Because Of The Internet
A divide in neutrality, moral conflict, a divide in industry, and an uproar of civilian protest… Why is this happening you ask? Simply: because of the internet.
The internet: a tool we all use in our daily lives to function in today’s society, a resource we rely on more than any other, and more importantly a system open to everyone under the Net neutrality laws of our country.
This is now being threatened as the Federal Communications Commission, the FCC, is considering new options regarding Internet services: permitting fast and slow broadband lanes. There have been many pros and cons presented towards this proposal such as it may very well result in stressful slow speeds for those who can’t afford to be among the elite or “fast-lane users”. Thereby creating a divide of the “haves” and the “have-nots” when it comes to internet connection. In a country where being a “have” or a “have not” basically defines your life existence and opportunities why would we want to spread this mentality to the net, something everyone deserves equal access too? (Net Neutrality act)
Many internet advocacy groups have arisen with their own opinions on this issue. Most prominent of those is a group by the name “Fight for the Future”. This is a group I very much admire for their headstrong unwavering opinions on internet equality as evident in there blog tumblr.fightforthefuture.org. Recently, flight for the future unveiled the names of the companies — which also include Etsy, Kickstarter and WordPress, among others — that planned to display a “spinning wheel of death” on their sites. The loading wheels symbolized what surfing the web could be like if the rules proposed by the FCC in April go into effect, as argued by Battleforthenet.com, a site maintained by several Internet advocacy groups. Many other advocacy groups are also taking action in a variety of ways with the common goal of pushing FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler to reclassify internet connections as a telecommunications service under Title II, which would require ISPs to deliver all content at equal speeds.
I belive it was recording artist Donald glover who put it best in the commentary of his screenplay, appropriately titled “Because the Internet” by saying:
it’s the equal access to information that in and of itself evens the playing fields.
The real issue here is, of moral justification, as the internet has grown it has become a domain that (albeit not written in our constitution) we all have a right too. And affecting that right in any way shape or form would be unethical.
