Mitch Kapor's Blog

It’s an oddity of the present moment that so many believe America is on the wrong track (71% according to recent CBS poll) but yet there is a lack of broad-based political participation (e.g. chronic low voter turnout).

You would think that widespread dissatisfaction (Iraq, Congressional corruption, price of gas) would give rise to intense efforts to improve the situation, but instead there is general passivity, active political web sites of the right and left notwithstanding.

My speculation is that people simply aren’t moved by the choices they see.  There is no belief that candidates of either party would really make a difference in setting us on a different course, in meeting the challenge of getting onto the right track.  So, being as practical as they can, people go about their lives.   If we’re not numb, we know there is something really wrong.

There’s a huge opportunity for political leadership at all levels that is willing to be courageously independent.

Tom Friedman comes out for a third party in his column in today’s NYT. I could get enthusiastic about this.

“There is something really disturbing about the utterly shameless, utterly over-the-top Republican pandering and Democratic point-scoring that have been masquerading as governing in response to this energy crisis.”

“Combine a huge leadership vacuum on a huge issue with an Internet that has proved itself as an alternative platform for organizing, financing and energizing a political campaign outside the Washington establishment, and you have the makings of a credible third party.”

Al Gore, are you listening?

Alternet story on network neutrality:

Rep. Ed Markey (D-MA) threw down the gauntlet just moments ago, introducing the Network Neutrality Act of 2006 [full text HERE], which “[offers a] choice between favoring the broadband designs of a small handful of very large companies, and safeguarding the dreams of thousands of inventors, entrepreneurs, and small businesses. This legislation is designed to save the Internet and thwart those who seek to fundamentally and detrimentally alter the Internet as we know it.”

Things you can do:

1. SIGN a Net Neutrality petition to Congress.

2. CALL Congress now. Especially, tell your rrepresentatives in the House to support Markey’s Net Neutrality Act of 2006, but educate your senators on this issue too, as the fight will soon move there.

3. WRITE A LETTER to Congress.

4. MYSPACE: Add “Save the Internet” as a friend.

5. Check out the BLOG RESOURCES about this issue, including “Save the Internet” logo.

6. VISIT the SavetheInternet coalition Web site for more information.

Network neutrality defined (adapted from the Wikipedia article)

Network neutrality is a principle of network operational architecture. It means that the network is operated under the three principles of neutrality: non-discrimination, interconnection, and access. The principles can apply to any network. They govern the operation of the network, not the content or business practices of the network operator.

Non-discrimination means that all traffic over the network is treated the same, including the traffic originating with the network operator.

Internconnection means that network operators have both a duty of interconnection and a right of interconnection to any other network operator.

Access means that any end user can connect to any other end-user.