Enormous Civil Courage – Edward Snowden

Edward Snowden: saving us from the United Stasi of America by Daniel Ellsberg- The Guardian

In my estimation, there has not been in American history a more important leak than Edward Snowden’s release of NSA material – and that includes the Pentagon Papers, for which I was responsible 40 years ago. Snowden’s whistleblowing gives us the possibility to roll back what has amounted to an “executive coup” against the US constitution.

…

In 1975, Senator Frank Church spoke of the National Security Agency in these terms:

“I know the capacity that is there to make tyranny total in America, and we must see to it that this agency and all agencies that possess this technology operate within the law and under proper supervision, so that we never cross over that abyss. That is the abyss from which there is no return.”

I would say we have, in fact, fallen into that abyss. The NSA, FBI and CIA have, with the new digital technology, surveillance powers that the Stasi in the former East Germany could only have dreamed of. What has been feared and warned about has come to pass. The so-called intelligence community has become the United Stasi of America.

The question now is whether Senator Church was right or wrong that crossing the abyss was irreversible. Three days ago, I would have agreed that effective democracy was now impossible. But with this brave man Snowden willing to put his life on the line to get this information out, creating the possibility that others will join him, I think we can get back across the abyss.

As Daniel Ellsberg noted in the article, “…this brave man Snowden willing to put his life on the line to get this information out, creating the possibility that others will join him, I think we can get back across the abyss.”

I hope he is right. It was a major sacrifice by a true hero and I would hate for his “enormous civil courage‘ not be worth the sacrifice he made.

Really, there are no words in the face of such heroism knowing the full weight of probable consequences. It is amazing.

All I can say is, thank you Edward Snowden.

When Copyright Goes Bad

When Copyright Goes Bad

Info from the YouTube video page:

A film by Ben Cato Clough and Luke Upchurch.

Suddenly, copyright rules no longer do what they are supposed to do. They have gone bad.

This is a film about how copyright has become one of the most important consumer issues of the digital age; why corporate lobbying risks criminalising the actions of hundreds of thousands of people; and what the future holds for the fight for fairer copyright laws.

When Copyright Goes Bad is an introduction to the renegotiation of copyright and is for anyone interested in how copyright is affecting consumers. It features some of the key players in the copyright debate, including:

Fred Von Lohmann – Electronic Frontier Foundation; Michael Geist – University of Ottawa Law School; Jim Killock – Open Rights Group; and Hank Shocklee – Co-founder of Public Enemy.

For more, visit http://www.A2Knetwork.org/film

Protect net neutrality

Protect net neutrality

Rather than send this via email, since I hate receiving unsolicited emails, I figured I would just put it on my blog.

Our ability to have a free and open Internet is under attack.

The Federal Communications Commission has been attempting to enforce net neutrality safeguards that would keep big telecoms from inspecting and filtering the Internet content you access, blocking websites and applications they don’t like, and overcharging you for using the Internet. But a recent court decision prevents the FCC from regulating net neutrality in the way it tried.

The FCC now faces an important decision. Will it stand up for consumers and reclassify broadband Internet providers to ensure the Internet stays free?

The FCC has asked for public comment on their net neutrality plans. Join me in submitting a comment in support of the FCC doing everything it can to protect a free and open Internet. Just click the link below to submit your comment.

http://www.credoaction.com/campaign/fccnn_replycomments/?rc=homepage

I have already submitted my comments. Maybe you could too…

Sen. Rockefeller Wants the FCC to Protect the Internet for Consumers

Sen. Rockefeller Wants the FCC to Protect the Internet for Consumers (Youtube video link)

As one of those underserved/unserved rural areas that Sen. Rockefeller talked about in the Youtube video above, I have been talking via email to Congress, the FCC, and anyone else that will listen about reversing the mess that allowed Comcast to win in court. We The People need to be protected and broadband needs to be reclassified as a utility in order to protect We The People.

We just had to up our Verizon Wireless service to meet my business needs a little better (still not as much as we really need but closer) and are now playing $120/mo (plus fees and taxes) to get ONLY 10GB with two USB devices from Verizon Wireless (they did offer 10GB with a single USB device for $199!) — because there are no other options for even pseudo broadband, much less real broadband in our area even for my small business which absolutely needs real broadband.

