SaveTheInternet and Net Neutrality - Meaningful victories
Just wanted to congratulate SaveTheInternet.com, which recently was named "Internet Hero of 2006" by WebProNews.
STI's grassroots efforts to voice opposition to Congressional gutting of Net Neurality has led to some progress, and has started to turn the question from 'pro vs. con' into mainly an implementation issue. AT&T has even agreed to fully comply with Net Neutrality conditions if and when its BellSouth merger completes. For STI and Net Neutrality supporters everywhere, this is a significant milestone. The issue will remain in the public spotlight (hopefully) in the coming years, as more legislation will be introduced in '07 as Congress continues to get a handle on Net Neutrality.
So why do we (the developer community) care about this issue? To me, it's because the Internet is our generation's medium to play on a balanced field, where the world's smallest blog receives the same treatment as the largest commerce site...imagine your new website landing at Ellis Island 150 years ago, and believing it'll be treated fairly and equally. (I tried, REALLY, I did, to rework that into something less corny).
Another analogy stuck in my brain is that if you think that this issue isn't that big of a deal, and that your site can survive a little lag time, ask hobbyist day traders how they fare against the big boys with that 15 minute quote delay. It matters.
12/29/06 - One update: Looks like more battles to come, as AT&T may have gotten around the issue after all...techdirt has an update on the merger's details.
if you're new to the issue (like many of us are), here's a snippet from the STI FAQ:
Isn't this just a battle between giant corporations?
No. Small business owners benefit from an Internet that allows them to compete directly — not one where they can't afford the price of entry. Net Neutrality ensures that innovators can start small and dream big about being the next EBay or Google without facing insurmountable hurdles. Without Net Neutrality, startups and entrepreneurs will be muscled out of the marketplace by big corporations that pay for a top spot on the Web.
But Net Neutrality doesn't just matter to business owners. If Congress turns the Internet over to the telephone and cable giants, everyone who uses the Internet will be affected. Connecting to your office could take longer if you don't purchase your carrier's preferred applications. Sending family photos and videos could slow to a crawl. Web pages you always use for online banking, access to health care information, planning a trip, or communicating with friends and family could fall victim to pay-for-speed schemes.
Independent voices and political groups are especially vulnerable. Costs will skyrocket to post and share video and audio clips, silencing bloggers and amplifying the big media companies. Political organizing could be slowed by the handful of dominant Internet providers who ask advocacy groups or candidates to pay a fee to join the "fast lane."
Isn't the threat to Net Neutrality just hypothetical?
No. By far the most significant evidence regarding the network owners' plans to discriminate is their stated intent to do so.
The CEOs of all the largest telecom companies have made clear their intent to build a tiered Internet with faster service for the select few companies willing or able to pay the exorbitant tolls.Network Neutrality advocates are not imagining a doomsday scenario. We are taking the telecom execs at their word.
