Media, Culture & Society

sorry to keep posting videos but they seem to me to the best way to get the message out…especially to the largest demographic of people that will be affected by the issue of Net Neutrality

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5RQrxkGgCM

I found this article to be rather entertaining - both because it is an informative editorial, but also because it was written by a sophomore at the University of Texas - Austin. Although the article contains obvious bias in that the author thinks that paying for access is stupid, he still includes enough information through citing sources that it is hard to just blow off. He is a fighter for what he calls “the little man,” making reference to small companies that would not be able to pay the price it would have to to get on the net. I think you’ll like it.

Today, SavetheInternet.com was nominated in two categories for the 2007 Webby Awards, which are the “Oscars of the Internet” according to the New York Times. That categories are Best Activist Website and Best Documentary Video.

If they win, it will be great exposure for this website which will hopefully lead to more people fighting for a neutral Internet. There is also a “Webby People’s Voice” category, in which the public can vote. To vote click here.

This article is one is support of net neutrality in Canada. As someone asked during our presentation last week, it seems that other countries are now starting to discuss the idea of net neutrality as well. The article calls for Canadian citizens to address their government to insure the neutrality of the “Canadian internet”. They want their government to provide rules to ISPs in order to preserve content and pricing. Similar to sites we’ve visited you can sign a petition supporting Canadian net neutrality. Read all about it

This video was done on a blog at Rocketboom.com. For no longer than the piece is, it is fairly informative and might be a great help in explaining net neutrality to friends or groups who know little or nothing about it. Gotta love the pro-business comments left about this video– (these of course have my own spin as to what people sound like)

“Government control of private enterprise? Preposterous.” –Since when has the internet been private? Anyone and everyone can use it and see what you’re doing if they just know how.

“TeleCo’s aren’t really trying to make any more money than they do now.”

“I’ve seen the birth and development of the internet first hand and I know exactly how it works. You’re using TeleCo property, so net neutrality is just stealing.” –as if charging $40 a month for access isn’t?

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPap8ijDv…

Here is the 30-second TV spot compiled by the TeleCo companies to get people to hate net-neutrality. Notice the use of text colors/effects, irrelevant images, and wording (Mumbo jumbo? Seriously people, how old was the person who wrote this commercial?) And lastly, take notice how they call it a “scheme by the Silicon Valley Tech companies to make you pay more.” I guess the TeleCo companies own Silicon Valley too…

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPIYxtjLF…

I don’t have a flash extractor and WordPress apparently doesn’t support HTML embedding, so you’ll have to follow the link.

This article mentions the current privatization and control over internet space, because to purchase a .com or .net domain, the price will officially go up in October.  Don’t judge me for reading USAToday online, please.  It doesn’t go in depth about how or why VeriSign delegates everything– it just takes the whole system for granted.  (sorry, i know this isn’t my topic– it’s just interesting)

This article is from April 4, 2007 and it announces the notion that net neutrality is not just an issue for Americans, soon the issue will step outside of our borders and will further effect our friends abroad.

The Fiber to the Home Council has released a video on YouTube about the “Exaflood” of data that is flooding the Internet– requiring it be to be upgraded. It shows that the Internet needs to be upgraded constantly and how the Internet is so important to everyone’s lives–some feel that those that are for Net Neutrality are only concerned about the issue of Net Neutrality when thinking about the Internet, when instead they should be concerned about solving real problems, such as how to increase the Internet’s capacity so that it can continue to operate as it has or better. To see the video click here.

Here is a video that really helped me gain an understanding as to what it means to have low regulation internet. It is a bit corny but is a really great illustration.