ReveNews
eBay Fighting for Net Neutrality with Their Community
Just got this email from eBay, encouraging their membership to make their voice heard today and why we need Net Neutrality, Network neutrality is a voluntary but guiding principle of the Internet which insures equal access for everyone, without it we might never have had eBay, Google, Skype, or Amazon.
As you know, I almost never reach out to you personally with a request to get involved in a debate in the U.S. Congress. However, today I feel I must.
Right now, the telephone and cable companies in control of Internet access are trying to use their enormous political muscle to dramatically change the Internet. It might be hard to believe, but lawmakers in Washington are seriously debating whether consumers should be free to use the Internet as they want in the future.
The phone and cable companies now control more than 95% of all Internet access. These large corporations are spending millions of dollars to promote legislation that would divide the Internet into a two-tiered system.
The top tier would be a “Pay-to-Play” high-speed toll-road restricted to only the largest companies that can afford to pay high fees for preferential access to the Net.
The bottom tier — the slow lane — would be what is left for everyone else. If the fast lane is the information “super-highway,” the slow lane will operate more like a dirt road.
Today’s Internet is an incredible open marketplace for goods, services, information and ideas. We can’t give that up. A two lane system will restrict innovation because start-ups and small companies — the companies that can’t afford the high fees — will be unable to succeed, and we’ll lose out on the jobs, creativity and inspiration that come with them.
The power belongs with Internet users, not the big phone and cable companies. Let’s use that power to send as many messages as possible to our elected officials in Washington. Please join me by clicking here right now to send a message to your representatives in Congress before it is too late. You can make the difference.
Thank you for reading this note. I hope you’ll make your voice heard today.
Sincerely,
Meg Whitman
As an eBay user I can say I really don’t want to be receiving political emails them, but this is certainly one their membership should know about. Brad Waller has been covering the topic in these posts, The Thruthiness of Net Neutrality, House Judiciary Committee Passes Net Neutrality Bill, Telcos Begin Propoganda War on Net Neutrality, Qwest CEO Talks Out of Both Sides of His Mouth, Net Neutrality Takes a Hit - But Don’t Count it Out Yet, Save The Internet - Net Neutrality Battle Goes Grassroots, and more if you are looking for more reading on the subject.
If you signup to eBay Government Relations, they will send letters to your US Senators and House of Representative. The letters will include your name and mailing address, but they should if you were writing them anyway. I’ve already sent mine, will you?
Time Capsule: The End of May 2006 Is Pear Shaped.
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