Save The Internet!

I chose to write about the website SaveTheInternet.com. This website caught my attention for obvious reason; one being because I couldn’t live without the Internet and two because I think it’s an important issue that everyone should be aware of. On the   SaveTheInternet website at the top of the page they share with us a statistic that states “There are two million everyday people that band together with thousands of nonprofit organizations, businesses and bloggers to protect internet freedom.” When seeing this I realized that I have been blind to the realization of just how important it is that we have the Internet available to us.

I have been taking the freedom of the Internet for granted. SaveTheInternet is a website created to get people on board with Internet issue and the idea that one day our freedom could be taking from us. One of the topics they focus on is Net Neutrality. This is the guiding principle that preserves the free and open Internet. The service providers are not aloud to discriminate between different kinds of content online. Net Neutrality is the reason we have free speech online and it protects the consumer’s right to any equipment or service without interference from the network provider.  SaveTheInternet informs it’s viewers on the consequences of a world without Net Neutrality. Without Net Neutrality competition would be limited and access information could be restricted. Innovation would be stifled and free market would be sacrificed to the interests of a few corporations.

SaveTheInternet addresses what’s happening right now in congress, lets us know who else is supporting Net Neutrality and what we the public can do to help. Before looking into this website I was unaware that currently The Free Press filed a legal challenge to Open Internet rules. The blog site on STI allows people to post current issue they would like to write about on their website. They also have a place to find resources and tools that can help us contribute to their cause. Two of those tools are already very popular ways to inform and spread the word to the world one of which is Facebook. You can join their Facebook and keep updated on what’s happening and can post questions or thoughts. The second tool to help the campaign is by following them on Twitter. They tweet about their concerns and post information to their followers.

To save the Internet they have an act now link that you can click on and you actually are able to virtually sign a letter to the Senators to demand that they protect our right to an open Internet. The company says that they will deliver the signed letters to their offices in Washington. On the right side of the page is the document being signed and you are able to read it and then on the left side are boxes to fill in your information name, email, etc. They have already had 88,472 actions taken. This is already 88% of their 100,000 goal. To run this website they do take donations and there is also a link for that as well. They do not take money from the Government or any other association so in order to keep this cause up and running they have to ask for our donations.

SaveTheInternet.com is a cause that will help to further our media and democracy, because it is determined to get people on broad and to gain backing on saving our rights to Internet freedom so that we can have the media that we have today. If this website and others like it weren’t around we could easily have our rights taken from us and not be allowed to speak, watch, reach out and openly share videos on the Internet.