Save the Internet! Moyers on Net Neutrality

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Last night the Bill Moyers produced, "the Net at Risk" prime time documentary hopefully helped to raise public awareness of just how serious of a risk we are of losing our internet. If you're not quite sure what the issue at hand really is, then you should go to SaveTheInternet.com and read up a little bit on it. Until then, Net Neutrality is about persuading Congress to NOT pass a bill proposed by Sen. Ted Stevens of Alaska that would allow the big ISP, cable, and telephone companies to act as "gatekeepers" or "toll booths" of the information super-highway.

If they were able to do so, they would not only continue to gouge their customers for internet/tv/telephone service, but they would also levy "tolls" on users of the internet, controlling who's information got to your screen through the express lanes or by creeping down the shoulder. What does that mean? That means that big corporations who can afford to pay the toll will be the content that reaches you--not by your choice, but by the gatekeepers'. This means that never again will a blog, "un-approved content" (via the gatekeepers' perspective), small business, forum results, and countless other types of content top, or even be present, on the list of your Google search results...that is if Google, in fact, happened to have been the highest paying search engine, maybe it would have been Yahoo, Ask, or some other engine.

One estimate given on last night's special said that 60% of the content on the internet comes from individuals. That turns the statistics of traditional media on it's head. Typically, whether it be TV, newspaper/magazine, or radio, 95-99% of the content is controlled by corporations. Will you let the telecom companies and Congress do that to the internet in the upcoming lame-duck session? Will you let them take away your blog, MySpace, Facebook, Flickr pics, YouTube videos, and all you other favorite web sites? Take action! Save the Internet!

Here are some ways to get involved: sign the petition, host a banner, blog about it, add SaveTheInternet as a MySpace friend, contact your senator. and tell your friends about Net Neutrality. Also be sure to go to SaveTheInternet.com and MoveOn.org for more info and ways to get involved.

Tags: net neutrality, network neutrality, save the internet, lame-duck, ted stevens, bill moyer, the net at risk, pbs