We Are the Internet!

I confess, I laughed out loud. A lot.

My recent FreePress update reported that tens of thousands of bloggers and MySpace users have included links to SavetheInternet.com, many in efforts to counter the multi-million-dollar misinformation campaign launched by fake grassroot groups (i.e., "astroturf") like Hands Off the Internet. Here are some videos submitted to SavetheInternet.com by net neutrality supporters - check them out!

From FreePress:

A bad telecom bill passed the House in June. But the Senate is split over Net Neutrality - as seen in the 11-11 tie vote in the Senate committee that oversees the Internet. The phone and cable lobbyists don't yet have the votes to move their bill forward - and chatter in Washington says it may not be voted on until after the November elections. If we can keep the pressure up, it is believed that Net Neutrality could derail the entire bill and force Congress to start from scratch from next year.

If this topic is dear to your heart, visit the new Net Neutrality Channel.

Craig Newmark, founder and customer service representative of craigslist.org, recently presented his rationale in support of Net Neutrality in his CNN commentary: Keep the Internet neutral, fair and free:

Telecommunication companies...want control which sites you visit and how you experience them. They would provide privileged access for themselves and their preferred partners while charging other businesses for varying levels of service. (More...)

Mike McCurry, co-chairman of Hands off the Internet, a coalition of telecommunication-related businesses and former press secretary under President Bill Clinton, presents the issue differently in his counter-commentary. His basic argument is that the internet is "creaky" and will soon become congested; therefore, internet providers should charge a premium and manage bandwidth content differently to recoup their investments. Oh, and this will ensure protection from online discrimination. (*sigh*)

The punchline:

Regulating Internet neutrality may a great idea in Amazon's corporate boardroom. But for ordinary consumers, it's a sure ticket to higher prices and fewer choices.

Now, who's ready for another slice of upside-down cake?