I have repeatedly over the years, and as recently as a couple weeks ago, talked to; Charter Communications, Cox Business, Verizon, Verizon Wireless, a company that works with Accel (same people who provide secure Internet for the likes of Dunkin’ Donuts, MacDonalds, gas stations, etc.) which is too expensive and way too restrictive for our needs — and is still wireless btw and making use of (in our case the same Verizon tower we are currently using) since AT&T doesn’t even serve our area (closest AT&T tower is a 1x/National Broadband tower (not a 3G tower) in Surry Courthouse (Surry County, VA), 8 miles away.

The only other viable alternative for us would be a T1 — which is so far out of our league price was as to be laughable at $450-$600/mo. (with/without equipment). This is totally unworkable for us as a small business owner in our rural area, much less as a home user.

NOTE: Satellite Internet is way too slow and has way too much lag for the real time needs of my business and satellite internet are almost as limited bandwidth wise at 7GB/mo according to the documents for HughesNet. But I couldn’t look seriously at satellite Internet since I have seen the satellite Internet in action at client’s homes and it just wouldn’t work for a small business with our needs, particularly multiple users with decent throughput, as well as realtime needs like streaming, ftp for large amounts of files at a time, working on content management systems online, irc/chat, virtual desktop sharing, video/audio sharing, etc.

And none of the limited/wireless options make it easy to get security updates, and Windows updates for multiple computers in a business setting, or use online storage backup, or even do some pleasurable things like watch even a single hour long show on Hulu or elsewhere once a week. Or, buy and download larger software packages, or download audio books you want to purchase from iTunes, Audible, etc., or buy full music albums, or buy/rent movies from iTunes or Amazon, stream movies from your Netflix account, or wherever you want, or do any number of other normal things that most people don’t have to think twice about on true wired or unlimited wireless broadband even in a home setting.

Don’t get me wrong, Verizon Wireless, does a very nice job of providing a solid connection, with decent speeds over their Wireless 3G/EVDO network, but their pricing and the pricing of all wireless carriers who limit you to 5GB/mo and 25 cents (or any cents for that matter for overage) is ludicrous and eat anyone alive in monthly bills! That is why we had to get another device. We could very easily make use of a third device (to get 15GB/mo), but that would be $180/mo!

See what I mean!?! This is nuts!!!!

Caps, Metered Billing and Tiered Access, Oh, My!

Here’s more on the big mess with Broadband carriers, caps, metered billing and tiered access!

Five Days on the Digital Dirt Road (InternetForEveryone.org):

In North Carolina alone, nearly 5 million residents don’t have high-speed Internet. According to a July 2007 study, 30 percent or more of the state’s population in 21 rural counties did not have high-speed Internet connectivity. In many cases, telephone and cable companies have refused to provide service to people living in the remote and rural areas of the state, while some people are simply priced out of buying expensive broadband service.

They aren’t the only areas, I hope InternetForEveryone.org comes to rural Southside/Hampton Roads, VA too. There are areas like the tiny depressed area of Dendron, VA where the only ‘broadband’ is via cellular Internet that is either capped at 5GB/mo, or ‘supposed’ unlimited that throttles you, and at times has speeds of less then dialup. Anyone who can’t afford the $59-$60/mo. is stuck on dialup or equally expensive satellite Internet with massive lag times. Unless you have enough money to pay for a Fractional T1 or a T1 that is. Have any of you priced those lately?

There are many rural areas still waiting for Cable/DSL in Sussex, Surry, Isle of Wight, Smithfield, and surrounding areas.

Those of us who are trying to run a small business in this economy are really having a struggle especially if your business depends on the Internet.

Wired Less: Disconnected in Urban America (InternetForEveryone.org):

For many Americans living in urban areas, high-speed Internet access remains elusive.

Much of the discussion about broadband expansion in the United States focuses on the rural areas that still lack this essential infrastructure. As we documented in our earlier report, Five Days on the Digital Dirt Road, residents in rural areas are struggling to live and work without high-speed Internet.

Even with these sad statistics, it’s nice to know there are some successes along the way.

Score the First Round for the Public (SaveTheInternet.org)

Today, I want to thank everyone involved in the grassroots movement that helped secure this first-round victory in the battle over broadband tiered pricing. Through the power of the people, together we were able to persuade Time Warner Cable to abandon its download-based tiered-billing plan in four markets: Rochester, N.Y., San Antonio, Texas, Austin, Texas, and Greensboro, N.C.

Even though we won this first fight together, there is still much to be done to ensure that download-based caps do not emerge elsewhere.

Internet Users Roar. Cable Giant Blinks. (SaveTheInternet.org)

Time Warner Cable on Thursday afternoon shelved its plan to impose excessive Internet fees against those who use the Web for more than email and basic surfing.

