http://www.savetheinternet.com/I posted this earlier today in the General Discussion forum earlier and it got four responses, all K&R, but I think, since this directly impinges on Democratic Underground and our right to access these kinds of sites, more ought to be aware of it. Last time I posted in this forum the moderator took me to task (rather huffily) for not using the title of the piece as the subject of the post. So I have abided by that rule. I'm unsure which forum is the best to alert you all about this. I feel kind of like Paul Revere and I have forwarded this to everyone on my email list, which isn't all that extensive.
It was forwarded to me by Larry Beinhart, author of Wag the Dog, The Librarian, and Fog Facts. I'm not sure how I got on his email list other than some back and forth awhile back about how much I liked his books. I'm glad he kept me on his list. I only mention that because I think it adds credibility to this. Face it, they want to shut us up and make money while doing so; it's their way. Here is the HTML from Beinhart's email:
Dear media reformer,
Congress Sells Out
After accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars in contributions from big telecom firms, Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas) is sponsoring a bill to hand over the Internet to these same companies. He's not alone.
Where Does Your Representative Stand?
Act Now: Save the Internet
Congress is about to sell out the Internet by letting big phone and cable companies set up toll booths along the information superhighway.
Companies like AT&T, Verizon and Comcast are spending tens of millions in Washington to kill "network neutrality" -- a principle that keeps the Internet open to all.
A bill moving quickly through Congress would let these companies become Internet gatekeepers, deciding which Web sites go fast or slow -- and which won't load at all -- based on who pays them more. The rest of us will be detoured to the "slow lane," clicking furiously and waiting for our favorite sites to download.
Our elected representatives are trading favors for campaign donations from phone and cable companies. They're being wooed by people like AT&T's CEO, who says "the Internet can't be free" and wants to decide what you do, where you go and what you watch online.
The best ideas never come from those with the deepest pockets. If the phone and cable companies get their way, the free and open Internet could soon be fenced in by large corporations. If Congress turns the Internet over to giants like AT&T, everyone who uses the Internet will suffer:
* Google users -- Another search engine could pay AT&T to guarantee that it opens faster than Google on your computer.
* iPod listeners -- Comcast could slow access to iTunes, steering you to a higher-priced music service that paid for the privilege.
* Work-at-home parents -- Connecting to your office could take longer if you don't purchase your carrier's preferred applications. Sending family photos and videos could slow to a crawl.
* Retirees -- Web pages you always use for online banking, access to health care information, planning a trip or communicating with friends and family could fall victim to Verizon's pay-for-speed schemes.
* Bloggers -- Costs will skyrocket to post and share video and audio clips -- silencing citizen journalists and amplifying the mainstream media.
* Online activists -- Political organizing could be slowed by the handful of dominant Internet providers who ask advocacy groups to pay a fee to join the "fast lane."
* Small businesses -- When AT&T favors their own services, you won't be able to choose more affordable providers for online video, teleconferencing, and Internet phone calls.
* Innovators with the "next big idea" -- Startups and entrepreneurs will be muscled out of the marketplace by big corporations that pay for a top spot on the Web.
We can't let Congress ruin the free and open Internet.
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