Mouse 
Posts: 23
(5/14/06 3:34 pm)
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COPE Act
Posted by Cartoonist Scott Kurtz of [URL=http://www.pvponline.com/]Player vs. Player[/URL]. Thought this was... Interesting.
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""Net Neutrality
Posted on Sunday, May 14, 2006
I want to encourage everyone who reads PvP to learn as much as possible about the concept of Network Neutrality and about the new Communications Opportunity, Promotion and Enhancement Act (COPE) which is widely anticipated as being passed by congress. And I want to encourage you to act (see the bottom of this article for links on how you can act).
The basic shorthand of the situation is this: the internet currently benefits from network neutrality. The telecom companies, Internet service providers and cable companies can not discriminate against any data, traffic or programs running on their network. Everyone gets a fair shake and no preferential treatment. End users can reach all websites without interference from their provider. It allows the playing field to be level and encourages innovation. It's what allows the little guy to make his dreams reality.
But the telecom companies, and some in congress, want to change this. the new COPE act cuts out net neutrality. If the act passes, then the people who connect you to the internet get to decide which websites you see or don't see. They control which programs you can use over the net. They can determine how fast you get to certain websites. They control what the end user does and doesn't get to do on the internet.
If Google does not pay your service provider a fee, it could take you longer to reach their website than a competitor who did pay the fee. Worse than that, you could end up just not reaching Google at all or be redirected to the competitor's site instead.
It's scary, especially for those of us running an online business.
Looking beyond entertainment or my own ability to earn my income...what truly frightens me is how this new COPE act could affect our using utilities, reaching my bank, finding a doctor or a hospital, really important things. Recently a house guest of mine got food poisoning and the wife and I rushed to the internet to find the nearest emergency room to our house. If not for net neutrality, who knows what we would have found. Maybe I would never know there was an emergency room closer to home than the one at the hospital my ISP favors.
I've been reading as much as I can about this all week and I don't know. I mean, I just don't see how this could pass. If you were Google, would you pay the telecoms? These telecoms are trying desperately to stay alive. Google and Microsoft have more money than the telecoms do. If push came to shove, wouldn't they just buy up the telecoms? That's what a friend of mine suggests.
And aren't you more pissed at Congress than the telecoms about this whole thing? I thought that government was supposed to be there to serve the people. How could this possibly serve the people? It's so sad how these lobby groups can just push our elected leaders around. Where is the pragmatic leadership we need?
But, my father wisely suggests we act to prevent rather than wait and act to change things back. And he's probably right about that. So here are some important links so you can get informed and make your voice heard.
My congressman is . I've left a phone message with his office and I'm going to attempt to find out whether my representative supports or is fighting against this COPE act. I'll keep you guys up to date on what response I get. In the meantime, I want YOU guys to call up your congressman or woman and [URL=http://www.imagecomics.com/messageboard/viewtopic.php?p=250205#250205]post YOUR results at the PvP online forums.[/URL]
[URL=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Net_neutrality]Wikipedia entry on Net Neutrality, the origins of the term and what it means[/URL]
[URL=http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/oped/bal-op.internet09may09,0,4559120.story]An article in the Baltimore Sun about net neutrality and the COPE ACT[/URL]
[URL=http://www.savetheinternet.com/]Savetheinternet.com[/URL] has a lot of good facts and an online petition to sign.
[URL=http://www.house.gov/writerep/]Locate and then call your congressman or woman and tell them you don't like what you're hearing.[/URL] Don't just write them. Try to reach them on the phone.
[URL=http://www.isen.com/blog/]Isen.com[/URL]. David S. Isenberg is a former senior AT&T executive. He knows his stuff and he's got a lot of good information for you to consume on this."
EDIT: !*(($(I()I It didn't like the code I used, I'll edit it asap, sorry =(
Edited by: Mouse at: 5/14/06 3:42 pm
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