Planet Laurel

Net Neutrality: What You Need to Know Now

In One Minute:  This is what we will lose

Net neutrality is under threat (again). Here’s why you should care:

Where does the term “net neutrality” come from?

Columbia Law professor Tim Wu, then at the University of Virginia law school, coined the term “net neutrality” in a 2003 paper, in an attempt to define an already-understood vision of the internet. To Wu, net neutrality is not just a way to manage traffic on the internet, but a fundamental philosophy about how innovation happens.

Net neutrality adherents “see innovation process as a survival-of-the-fittest competition among developers of new technologies,” Wu writes, and notes that people supportive of this evolution-through-competition model are suspicious of any structure that instead lets the people who control access to the internet dictate how the competition shakes out.

In essence, Wu argued that the best possible internet is one where consumers themselves choose what applications, uses, and sites are successful. And they voice that choice by visiting (or not visiting) those sites. Without net neutrality ISPs are in a position to fix the game, by taking money from one company to provide better streaming for their video—even if that content wouldn’t normally be fastest to stream.

nekolings:

The internet should be free and available for everyone to use. Putting restrictions on the internet is just wrong. The internet is a place for people to express themselves, communicate with people globally, and for entertainment.

Verizon’s mobile video won’t count against data caps—but Netflix does

Regulatory Capture

supportourgoddesses:

Well, this blog might not get very far. 

According to recent news, Net Neutrality, the set of rules that protect our Internet rights and freedoms, is on the line. The principle that enables online freedom to publish, access, and receive any content you wish might be impacted on December 14th, 2017. If Congress votes to change the bill, millions of Americans’ safety, First Amendment rights, and access to information would be affected. 

Almost since President Trump took office, his FCC Chairman Ajit Pai has been pushing for Net Neutrality to be reconsidered on Capital Hill. Millions of Americans have spoken up, on social media and directly to our government officials, requesting that the bill stay the same. Pay has ignored these messages and insists that Net Neutrality limits innovation and economic growth. But what he’d really be doing, if he manages to get the bill off the board, would be clearing away regulations that prevent telecom giants, like Verizon or Comcast, from controlling what content users obtain. Right now, companies can’t pick what websites and services get to us faster, for censorship or economic reasons. They aren’t allowed to slow down or speed up their own content or sites to stifle a competitor. The general fear, and the reason for Net Neutrality, is that if they could, they would. Booming businesses could profit off of the violation of our constitutional rights, if Ajit Pai’s mission succeeds.   

You can say and view and do whatever you want online. All the information and opportunity on the planet is at your fingertips, because of Net Neutrality. Heck, while writing this I had to research the details of what’s actually been going down lately. How? Net Neutrality. Social media, websites, applications, databases – so much would be effected, and not for the better. A lot of people who use the Internet to make a change, marginalized communities standing up for their rights, all these people could be silenced. For money. 

We owe it to Net Neutrality, the result of millions of activists in 2015, that America is as safe, informed, and free as it is now. Hey, it’s the reason I’m able to run this blog – using my voice to talk about what I believe in, which not everyone out there can do.   

There’s still time. In just days, on December 14, the bill will be voted on. Send this to friends, contact government officials and politicians, take action now. While it isn’t too late.

Republican senator calls on Congress to pass law protecting net neutrality:

laurelrusswurm:

Net Neutrality isn’t a partisan issue.  

laurelrusswurm:

roosterteethaesthetic:

Net Neutrality

Hello everyone! I’m writing this to say we should all be voting to save net neutrality. If you’re a student, content creator, content supporter, business owner, etc. everyone should do something. Here’s two ways I know that work great.

Resist Bot: Text RESIST to 50409. This is a simple way to help save net neutrality. All you do is follow what the messages will ask, which will be a name, an address, and later an email. This hooks you up to your congress and you can send a message to them. Then afterwards you will get an email confirming your message has sent. 

Calling in: (202)-759-7766. This number will ask for your zip code to send you to a person who will send your message to congress. They will also ask for your address, and your name. Please don’t be mean or aggressive when you call because this is just the messenger who will be sending the message to congress. 

What you can say/type: “Hello. I strongly oppose the FCC’s vote to overturn net neutrality laws.”

“I am alarmed at the FCC’s desire to end net neutrality.  I support free and open internet and I hope my representative will do the same”

Tell your friends, your roommates, your family, your classmates, your followers, tell anyone who uses the internet! Please take in part of this! 

For my American friends!