Techdirt reports
A brief update on how the Internet Slowdown Day effort went, in case you missed it. Tons of sites jumped on board, including my favorite, Clickhole (The Onion's lovingly wonderful attempt to satirize clickbait sites), which showed off images of koalas that refused to load to in an effort to call for net neutrality... With the effort on so many different websites, reports are that, at its peak, there were over a thousand calls per minute going into the Congressional switchboard, which is a huge deal. Many in Congress are indicating that their offices are getting swamped with calls.
The main act is over at the FCC, but not in Congress (mainly because Congress has no desire to get anywhere near reforming the Telecommunications Act, as it should). However, a big part of the issue at the FCC is the political fight that it will set off no matter what decision it eventually comes to. The more Congress realizes that the public really supports an open and neutral internet, the more likely it is that the FCC will have the political cover to do what's right. This is good news. Again, if you're still trying to understand all this net neutrality stuff, we've got a big primer to check out.
(Score: 2) by kaszz on Thursday September 11 2014, @01:19PM
Feels so revenge of the Nerds [wikipedia.org] .. :D
(Score: 5, Interesting) by Thexalon on Thursday September 11 2014, @02:45PM
The FCC is headed by a cable industry lobbyist. Both parties in Congress and the Obama administration have been thoroughly bought by the ISPs (AT&T and Comcast are two of the biggest contributors in US elections). And I'm sure that if the regulators decide things the lucrative way, they will have very high-paying and cushy sinecures with either the ISPs directly or their lobbying firms.
They are not looking for the political cover to do what's right, they are looking for the political cover to do what's wrong.
Our real hope is that Google, Amazon, Microsoft, etc somehow manage to out-lobby the ISPs, so that doing the right thing is more lucrative to the regulators and politicians than doing the wrong thing, but I'm not holding my breath.
The only thing that stops a bad guy with a compiler is a good guy with a compiler.
(Score: 2, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday September 11 2014, @04:10PM
> Our real hope is that Google, Amazon, Microsoft, etc somehow manage to out-lobby the ISPs,
None of those three have had much to say about net neutrality in recent years. Don't count on them, they benefit from a fast-lane system because they can easily afford to pay. The tolls are a barrier to entry which will protect incumbents like them.
(Score: 2) by kaszz on Thursday September 11 2014, @04:24PM
"They are not looking for the political cover to do what's right, they are looking for the political cover to do what's wrong."
Rather are they looking for an excuse to execute what they have been paid to do with an political bullshit cover. Note that payment can also come in lucrative positions in the feature and other forms.
If you want to get anywhere with these people you better do the good-cop vs bad-cop taken far.
(Score: 2) by davester666 on Thursday September 11 2014, @05:26PM
Yes, so far Wheeler has done the "I'm gonna be so tough on the large cable and telephone industry, they will beg for mercy" schtick for most every issue right up until it is time to actually do something, then he totally caves on the issue, but still issues the bs "the little guy has won" press release.
(Score: 2) by kaszz on Thursday September 11 2014, @10:26PM
I'd say look to what they have done. Not what they say. As the saying goes.. "Talk is cheap" ..sheeeep ;)
(Score: 2, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday September 11 2014, @06:50PM
TFA says, "The main act is over at the FCC." However, comments on docket numbers 14-28 and 10-127, about the FCC's idea of an "open Internet" and framework for broadband providers, are accepted until September 15 [fcc.gov].
Comments to the FCC [fcc.gov] can be filed online for either of these proceedings.
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Friday September 12 2014, @02:48AM
Dumber, sir! They want faster Internet, but they don't want to pay for it!
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Friday September 12 2014, @02:56AM
No way am I paying for Internet Access!
Woe is me. If only there were some way I could go back to 1998 and use NetZero for FREE.
(Score: 1) by g33kgirl on Friday September 12 2014, @10:21AM
(Score: 2) by GreatAuntAnesthesia on Friday September 12 2014, @10:43AM
You're probably right. However, in the unlikely event that the crooks and liars in government are ever held accountable (even if it's just a hard-hitting interview with whoever you Americans have as your Paxman), at least they won't be able to say "but I wasn't aware of any significant opposition or counter-argument."