The cable giant backed down under intense public pressure that bubbled up from the grassroots and culminated in calls by leading politicians to end the price gouging.

Time Warner Cable had been testing new Internet use penalties on people in Beaumont, Texas, and planned later this year to launch trials in Rochester, N.Y.; Austin and San Antonio, Texas; and Greensboro, N.C. If successful, Time Warner Cable execs planned to impose this cost structure upon the company’s 8.4 million broadband subscribers in 32 states.

As posted in my earlier post today, there is much work to be done here. And we need to make sure we know what they are up to.

TWC to Customers: You Don’t Want Tiers, You Don’t Get Super-fast Broadband (GigaOM):

Updated: Well, I hope all of you who complained about Time Warner Cable’s plans for metered broadband are happy. Shortly after the cable company pulled its metered broadband trials, it’s also rethinking its deployment of super-fast broadband in San Antonio and Austin, Texas; Greensboro, N.C., and Rochester N.Y. Whiny citizens in those communities (including me) apparently don’t deserve super-fast broadband speeds of 50 Mbps unless it’s accompanies by tiers.

I really am sorry that you won’t get the super-fast broadband, but at least you already have Cable/DSL broadband!

Like one thing really has anything to do with the other…

And as one comment noted, moving to DOCSIS 3.0 is not a major cost when compared with the losses they will sustain when FiOS comes knocking.

Bogus Consumer Group To ‘Educate’ You On Metered Billing

Bogus Consumer Group To ‘Educate’ You On Metered Billing (by Karl Bode, DSLReports.com)

Last week, Time Warner Cable shelved the expansion of their metered billing plan in reaction to unprecedented consumer backlash. However, the tone of their announcement made it very clear they’d be returning to the plan after they “educated” all of their “confused” customers.

That education process began over the weekend, when a group called the American Consumer Institute penned a missive declaring that metered billing is a great idea for consumers, while unabashedly throwing their support behind Time Warner Cable.

The ‘bogus’ consumer group? ACI, aka The American Consumer Institute. The article goes on to say that the WhoIs information for the American Consumer Institute shows it is owned by a telecom consultant and former chief economist for Bell Atlantic, Stephen Pociask. Here’s an article from 2007 about the group and Stephen Pociask:

‘Consumer’ Group Fails Smell Test (MediaCitizen Blog)

A shadowy “consumer” group emerged from obscurity today to bleat about the dangers of Net Neutrality. And no sooner had their press release hit the PR Newswire than a chorus of industry apologists began waving it around as proof positive that Net Neutrality is a cancer on the Internet.

That the shills have circled alone should be evidence that something here doesn’t quite smell right. That this group is little known to the established consumer groups that form the SavetheInternet.com Coalition should set off every olfactory alarm.

And so it has. Bob Williams who blogs for the Consumers Union was the first to cry foul.

“We had no idea that Net Neutrality — the concept of preventing Internet providers from speeding up or slowing down Web content based on its source, ownership or destination — would be so devastating to consumers,” Williams writes in a sincerity-laced response to the American Consumer Institute’s report against Net Neutrality.

Much more in MediaCitizen’s Blog article.

And sure enough, here’s part of the current WhoIs on Internic which shows:

Domain Name:THEAMERICANCONSUMER.ORG
Created On:16-Jun-2005 22:26:15 UTC
Last Updated On:20-Aug-2008 20:10:41 UTC
Expiration Date:16-Jun-2016 22:26:15 UTC
Sponsoring Registrar:Tucows Inc. (R11-LROR)
Status:OK
Registrant ID:tuICKLUi0fVRpW3y
Registrant Name:Stephen Pociask
Registrant Organization:The American Consumer Institute
Registrant Street1:P.O. Box 2161
Registrant Street2:
Registrant Street3:
Registrant City:Reston
Registrant State/Province:VA
Registrant Postal Code:20195
Registrant Country:US

Certainly NOT the first time this has been tried. But it’s good to know who/what is behind them eh?

I guess they figured it has worked for other real and/or wanna be advocacy groups, so maybe it was worth a try to them as well. Could make them quite a bit of money if metered billing and caps were to be accepted by consumers (unlikely).

NO CLEAN FEED – Stop Internet Censorship in Australia

NO CLEAN FEED – Stop Internet Censorship in Australia

Help spread the word about the campaign by blogging about the filter, linking to nocleanfeed.com website, or including one of their buttons on your own site or blog.

If nothing else learn about what is going on in Australia … because Australia may just be the proving ground for a terrible worldwide or at least countrywide filtering system that may be coming to USA or wherever you live!