Quote of the Day: “Right now, China, the government, can disconnect parts of its internet, in the case of war, we need to have that here too.” — Senator Joe Lieberman
(via Wired) Scenario: Your government is displeased with the communication going on in your location and pulls the plug on your internet access, most likely by telling the major ISPs to turn off service.
It may not be the 500-pound "Frankenfish" some researchers were talking about 10 years ago, but a Massachusetts company says it is on the verge of receiving federal approval to market a quick-growing Atlantic salmon that's been genetically modified with help from a Pacific Chinook salmon.
The Federal Communications Commission's plan to impose Net neutrality regulations just became much more difficult to pull off.
A bipartisan group of politicians on Monday told FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski, in no uncertain terms, to abandon his plans to impose controversial new rules on broadband providers until the U.S. Congress changes the law.
Seventy-four House Democrats sent Genachowski, an Obama appointee and fellow Democrat, a letter saying his ideas will "jeopardize jobs" and "should not be done without additional direction from Congress."
A separate letter from 37 Senate Republicans, also sent Monday, was more pointed. It accused Genachowski of pushing "heavy-handed 19th century regulations" that are "inconceivable" as well as illegal.
WASHINGTON—In a move that will stoke a battle over the future of the Internet, the federal government plans to propose regulating broadband lines under decades-old rules designed for traditional phone networks.
I got this email a few days ago from the News & Politics Manager at YouTube:
I'm writing because I saw the video you made about Net Neutrality, and thought you might be interested to know that YouTube has the opportunity to conduct an exclusive interview with FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski next Tuesday - the day he introduces the long-awaited National Broadband Plan. The questions will all be coming from you. This is a big opportunity to discuss the future of the Internet with the person who's deciding it!
"The White House has just released the Open Government Directive.
In a livestreamed chat, blogpost, and document online, the White House has announced a bold new plan for openness in the Executive Branch. The result of months of interior conversations, and three public components, the new policy introduces sweeping goals and initiatives aimed at bringing citizens closer to their government, through technology, information, and public interaction."
The internet is under attack by our very own US Government, working on behalf of corporate interests in the entertainment and content industries. What does this mean for you?
Judge Napolitano and I talking about Net Neutrality on today's Freedom Watch:
By the way, the "people who support Net Neutrality" I so helpfully referred to are led by Robert McChesney, one of the co-founders of Freepress.org. Freepress.org is one of the most vocal proponents of Net Neutrality.
Amid Government Push to Open Networks, Some See Cover for Pricing Based on Usage
By CHRISTOPHER RHOADS And NIRAJ SHETH
In the early years of the Internet, the more time people spent online, the more they paid a provider like AOL for their connection. But as customers have shifted to always-on broadband services, many Web surfers have enjoyed all-you-can-eat Internet for a flat rate.
David Farber, a professor of computer science and public policy at Carnegie Mellon, opposes net neutrality rules proposed by the Federal Communications Commission. Here's why:
For years the biotechnology industry has trumpeted that it will feed the world, promising that its genetically engineered crops will produce higher yields.
This week's episode is all about getting the most out of Twitter. Take my 5-step love-it-or-hate-it twitter challenge, and I think you'll find lots to love about twitter within a week!
I just got back from DrupalCon 2009, which is a tech conference for people who use the Open Source Drupal CMS (content management system). BreakTheMatrix is built using Drupal, so I wanted to go see what's new and what cool things others are doing. I wasn't disappointed!
EPISODE 2 will be available Tuesday 1/27. It's going to be a good one!!
NEW for 2009, I'm trading in my IT Updates and doing a weekly technology news show called ByteStyle. There's actually a lot going on in the world of technology that relates to our goals at BTM - creating a new liberty-oriented media network, preserving a free and open internet, and generally using technology to live better.
If you're considering running for office, or you just want to become more effective in your activism efforts, check out these resources to get a jump start on your campaign (I've done training here, and can vouch for the quality of their programs):
