We are the pioneers and technologists who created and now operate the Internet, and some of the innovators and business people who, like many others, depend on it for our livelihood. We are writing to respectfully urge you to call on FCC Chairman Ajit Pai to cancel the December 14 vote on the FCC’s proposed Restoring Internet Freedom Order (WC Docket No. 17-108 )…
… It is important to understand that the FCC’s proposed Order is based on a flawed and factually inaccurate understanding of Internet technology. These flaws and inaccuracies were documented in detail in a 43-page-long joint comment signed by over 200 of the most prominent Internet pioneers and engineers and submitted to the FCC on July 17, 2017.
Despite this comment, the FCC did not correct its misunderstandings, but instead premised the proposed Order on the very technical flaws the comment explained. The technically-incorrect proposed Order dismantles 15 years of targeted oversight from both Republican and Democratic FCC chairs, who understood the threats that Internet access providers could pose to open markets on the Internet…
…Indeed, breaking with established practice, the FCC has not held a single open public meeting to hear from citizens and experts about the proposed Order…
…Compounding our concern, the FCC has failed to respond to Freedom of Information Act requests about these incidents and failed to provide information to a New York State Attorney General’s investigation of them.
We have a small window (until Thursday!) to fight the FCC & the repeal of #NetNeutrality! Thanks to John Oliver there’s a SUPER easy way to do this. Do you enjoy Netflix? Do you find yourself spending too much time on FB? If net neutrality goes away, our Internet bills go up and we give power to companies like Comcast and CenturyLink to control what information we can access, and at what cost.
Here’s what you can do - takes less than a minute, but you MUST do these steps - read carefully!
Go to gofccyourself.com
(the shortcut John Oliver made to the hard-to-find FCC comment page)
Click on the 17-108 link (Restoring Internet Freedom)
Click on “+Express” (look to the left of the screen–they really don’t make it easy!)
You MUST hit “ENTER” (or return, or “go”) on your keyboard/phone after you put in your name, so it registers. (They make it a tad tricky there.)
In the comment section write, “I strongly support net neutrality backed by Title 2 oversight of ISPs.” Or whatever your thoughts are on this issue.
Click to Review, then Submit, done. - Make sure you hit submit at the end!
I’ve completed the form and said my piece. I work exclusively from home and log on to a network server. I fear that I will not be able to work from home if Comcast has its way (the only option for fast internet at this time).
Seems much ado about nothing (the report, not losing Net Neutrality, which I personally think is horrific). “We addressed those concerns” basically reads to me like “Yeah, whatever. We’re doing it anyway.”
I filed, again, and I wrote my own words that weren’t an angry rant. I spoke from my background as a web application developer, and said we need to rely on the internet being open and not subjected to arbitrary restrictions from ISPs. To do otherwise will hurt American businesses.
Just to be clear here, this isn’t a call to arms nor is it a threat in any way, but I feel like it’s just a matter of time before a… um… second amendment enabled person snaps and decides to do something about that smug face.
I’m not trying to be melodramatic, but I feel like the blatant way that the likes of Shkreli and Pai stick it to the public at large, in such a smug fashion, that it’s going to be inevitable.
And this is where I really struggle, because if I’m going to be brutally honest with myself I feel like my initial reaction is going to be less horror and more along the lines of:
