Sunday, August 8, 2010

Let's Say "No" to two-tiered Internet

This little "button" comes from an internet site that is working with nearly two million supporters to try to prevent Google-Verizon from creating a two-tier internet.
If their deal is approved, and with an ineffectual Federal Communication Commission, friendly to the industry, functioning under the "leadership" of a George W. Bush appointee, and with the members of Congress virtually "owned" by the big Internet companies, there seems little doubt that it will "fly," then those with the money will be able to make their internet feeds go faster and be read first, and remove the equal access we all have to this new medium.
This blog, and millions of others would be reduced to irrelevant, if the new deal is approved, simply because there will be, once again, a corporately controlled, large money-purchased privilege to capture the eyes, minds and hearts of readers, as the mega-media organs do in the hard-copy publishing world.
This is one blogger who started this project with the understanding that the project was "free" and would have "equal access" to all users of the internet. That was Google's stated commitment in the original presentation on line.
Google has even posted a position that opposes a two-tier internet, but has apparently reversed their position given the prospect of a new deal with Verizon that would see their pockets lined with corporate money for the privilege of "preferred status," in the same manner as cable television.
People like this writer will not be able to afford to produce these blogs, which some critics consider mere "flatuence" anyway, but the principal of multiple perspectives competing merely on the basis of the merit of their content, as opposed to a few giant opinion-makers will vanish.
If you are one of those people who think the internet is one innovation that can justly remain a "public domain" without the undue dominance of those corporates who seek to purchase preferred status, please tell your friends, and if you live in the U.S. tell your congress representatives to say no to the Google Verizon proposed deal.

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