Okay you guys. Obviously, there's a lot to talk about here, and BG is very grateful to infield for filling in so excellently and Goober for inspiring the Doctor to new BOD heights and to all of you for bringing the Twins to .500, which feels, tonight, like something akin to Nirvana. But now I'm going to talk to you about something serious. No, really. No, I mean it.

BG never talks about politics here, because politics divides us and Joe Mauer unites us. But today is an exception, because the very survival of this blog and others like it are at stake. Basically, the telecom companies are lobbying Congress to dissolve internet neutrality—the principle that no one but the users can choose what sites they visit. Right now, your ISP can't choose only to provide access to some sites, nor can they charge sites for providing access. But that could change.

The big companies—Verizon, AT&T, Comcast, and Time Warner--want to turn the internet into something akin to cable TV—to charge fees, tier access, control what information you receive, and charge content providers for delivering their sites. Essentially, it would mean web sites like Batgirl would be available only to those who can afford the highest level of service, or would be relegated to a sort of internet back road, or would not be available at all.

The recent Telecommunications Act that passed the House contained a provision that would dissolve Net Neutrality, with Congresspeople on both sides of the aisle bowing to pressure from these lobbyists. Now, the Act is in the Senate, and if it passes as-is the Internet as we know it will die. Meanwhile, there is a bipartisan bill going to committee today that could serve as an amendment to the Telecommunications Act persevering Net Neutrality. For more information, please read Save the Internet.

The Senators will vote on the Act this week, and they will have to choose whether or not they will bow to pressure from lobbyists. They need to know how their constituents feel. Go here: Sign a petition, send an email, or best yet, call your senators and tell them to preserve Net Neutrality.

For Freedom! For Liberty! For Batgirl!

Posted by Batgirl at June 19, 2006 10:06 PM