Net Neutrality
From digmovements
Contents |
[edit] What is Net Neutrality?
Net Neutrality is the idea that internet should be "free" (in the sense of freedom, not price). Service providers cannot discriminate or control traffic to flow toward a specific source or destination for the sake of corporate gains. Certain internet abilities should not be a privilege for a higher payer or special individual, but should be available to everyone who is access the internet.
[edit] Who s Protecting Net Neutrality?
Advocacy groups like Save The Internet Coalition are trying to maintain net neutrality. Large corporations, like Google and small business alike are trying to protect neutrality and fair business practices.
[edit] Why Is It Important?
If net neutrality was removed, the greatest resource of the 21st century could potentially be lost. Users first amendments right could be violated if providers slowed down certain sites that house minority opinions. The concept of free information would a be a ideal of the past. The innovation that grew and prospered on the internet would now be slowed down or could even come to a complete stop.
[edit] Analytical Look At Net Neutrality
[edit] Save The Internet's Campaign
[edit] Overall Goal
Save The Internet's ultimate goal is to maintain net neutrality. They aren't fight to expand certain internet rights, but are in a battle to maintain the status quo. That is what make this such a interesting campaign. Many social movements are attempting to increase democratization in a progressive matter. While this is not the case here.
[edit] Plan To Achieve Goal
Save The Internet is mainly spreading awareness and lobbying congress. Charles Tilly would not consider the strive to maintain net neutrality a full blown social movement.
[edit] Claim Making Performances
Without a doubt, the biggest claim making performance would be HR 5353, which is a bill put into congress that would attempt to preserve net neutrality. Of course, we all understand that nature of congress and how these things tend to take extremely long amounts of time to get through. Much support is still needed and it looks to be an extremely partisan issue. Many republicans are for deregulated the internet expect the free market system to allow for lower prices and more availability.
[edit] WUNC Displays
Again, I think HR 5353 is also this causes greatest WUNC display.
- Proof of Worthiness
"The importance of the broadband market place to citizens, communities, and commerce warrants a thorough inquiry to obtain input and ideas for a variety of broadband policies that will promote openness,competition, innovation, and affordable, ubiquitous broadband service for all individuals in the United States." - HR5353
- Proof of Unity
Save The Internet is has allowed there to be a united message. Most blogs or websites that are pro-net neutrality directly link to the website's content. This has allowed for a unified effort and a unified source for spreading information and raising awareness.
- Proof of Numbers
This list shows all the members of the Save The Internet Coalition. From small business and individual to large corporations, they all support net neutrality. The majority of democrats and some republicans also supports it (despite it being defeated in '06 in a house subcommittee controlled by republicans)
- Proof of Commitment
This struggle has been going on strong for over 3 years now. To be honest it has come in waves. Sometimes the support would die down and other times it would rise. As of now, it is again at a peak (or at least approaching one). Despite this the same groups and organizations have been dedicated to this cause despite the losing battles they have had.
[edit] Participants
A quick look at the people behind and taking part in the savetheinternet.org campaign to maintain net neutrality
- Organizers
The group that maintains and runs Save The Internet is Free Press. I would consider then the organizers behind this movement. You can refer to the staff and board members of Free Press here.
- Activists
The activists in this group are individual contributors, businesses, and groups that all donate and contact their representatives. I myself am technically an activist in my cause. Since this is such an internet based campaign actually becoming involved in it is extremely easy and doesn't take much time. Anyone who blogs about it, discusses it on message boards, or even diggs a story about it could in some way be labeled an activist.
- Authorities
Congressmen and Congresswomen could be label authorities, yet they are also participants in some sense. It depends on what side of the aisle they are on and their personal opinion on the matter. Directly trying to lobby the telecommunication companies is something that isn't seen. Both sides try to directly deal with congress and attempt to put the political swing in their direction.
[edit] The Use of the Internet in Net Neutrality
Net Neutrality is an issue that directly relates and is crucial to the current form of internet we use and rely on. Many different forms of internet innovation has been and is being used to lobby and attempt to preserve net neutrality.
With the ability to electronically lobby congress it has never been easier to try to make you message heard.
- Use of Pop-Media
Most of journalism about net neutrality is all within blogs. You can find countless articles written in prominent blogs about this topic. Digg, a popular user voted content site is a great place to see many blogs and MSM news stories about the subject. Digg has allowed for the rise of relevant and helpful blog posts that would otherwise be ignored to brought to the attention of people all across the internet, making it an extremely powerful tool for spreading a message.
[edit] Temporary Net Neutrality Resources
- [1] google's explaination and resource page
- [2] FCC on net neutrality
- [3] Save The Internet, a online Net Neutrality watchdog group
- Net Neutrality Group Analysis
