If you have followed SA Flavor for a while now, you know that I sometimes weigh in on national issues when it comes to the internet and online freedom. We are now in another spot where it is time for our voices to be heard. The FCC is looking to redefine net neutrality and this decision could have lasting impacts on our society and the internet as a whole.
In a nutshell, net neutrality is a guarantee that all data should be treated equally. This means that providers have to give the same priority for online requests, whether it is serving up content from The New York Times or this little ole SA Flavor blog. This means that the big guys don’t get preferential treatment for being big, everyone is on the same playing field. This is essentially what has given rise to the level of innovation and creation on the web.
But the FCC is looking to change this. You can find an excellent article on Gizmodo about what the world would look like without net neutrality—this excellent article does a good job at explaining net neutrality and what is at stake if it goes away. They also provide a step-by-step guide on how to let your voice be heard, but I thought I would repost it here along with giving you some text that you could copy/paste in the comment section.
Step one: Visit FCC.gov/comments and find the proceeding with the title “Protecting and Promoting the Open Internet.” It should be the one on top and should also have over 20,000 filings in the last 30 days.
Step Two: Click the proceeding number “14-28.” You can also try to click this direct link, though it might not work every time. This will take you to the FCC’s Electronic Comment Filing System.
Step Three: Fill out the form. If you don’t know exactly what to say, feel free to copy and paste this text:
I believe all data should be treated equally. That means no preferential treatment to specific kinds of content, certain users, individual companies, or modes of communication. Please continue to maintain an open internet.
Step Four: Click “Continue” and make sure you like what you wrote. If you do, click “Confirm.”
Please take just five minutes to let your voice be heard. Any little bit can help!
Image via Flickr user Blaise Alleyne
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