines were only for American planes. General Motors also supported Hitler, a good example is Hitler's Carmaker: The Inside Story of How General Motors Helped Mobilize the Third Reich
3. When Americans were collecting for war and people were sending old tires... an American tire company was supplying tires to Nazi Germany.
4. When Hitler could not invade the Balkans as his bombers could not fly as they did not have enough of a fuel additive they needed. A certain American Oil Company was contacted and they had enough shipped from their plant in England within days.
5. This same American Oil company supplied fuel to Condor airlines, the German equivalent to Air America. It flew German spies all over the Pacific. They also fueled the German Submarine packs based in the Caribbean.
6. IBM developed a system to better keep track of foreign and Jewish slaves. It was quite helpful in the concentration camps.
7. The Ford plant in France never shut down, it just went from cars to German tanks. Henry Ford or his son called the manager to congratulate him on his plants production, German tanks at the time. The German plant was left standing after bombing runs destroyed the city around it. It continued producing German weapons the whole war. At the end of the war they actually claimed reimbursement from minor damage from bombs from the US Government.
8. Many companies like Ford profited from the war and they shareholders got some of the highest payments at that time. First Lady Roosevelt wrote a open letter in the NY Times (I believe, any way a major news paper of the time) disgusted by this fact.

Well now some of the newer members will see why I am sometimes called the "Preacher," time to get of my soap box, I have ranted enough. This is fast and off my head, most from German documentaries I have watched so it is not very detailed, but included GM. Ford, Standard Oil (vow esso)IBM and others. There are so many historic and recent examples of Big Business willingness to do anything for profit and politicians willingness to sell out to any corporation... Bottom line - OK this story may be false today, but I do not doubt the day will come when the story will be true, just possibly different names.

[newseed]

That's a lot of wind! However, can't argue with the facts.

[administrator]

Hi,

 

It is clear that the politicians are owned by big business ... the US has become an oligarchy where big business (bankers, military industrial complex, drug companies) call the shots that are usually against the interest of the people.

 

... Corruption is everywhere, from Wallstreet to Washington.

 

People like Palin and Beck just look to profit on the frustrations and anger of the people - the have nothing to offer. The people got what they voted for (you make your bed ...) and it seems to me, that most people feel that football and baseball are more important than politics and war.

 

Funny, no one ever mentions that 18 guys with box-cutters caused 9/11 - so you invade a two countries?! Someone's making cash.

 

Terrorist? Did you know that you far more likely to get killed by your bathtub than by terrorist (I am not kidding) - terrorism is actually a very minor threat when you look at the numbers. Terrorist (in the last 25 years) may have killed say 10 000 people. Cancer kills ~500 000 a year in the US alone. Yet, cancer research is tiny compared to the money spent on anti-terror activities. As a businessman, that makes no sense to me.

 

 

Back to net neutrality: fortunately there are competing factions, rather than one giant conspiracy. I think that other companies will fight to keep the Internet free of the technology oligarchs control.

 

Stefan

[administrator]

That's a lot of wind! However, can't argue with the facts.

Man, you're talking about Kyle!

 

... He's the master poster around here, his posts are the stuff of legends ... going back many years.

 

Stefan

[LSW]

He's the master poster around here, his posts are the stuff of legends ... going back many years.

 

Do I get a star in the side walk or a statue birds can poop on? I want a sword, knee high boots and my foot on a box, in bronze please.

 

 

Our jobs as designers may have gotten easier with standards... but I can't shake that storm on the horizon feeling. Things will get worse before they improve. I saw an interesting show on Netflix on demand over my Wii. It was about 2012. Aside from all the disasters etc., others looked at it in comparison to history and Native American Legend and suggested that it is not a disaster but a new golden age of man. 2012 starts a new calendar and people world wide are beginning to mistrust technology, they tire of chemicals, Hectic life and polluted air, corruption, corporations, crime, politics. That 2012 may also be a change in man, a rebellion leading to mankind going back to a simpler more natural lifestyle.

 

This post is simply not so far fetched in my mind.

 

 

[newseed]

Looks like denials by Google didn't do much to stop this story from floating to the top in the news again.

 

Net Neutraliity

Edited August 13, 2010 by newseed