Net Neutrality — A Cosmic Battle for Democracy
December 18th, 2006 by tkarrHow do you take an issue that can seem geeky, remote, and impossible to explain and translate it into a compelling story that gets the attention it deserves?
That was the challenge we faced in directing the latest SavetheInternet.com video, Independence Day — which premiered today on YouTube and SavetheInternet.com.
On Dec. 19, it was YouTube’s “Top Rated” |
But from the moment we first doodled this flying saucer image onto a napkin, we thought we might be onto something.
More than just a visual gimmick, the UFO frame fits the battle for Net Neutrality surprisingly well.
First, because the phone and cable companies really are aliens to our democracy. They’re the ones who want to overrun our Congress to change the way the Internet works — replacing the “level playing field” we know today with their “gatekeeper” system.
And secondly because their phony “Astroturf” groups have been disguising themselves as Internet-friendly activists (”Invasion of the Body Snatchers”-style) that are actually paid front groups. Hands off the Internet may look and talk like us – but watch for the telltale green pods hidden in their back yards…
And lastly, the whole “Mars Attacks” theme helps to communicate something fundamental: that there’s a battle going on for the future of the Internet, and that citizens need to inform themselves and take action.
The classic UFO films — including 1996’s “Independence Day” — often involve pitting good, old-fashioned American values against otherworldly invaders: standing up for the American way of life and justice for the little guy. We wanted to invoke similar feelings in telling the SavetheInternet.com Coalition’s story, and show how Net Neutrality is as American as Elvis.
The outstanding music of The Roots and REM (both active supporters of our campaign) help bring our rebellion to life. A host of other Net heroes — including Congressman Ed Markey, Amanda Congdon, Tron Guy, Moby and Ask-a-Ninja — are featured throughout.
When the members of our New Congress show up for work on January 4, our goal is to FLOOD their answering machines and in-boxes with pro-Net Neutrality messages. So if you like the video, please help us by doing three things:
By acting now, we can keep the Internet – and America — free from gatekeeper control in 2007.
–Matt Thompson, Director, “Save The Internet.com: Independence Day”
December 18th, 2006 at 2:13 pm
Tim,
I suggest that the Save the Internet coalition do the following:
1. Change the default e-mail on the “Act Now” so it specifically asks for legislation to protect net neutrality. We have been successful at killing bad legislation. Now we need to change our message to push for good legislation.
2. Allowing people to send an e-mail to their legislators a second time, this time to push for net neutrality legislation.
3. We really need to emphasize that we are not opposed to things like giving VoIP traffic higher priority than web surfing traffic as long as all VoIP traffic from all VoIP providers and users is given the higher priority. I think we got a lot of bad press because people did not understand this.
4. We should also emphasize that we are not opposed to service providers doing things such as offering 1 Mbps service for $10 a month and 2 Mbps service for $15 a month.
5. I think that when pushing for net neutrality legislation, we should use the phrase “common carriage for internet traffic” when pushing for legislation. This will remind lawmakers of net neutrality’s historical roots.
December 18th, 2006 at 2:21 pm
[…] Mehr dazu gibt es hier: Net Neutrality A Cosmic Battle for Democracy. von markus um 19:22 | abgelegt in General, Netzpolitik, Campaigning, Digital Rights, USA Trackback URL | Comment RSS Feed Tag at del.icio.us | Incoming links […]
December 18th, 2006 at 2:58 pm
Thanks Rossmpersonal. We’re going to be launching a new wave of actions via this site — including a plan to mobilize people behind a larger campaign for a faster, more open and accessible Internet. Now that we have more traction in Congress the time is right to advance the goalposts and not only “Save the Internet” but work for a visionary Internet that is even more democratic and universal.
December 18th, 2006 at 8:33 pm
Thanks for doing all you can to ensure that artists like myself with an edge that is not appreciated by those in power. In fact even controlled web sites like MetaCafe have banned my music videos. Why? Nudity? SEX? Violence? racism? No, they have all that stuff. Yet they band a creative deconstruction of the heroic red barron myth of the “fighter” pilot, as hateful. If you belive unpopular opinions, like those expressed in WAR EAGLE are vital to a democratic dialouge, and good moral and ethical thinking, then support a free net, bc without the free net, w/o utube, videos such as WAR EAGLE will never be seen by more than a handful of people. http://www.patrickdodd.com
December 18th, 2006 at 9:34 pm
tkarr, I suggest the campaign for reinstating net neutrality in law and the campaign for going beyond it be separate campaigns. Otherwise, our message will be lost, misinterpreted, and minipulated even more.
