Days Late But In Full Support

Oy, you all ... Listen up! Thems peeps are trying to stamp us bloggers out. No, you say! Yes, indeedy!


OK, OK, maybe they are not trying to stamp us out but they sure have an interestingly different set of standards for us. Now what did we ever do to deserve that? Because we exist? Because we are not selling anything except our own convictions and passions? Because we do not charge you a buck to read our blogs? Apparently, that should be penalised, it seems.


I shall not go on about it because I think I have ranted enough today (and also because I only got to know about this today and totally missed the no foodblog day ... duh!) and Chez Pim says it so much better anyway. So I've taken the liberty of re-posting some of what she said on her blog here but please go to her wonderful blog for a more comprehensive read.


And save us from the falling sky too please. I'm really bad at doing the Chicken Little dance ...


"This day is without food blogs.

The sky is falling. Yes, I'm not just being Chicken Little. The sky is falling. And hardly anyone is looking. That's what kills me.

A huge change is brewing in the US Congress, fueled by lobbyists from large telephone companies and service providers. If these lobbyists are successful then the face of the Internet that we know and love will change forever.

From the NY Time's Editorial Desk May 2,2006:
"One of the Internet's great strengths is that a single blogger or a small political group can inexpensively create a Web page that is just as accessible to the world as Microsoft's home page. But this democratic Internet would be in danger if the companies that deliver Internet service changed the rules so that Web sites that pay them money would be easily accessible, while little-guy sites would be harder to access, and slower to navigate".

But access to the Internet is not exactly equal now, is it? People pay for varying speed of connection to the Internet, dial-up, DSL, T1, etc. Those with more money can access the Internet at much faster speed than those with less. That's what you think, yes?

That is something different though. Currently, consumers can pay for different speed of connection, but once they are connected to the Internet, there is no difference between accessing the massive Yahoo.com or the little chezpim.com. But when the new law is passed the service providers will be allowed to dole out different websites or services at different speed, essentially by creating two-tier Internet: one with super fast speed for the sites who are willing to pay, and the other with only the slow lane, for those unwilling or unable to pay up.

That means that the phone companies can tell you that if you want to access CNN.com, you can use the fast lane, but if you want to see your friend's blog, you will have to use the slow lane.

This is a blatant violation of the principle called Net Neutrality, and it will change the face of the Internet forever. And since a huge part of the Internet goes through the US, or through routers and switches owned by companies in the US, this change will affect you no matter where you are. "


There is a call to action at savetheinternet.com where you can sign a petition if you so wish.




Net Neutrality
Save The Internet