If you haven't been following this whole net neutrality battle, then basically what's going on is that Broadband Internet providers, such as Verizon and Comcast, want to control which sites and services load slow or fast, or don't load at all. So basically, all of the "mom and pop" sites will be threatened by corporate sites who have the means and capital to ensure that their sites will load faster. Not to mention they could limit the kinds of sites and applications we visit/use.
Why? Because these providers obviously care more about control and making money to offer this kind of "tiered" Internet access to content and applications, and may want to establish exclusive relationships with Web sites or search engines. For instance, an Internet service provider could establish a relationship with only Google, which in turn would be the only search engine you would be able to use with that provider's service. Or they could make a search engine site pay them to have its search site load faster than others.
So why are musicians pissed off? Because net neutrality "means they should have the unfettered ability to make their work available to potential fans without undue interference from corporate gatekeepers" (SaveTheInternet.com). And if the free and open internet is threatened, how will this affect the availability of music online? Service providers would be able to steer you toward a more expensive music service because they would control what you go to.
As a music fan and heavy Internet user, I'm pissed too. The Web should be free and open, right?! We should be free to use any site or service as we darn well please. Seriously, how much more do these companies want us to pay for things? It's bad enough we get charged up the a$$ for cable, cell phone, and Internet service as it is (can you tell I'm living on my own and try and conserve my money?)...now they want us to dish out even more and only get "certain" access? It would be like paying to go to Six Flags and you're only able to go on certain rides. I DON'T THINK SO!!
In order to fight back, PCMag's reporter Bary Alyssa Johnson reports that songwriters Jill Sobule, Kay Hanley, and Michelle Lewis are spearheading SaveTheInternet.com with a new single entitled, "God Save the Internet." These female rockers call their group "The Broadband" to "educate the masses on the current net neutrality controversy...to bring IT issues on Capitol Hill into the public eye."
You can download "God Save The Internet," for free, and the song is set to the tune of Bob Dylan's "Mr. Tambourine Man".
Tune into this week's Gearlog Radio show (available on Friday), when we'll be discussing the song.
Here's a sneak-peek at the song's lyrics:
"All I want is to be free to choose where I get my music and my news/From left to right we're joining hands, folks pissed off all over this land." "Put a paper cup to your ear, or send a letter it could take a year/Shout it out and hope someone hears, or just ignore it and drink a beer."
Other artists fighting the cause are Moby and R.E.M. Now that Paris Hilton is a singer, maybe she'll step up, too.
If you want to join the fight for net neutrality, then sign this online petition and warm up your vocal cords, people! For more information on net neutrality and its advantages/disadvantages, read PCMag.com's report.
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June 14, 2006 1:20 PM
Excellent to see you guys taking up the cause! Don't get me wrong, I'm sure you all were paying attention a while ago, but spreading the word is always a good thing!
June 14, 2006 4:16 PM
Actually, I've been thinking about this cause since probably like December when I first heard that Congress could allow tiered Internet access. Only now I guess I'm voicing my concern since so many others have. Bottom line, I guess I'm just afraid what this is going to do to consumers and small businesses trying to make money with their sites/services. Not to mention how much more greedy these telecoms are going to become. If Congress gives him into them now, what's to say down the road they will try even harder to "rule" the Internet. Just because they provide Internet access doesn't mean that they should rule anything! Besides, how can they own the Internet when really it is just space--space full of data. We can't own gravity; so how can they own the Internet? And it's not even the little people that are in jeopardy. We at PCMag could be threatened by these telecoms too. Because if they are offering tiered services and faster speeds for more money, we could lose readers who rely on the Internet to get information. So who is that really benefiting? Only 15% of people IN THE WORLD have broadband access. 15%! And telecoms feel the need to control the Internet? The majority of people don't even have access to fast connections!!! So how is that right?
June 14, 2006 5:18 PM
I worry about it too-how much will people be required to pay on both ends of the fiber in order to get quality service, and how many companies will have to get into sweetheart deals just to avoid competition or to level the playing field? How soon will it be before it's not just content distributors and providers who are extorted, but customers as well? I'm also apalled that telecomm companies stress that this is necessary for the "future of the net" and their plans to "expand broadband access," which couldn't possibly be more false-the telecomms have had years upon years to aggressively toll out high-speed access to communities, cities, and even rural areas, and those efforts are heavily subsidized by the government (through tax breaks and the tax dollars we pay to the Universal Service Fund) and now they're complaining about it? Hmm...something definitely doesn't smell right about that argument.
June 16, 2006 8:27 AM
KEEP THE INTERNET A PLACE FOR PEOPLE TO HAVE A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD FOR SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS, ENTREPRENEURS AND JON Q !!! MORE IMPORTANTLY... FREE THOUGHT, INNOVATION, & CREATIVITY WITHOUT PREJUDICE AND HIDDEN AGENDA. WE THE PEOPLE NEEED THIS FRONTIER TO REMAIN WILD 'N' FREE !!!
June 16, 2006 10:40 AM
If Net Neutrality is not protected by Congress, all of us will eventually pay more for net based services and those that are free now will no longer be offered. AT&T, Verizon and other bandwidth providers are planning to implement usage senitive surcharges if not prohibited by law.