Net neutrality back on the table

Fire up the keyboards folks and start contacting your Senators. The committee is due to do something on Thursday that will impact the net as we know it for a long time to come. I don't think I need to tell any readers here why this is important but if you need convincing Save the Internet has a good post on recent hearings. Actually even if you don't need convincing, it's a good read. This is great explanation the mechanics of access.

"That’s not the way the Internet works. The Internet does not have all this content in there unless the user asks for it. When you hit return on your browzer it actually sends out a ‘get command’ to the server; it’s a very illustrative name for a command in computer code. It actually says ‘get’– that means now send me the file. That file never gets into the pipes owned by the network operators that Mike represents unless their customer who’s paid for that access asks for it. So we’re not clogging their pipes at all. We’re only providing the content that we hope our joint customers want to see."

Another really good point is the only reason the telecoms haven't already instituted the "tiered systems" is because it's illegal. So when they say they want the government to stay out of the internets, what they mean is they want to be able to filter content for a price. If that wasn't their intent, they wouldn't need to change the laws to allow it.

My DD also has a good post on what it would look like if the telecoms succeed, along with a list of contact info for the Senators sitting on the committee. Think Progress has a list of all Senators and where they currently stand on the issue. Call yours. It will only cost you about 50 cents to tell them you want them to vote for net neutrality and it really could save the internets.