December 18th, 2006 at 10:23 pm
Net Neutrality is the cornerstone for all improvements to the Internet. No Net Neutrality = No Internet.
December 19th, 2006 at 12:35 pm
One thing that is missing from this website is a detailed breakdown of the arguments of the telecom companies postions. I personally like to understand the “other side’s” argument based on what they believe are the issues. And I don’t mean, “ARE GOAL IS TO TAKE YOUR FREEDOMS!!” but specifically why they think thier proposals are good for the future of the internet. Maybe a point-counterpoint page. Petition signed, thanks for the hard work.
December 19th, 2006 at 2:03 pm
[…] Back in April I wrote about the nascent efforts of the Savetheinternet.com Coalition to stop the efforts of big telcos to create a tiered Internet which favors those with deep pockets. That initial effort was successful, as the anti-Net Neutrality bill expired with the end of the 109th Congress. But the fight is not over yet. It’s now even more important for you to speak out. The 110th Congress that begins work on January 4, 2007 appears to be more Web-friendly than the 109th which means it’s now possible to make Net Neutrality a law. As the 110th Congress comes into session, please contact your representatives and senators, especially the newly elected ones, to let them know where you stand. Savetheinternet.com has contact information, a tracker showing where senators stand, and a petition with 1.2 million signatures. […]
December 19th, 2006 at 5:49 pm
El_Cid.
Check these out:
http://www.savetheinternet.com/=lie
http://www.savetheinternet.com/=lie2
http://www.savetheinternet.com/=lie3
http://www.savetheinternet.com/=lie4
http://www.savetheinternet.com/=lie5
Network Neutrality: Fact v. Fiction
December 19th, 2006 at 10:35 pm
Save the Internet? … Why worry about losing the internet?
Let me tell you “a” reason why you should not worry about losing the internet..
It because “you cant” lose the internet.. No matter how hard they try, no matter the means they imply, no matter the capabilities of the technology.. They “CANNOT” stop the internet!..
You guys really worry too much.. It appears you do not understand that the technology that the internet runs on is based on the simple “Hi’s and lows” (on and off’s for the programmer out there) which in turn means you cannot stop the nets flow of information nor can you strangle it to death either..
Before you lambast me, yet me yet explain further that if you used simple encryption technologies, you can transfer gigabytes of data in a very small file, or you can transfer information on the fly (real-time) without adding or changing the flow of data in any way (meaning that no matter the means at the disposal of the entities that try to control us, the greater the loss of control …
Let them have their “high speed” bandwidth from the 97% “dark” fiber laid out across this country.. It’s only going to jam up that bandwidth, while we still can transfer unlimited amount of information in less then a second using alternate means at our disposal ..
Again .. “They cannot control the internet!”
December 20th, 2006 at 8:46 am
Save the Internet!…
Continua la campaña Save the Internet que se desarrolla en los Estados Unidos. Esta iniciativa, busca la “neutralidad en la Red/Network Neutrality” ante los intentos del Congreso de regular el control de Internet y la imposición de un determinado…
December 20th, 2006 at 4:58 pm
I don’t know if this is the place but I wanted to give an update on the Michigan bill (HB 6456). It appears to have passed on the the governors desk so efforts should be redirected to getting the governor to veto it.
More info on the bills progress can be found here: http://tinyurl.com/yhhjlp
The governors office can be contacted here: http://tinyurl.com/yawgav
December 20th, 2006 at 9:37 pm
Let’s work as hard as possible to get this website known by as many people as possible guys. Put it in your IRC quit message, in your signature on forums, links on your websites and blogs, etc, etc. We have to shove the link “http://www.savetheinternet.com/” in the face of the entire world.
“savetheinternet.com” (without the quotes) also fits nicely as an Xbox Live motto.
December 20th, 2006 at 11:27 pm
A cosmic battle to save the Internet…
SavetheInternet.com, the coalition that is fighting to keep the Interent equally open to all content providers has a new video that explains “Net Neutrality” and why you should care.
……
December 23rd, 2006 at 3:42 pm
[…] I ramble on from time to time about net neutrality and now the guys over at savetheinternet.com have a good run down and video about the cause. If you don’t know what this is and use the internet you need to learn more. […]