Hands Off the Internet!

[DudeAsInCool]

These folks are dedicated to turning the internet into a payforall regulated mess - join the cause - tell the TelCo's to stick it up where the sun don't shine!

NET NEUTRALITY IS BOGUS!

THESE PEOPLE WANT TO SCREW YOU

[DudeAsInCool]

Here are some examples of how Net 'Bogus' Neutrality could affect you...

[DudeAsInCool]

Ok, so who do trust - the people who bring music to you - or your favorite Telco company? Write your congressman. Tell them you like the internet as it is. Tell them you are tired of being ripped off by your communications providers. Tell them to take Net Neutrality and its mumbo jumbo and toss it in the trash

****

Moby Speaks Out for Internet Freedom, Against Corporate Web Takeover

Musicians band together to demand Net Neutrality with congressional showdown over the future of the Internet imminent

WASHINGTON -- May 18, 2005 -- Grammy-nominated musician Moby joined today with Rep. Edward Markey (D-Mass.), ranking Democrat on the House Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet, to demand that Congress reject upcoming legislation that would allow AT&T, Verizon, and other telecommunications giants to take over the Internet.

The growing list of major artists and musicians who have signed on to the Artists and Musicians for Internet Freedom petition includes Moby, R.E.M., Q-Tip, the Indigo Girls, Jill Sobule, Wilco, Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails, the Roots, the Dixie Chicks, and others. These artists join Internet advocates, political groups on the right and left, consumer groups, and more than 600 diverse organizations in the SavetheInternet.com Coalition. This coalition is uniting Internet users against a congressional proposal to gut Network Neutrality -- the Internet's First Amendment.

"If Congress guts Net Neutrality, independent music and news sites would be choked off, consumer choice would be limited, and the Internet will be become a private toll road auctioned off by companies like AT&T," Moby warned. "We need to stand up for Internet freedom now. Congress must uphold Network Neutrality."

Net Neutrality is the long-held principle that ensures small music blogs and independent news sites open just as easily on people's computers as large corporate sites. Companies like AT&T are spending millions lobbying Congress to pass legislation that critics charge would set up a discriminatory tollbooth system on the information superhighway. The proposed legislation would allow Internet providers to decide which Web sites work best on people's computers based on who pays them the most, favoring large corporations with deep coffers while marginalizing everyday people, community groups and small businesses.

"The legislation in the House of Representatives threatens the Internet as we know it," said Rep. Markey, author of H.R 5273, "Save the Internet Act of 2006," which would preserve the open architecture of the Internet and prevent companies from downgrading and discriminating regarding Internet access and services.

"Right now we are heading down a dangerous road that will stifle the openness of the Internet, endanger our global competitiveness, and warp the web into a tiered Internet of bandwidth haves and have-nots. This coalition is the beginning of a nationwide effort to stop creeping Internet protectionism into the free and open World Wide Web. This is the time for Internet users to express themselves to rise up and save the Internet," said Markey, congressional leader of the movement to prevent the COPE Act (HR 5252) from passing without a strong net neutrality provision.

Thousands watched the Moby event online at www.SavetheInternet.com/moby, which posted a congressional call-in number on the screen encouraging viewers to call their representatives to demand they protect Net Neutrality.

The text of Moby's remarks are available at www.freepress.net/savetheinternet/=mobyspeech

Congressman Markey's statement is available at www.freepress.net/news/15574

"We are seeing a massive public outcry -- the people joining together to save the Internet. Artists and musicians are part of this vast movement, as are the nearly 700,000 people who signed a petition, and the thousands calling Congress every day," said Timothy Karr, campaign director of Free Press, which is coordinating the SavetheInternet.com Coalition. "The American public won't allow the Internet to be turned into just another cash cow for greedy corporations. Americans will be watching how their representatives vote on Internet freedom."

The Save the Internet.com Coalition -- an alliance of organizations from across the political spectrum, consumer groups, educators, small businesses and bloggers that have come together to protect Internet freedom -- has galvanized support for Network Neutrality from artists, musicians and hundreds of thousands of average citizens. In less than a month, almost 700,000 people have signed an Internet Freedom petition to Congress, more than 7,000 friends have joined SavetheInternet.com's MySpace, and thousands of blogs have linked to the coalition Web site. Also supporting Network Neutrality are companies such as Google and eBay and groups such as AARP, the ACLU and the Christian Coalition.

For more information, visit www.SavetheInternet.com

[Malicious Intent]

How are the big companies selling it as a good thing?

[DudeAsInCool]

How are the big companies selling it as a good thing?

To begin with they use the term 'Net Neutrality', an Orwellian term of nonsense if I ever heard of one.

If you check their website, they suggest that competition on the internet will bring the populace a better product. In other words, let the people who have the most resources control the internet. They say this is a way to keep the government out of the internet, but they are using the government to try and take it over.

Here is their glib selling pitch, which comes complete with everyday looking folks, instead of the suits in the ivory towers who are the string pullers. Sites like Beatking and other music blogs will be priced out of the marketplace - look for more corporatization...

"To that end, Hands Off The Internet supports state and federal public policies that ensure the broadest possible range of choices for consumers and businesses using the Internet. That includes:

Support for an unregulated approach to Internet access in which consumers, not government, choose the method that is best for them; and

Opposition to government attempts at regulating and/or taxing Net content or commerce.

Hands Off The Internet believes that the best way to avoid burdensome and unnecessary regulation and mandates is by ensuring that market forces deliver the benefits that only fair competition can bring to the American consumer - maximum choice in supplier, content and technology.

For example, recent years have shown that companies have raced to develop a variety of high-speed Internet access systems, including cable wire, DSL and wireless. These events were competition in its purest form, and we directly benefited consumers through lower prices.

The Internet has succeeded because of the minimal legislative and regulatory impact placed upon it. This has led to expanded consumer choices and greater capital investment. Hands Off The Internet believes that if governments begin to regulate even one aspect of the Internet, that will be the start of a never-ending flood of legislation and regulation. This, in turn, will undoubtedly change the fundamental landscape, characteristics and freedom that we have long come to expect and appreciate from the Internet.

That's why we are working to educate Net consumers and to raise their voices on these real concerns - to make sure that this negative prospect never occurs, and also that the Net remains a vibrant, free-ranging arena of competition."