December 2010 – Page 2 – Andrew Careaga

R.I.P., net neutrality?

This just in: Top Wireless Firms Plot to Make Wireless Users Pay Per Page, from DailyTech.com. Maybe the worst-case scenario isn’t so far-fetched after all. – AC

Sometime today, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission is expected to vote on a rule that will allow a two-tiered system of Internet access. This rule, if approved (and it appears to be a done deal), would open the door to make portions of the Internet off-limits.

This rule would kill the concept of net neutrality, which argues against tiered rates for different types of service. Net-neutrality advocates support the idea of a level playing field on the Internet.

Instead of net neutrality, however, the new rule “would allow mobile internet service providers to charge content companies for more efficient delivery to US homes,” according to this report from the Guardian. “Wireless providers will also be allowed to block applications or services, providing that they are not competitors. Fixed-line and wireless provider Verizon, for example, would not be allowed to block access to Skype because it provides a rival voice service.”

After the FCC approves the new regs, you’ll probably hear them spinning the vote as a strong stand in favor of net neutrality and consumers’ rights. Don’t be fooled.

While the rule would keep much of the “land-line” Internet more or less neutral, it exempts the growing and thriving mobile Internet from those protections. As Timothy Karr points out in his Huffington Post piece, the proposed rule “enshrines Verizon and AT&T as gatekeepers to the expanding world of mobile Internet access, allowing them to favor their own applications while blocking, degrading or de-prioritizing others.”

That may be a worst-case scenario, but it isn’t much of a stretch. Karr adds:

[T]he Commission has opened the door for broadband payola — letting phone and cable companies charge steep tolls to favor the content and services of a select group of corporate partners, relegating everyone else to the cyber-equivalent of a winding dirt road.

… Instead of re-establishing the FCC’s authority to act as a consumer watchdog over the Internet, it places the agency’s authority on a shaky and indefensible legal footing — giving ultimate control over the Internet to a small handful of carriers.

It may be too late to do much about this, but the Save the Internet Foundation is rallying net-neutrality supporters in a last-minute effort to get President Obama to uphold his pledge to support net neutrality. If you care about this matter, then I encourage you to add your name to the petition to President Obama.

The only other thing to do right now is enjoy the message of Pete Townsend and the Who, as relevant today as it was 40 years ago. Think about net neutrality and the art of political compromise that is playing out once again in Washington, D.C., as you enjoy this wonderful acoustic solo performance of Townsend singing “We Won’t Get Fooled Again.” It’s coming your way via YouTube, which is still available to you free of charge. So enjoy it while you can.

Friday Five: Best of the “best ofs” edition

It’s that time of year again. Time for the bloggers of the world to unite and create their annual “best of 2010” post.

I’m not one to completely miss out on a trend (although I do tend to chase after them just as they disappear over the horizon). But I do tend to get lazy about blogging by the time Friday rolls around. So, rather than creating an original list, I give you a rehash. Here it is:

The Higher Ed Marketing Blog 2010 list of the five best “best of” lists of 2010

1. Mashable’s 10 most innovative viral videos of 2010 tops my list because it shows that even ad agencies sometimes get it right. Thanks to Eduardo Merille (@emerille) for sharing.

2. Ad Age’s compilation of 10 campaigns creativity loved gets my pick because they thought to include Arcade Fire’s wonderful multi-window video experience for The Wilderness Downtown (best viewed in Chrome). A hat tip to @create20, a.k.a. Fritz McDonald, for sharing this one.

3. ReadWriteWeb’s top 10 Internet of things developments for the year is a great look at how ubiquitous our connectedness is becoming, from the smart grid to running shoes.

4. In a nod to old media, I give props to The New York Times Magazine for putting together a stellar web interface for their year’s best ideas feature. My faves: A guitar that stays in tune, emotional spell-check and of course, the mega-lobster, which measures more than half a meter in length.

5. The Onion 20: The People Who Mattered in 2010 is pretty darn funny, as you would expect. My favorite entry is Glenn Beck – The Lone Voice Of Reason In An Age Of Hysteria.

Happy weekend, all, and congratulations to those college students who will graduate tomorrow. Welcome to the working world. Please don’t steal my job.

File under: Random

Streams of semi-consciousness:

I’ve been sharing some stuff I find interesting via my Google Reader stream. Take a look and discover some miscellaneous tidbits about social media, the year’s most retweetable Twitter posts, movie comparisons and the occasional how-to article.

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Speaking of retweetable tweets, I see the No. 10 item comes from @shitmydadsays. It is this: Don’t focus on the one guy who hates you. You don’t go to the park and set your picnic down next to the only pile of dog shit. That’s a pretty good perspective. I’m still not going to follow that account, or watch the TV show based on it.

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Remember Sydney? She’s a co-worker’s amazing daughter who went through a series of medical treatments earlier this year as part of the process to beat cancer. (I blogged about Sydney and her situation in October.) Well, Sydney celebrated her 3rd birthday on Tuesday, Dec. 14. And our humble effort to raise funds to help her parents with medical bills has netted more than $2,000. Thank you all for lending your support.

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Sydney’s mom is now blogging about the experience. You should read it.

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Music for creative types — like you.

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Speaking of music, the Higher Ed Critics are back and getting ready to unleash their diverse musical tastes on the world with a countdown of their favorite albums of 2010. But first, one of the critics, Chris D’Orso, charms us with a list of 15 Christmas Songs You Need to Know — all with accompanying video. Our countdown will arrive soon.