“It’s not a truck,” insists Senator Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) during his long, rambling explanation of “the Internets.” This statement, and others like it, has made Stevens the laughingstock of every techie blog out there (which are accessible, Stevens assures us, through a “series of tubes,” in case you were wondering). All jokes aside, however, the so-called “net neutrality” battle is no laughing matter (though with Stevens commanding the forces, one has to wonder). Savetheinternet.com is the weapon of choice for the Save the Internet Coalition, a grassroots campaign comprised of small businesses and members of the community who don’t want big telecommunications companies controlling their Internet usage.
According to the site’s FAQ, congress is considering a revision of the Telecommunications Act—a rewrite that essentially allows large providers like Verizon and AT&T to determine customers’ access to websites depending on how much cash those sites are willing to pay. Which would, of course, end Hit This Site as you know it (teardrop).
The coalition offers proactive advice for concerned citizens hoping to preserve the free Internet we know and love. For example, you can call or send a letter to your senator (always an
effective measure)—the site even provides a script, along with a handy list of each senator’s current position on the issue. Best of all, it seems the members of the coalition have a sense of humor; check the blog for videos, songs and comics poking fun at Ted Stevens (almost too easy) and rallying for net neutrality. To familiarize yourself with what’s at stake (and seriously question the representation of a certain noncontiguous state), log on and read up. The Internet is important to all of us, after all—as Stevens helpfully explains, “[it’s] not something you just dump something on.”—Ashley Sisti
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