Diary of a Kinky Librarian

One of the beautiful things about the internet is the unfettered freedom with which people exchange ideas. Stifling this freedom would hinder innovation. But major internet providers want to decide for you what you get to see - they want to give priority to those who can pay for it and block content they don’t think you need to see (and yes, this is the UNITED STATES I’m talking about). Providers like Comcast have already tried to violate net neutrality - the principle of a free and open internet - by slowing down access to sites and media of their choosing.

“Net Neutrality has been part of the Internet since its inception. Pioneers like Vinton Cerf and Sir Tim Berners-Lee, the inventor of the World Wide Web, always intended the Internet to be a neutral network. And “non-discrimination” provisions like Net Neutrality have governed the nation’s communications networks since the 1930s.” However, major internet providers have stated their intent to decide what you have access to - a lot of it depending on the companies that can afford to pay getting much more visibility and access. Imagine what this means for a small web-based company, trying to survive in a world where major corporations have far more money than they do. Imagine what this means for any potentially “objectionable” content you like to look at (such as this blog) that your ISP could decide you don’t need access to. You hear about censorship like this going on in other countries, but the threat of it going on in the US is very real.

“…as a consequence of a 2005 decision by the Federal Communications Commission, Net Neutrality — the foundation of the free and open Internet — was put in jeopardy. Now cable and phone company lobbyists are pushing to block legislation that would reinstate Net Neutrality.” It’s up to us to speak out and let the FCC know that we will not accept internet service that is slow or non-existent depending on how much money we cough up, or how much a business is able to pay to have their site accessible. The internet needs to remain free and open in the countries where it is currently so (and after that we can tackle the countries where the internet is already censored). Savetheinternet.com covers net neutrality more thoroughly and clearly than I can in this short blog entry, I suggest visiting their site and reading the FAQ. Take some time to sign the petition, write to your congresspersons and talk about the vital need for net neutrality on your websites. If you’re in another country where the internet is currently operating under the principles of net neutrality - make sure that your countries’ laws support this and prevent companies from taking it away from you. The internet belongs to us all and the possibilties for information exchange and technological innovations needs to remain free and open.

All quotations taken from:
“Frequently Asked Questions” Save the Internet. Free Press Action Fund. 6 September 2008. http://savetheinternet.com/=faq