Sites like this one, and most of the sites we pagans are most interested in, are available to the general public due to the guiding principle of "net neutrality" that has governed the Internet since its inception. Carriers of information as it winds its way from content providers to the end user are not allowed to descriminate based on who or where the information comes from. An end to net neurtality would leave it up to ISP's to decide what sites get preferential treatment and what ones get a trickle of bandwith, if any at all.
Legislation is making its way through the House, and soon the Senate, that could severely reduce or destroy this protection. It's called The COPE Act. What do we face if the legislation passes as it now stands? Lawrence Lessig, law professor at Stanford University and founder of the Center for Internet and Society; and Robert W. McChesney, communications professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and co-founder of the media reform group Free Press recently co-wrote an article in the Washington Post:
Real grass roots organizations work to defend net neutrality, but are opposed by heavily funded "astro-turf" organizations -- sham grass roots groups such as Hands Off the Internet and NetCompetition.org who are spending tens of millions on advertising.Without net neutrality, the Internet would start to look like cable TV. A handful of massive companies would control access and distribution of content, deciding what you get to see and how much it costs. Major industries such as health care, finance, retailing and gambling would face huge tariffs for fast, secure Internet use -- all subject to discriminatory and exclusive dealmaking with telephone and cable giants.
We would lose the opportunity to vastly expand access and distribution of independent news and community information through broadband television. More than 60 percent of Web content is created by regular people, not corporations. How will this innovation and production thrive if creators must seek permission from a cartel of network owners?
If you want to protect the ability of blogs like this one and others to operate free of corporate intervention, it's time to take a stand now. Go to SaveTheInternet.com and find out what you can do.
Labels: Paganism
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