Namecheap has been advocating for net neutrality for quite some time, and the company has been alerting customers and the public at large in a variety of ways. With the FCC’s comment deadline approaching, Namecheap launched a website on NetNeutrality.com to help advocate for this important issue.
At the present time, the website allows visitors to submit comments to the FCC before the end of the comment period. I would assume the website will continue to fight for net neutrality even after the comment period ends.
Net neutrality is an important issue, and I think the press release (published below) announcing the launch of the NetNeutrality.com website gives more details about this and about why Namecheap is involved in the fight. Visit NetNeutrality.com to leave your comment ASAP.
Press release from Namecheap:
Leading Domain Registrar Namecheap Strikes Hard for Open Internet through Reclassification with Launch of NetNeutrality.com
Company that supports more than three million domain names says lasting net neutrality is essential to the Internet economy, encourages customers to submit comments to FCC before midnight deadline.
With 12 hours to go before the new deadline that closes the first round of comments in the FCC’s net neutrality proceeding, leading domain registrar Namecheap swooped in to strike hard on the side of an open Internet by launching NetNeutrality.com, an action site encouraging Internet users to continue bombarding the FCC with comments in support of Title II reclassification to protect the Internet in the public interest.
The FCC extended the original Wednesday comment deadline after various grassroots advocacy efforts like Fight for the Futures BattleForTheNet.com action site flooded the FCC site with comments, causing it to go offline. As of Thursday July 17th, the FCC has received 1,030,000 comments, according to Gigi Sohn, Special Counsel for External Affairs for the FCC.
“Over one million people depend on Namecheap to power their websites,” said Richard Kirkendall, Namecheaps CEO and Founder, “We have a moral responsibility to do everything we can as a company to defend the free and open Internet, ensuring that every single one of our customers can make their voice heard.
This is a crucial moment where we need every single voice raised demanding real net neutrality through Title II reclassification, said Evan Greer, Campaign Manager at Fight for the Future. Net neutrality is the free speech fight of our generation. Its great to see so many voices, from huge sites to tiny blogs lining up to stand on Team Internet against any form of censorship online.
When net neutrality is defeated, many startups and mom-and-pop businesses won’t be able to afford the extortion fees that will be demanded by the last mile monopolies (Verizon, Comcast, etc.) to be removed from the slow lane. What does that do to domain demand when those buyers are diminished?
“mom-and-pop businesses won’t be able to afford the extortion fees that will be demanded by the last mile monopolies (Verizon, Comcast, etc.”
Businesses big and small are being extorted by these very companies right now, what they charge businesses for phone and internet is over 3 times what they charge for residences, open an office or store and you’ll find out.. The extortion doesn’t stop there, Government does the same thing when they force their regulations onto businesses, helping to tear down those Mom-and-pops that are responsible for stimulating economic growth and providing employment opportunities.. And they wonder why our labor force is at it’s lowest since 1979.
Not sure what gov’t regulations you’re referring to because you didn’t state specifically what they were.
But as far as this topic goes, regulation is the key to the issue. There definitely needs to be a change in classification from information services to Title II as John mentioned (warts and all). Give some clear authority back to the FCC so they can have some teeth in the game, not some mealy mouthed “commercially reasonable” oversight. Then Wheeler won’t be able to fall back on his lobbyist roots so easily and will be forced to pick a side.
So far the only reason why they haven’t rubber stamped the demise of net neutrality is because of the lawyers on the content side. Google, Netflix and the rest are formidable, let’s hope they can fend the cartels off for a while longer.
The “Libertarian” position on Net neutrality is already quite well known, Raider, and you can also see what I just wrote to you in the “You Should be Happy That I am Willing to Sell” thread. The “Republican” position is more or less the same or worse as well apparently. It’s a truly sad day for America indeed. And while the Democrats seem to generally have gotten this one right in my view, it is nonetheless most extremely worth noting who and what the background of the current FCC chairman is. More on that in the John Oliver video and the link I added here. The Republicans, however, have apparently gotten it right on the other issue of Internet oversight I also mentioned here, along with President Clinton as an apparent exception among Democrats in general. What a world, what a state of affairs. Glad I’m independent, though, or else my party, ideology, or affiliation might keep me from being able to think and write as freely as I do here.
Thanks for posting this, Elliot, and I’m glad Namecheap is doing this.
Title II reclassification is definitely the long overdue answer and a no-brainer the size of Mt. Everest.
Writing to the FCC is still a good idea and I recommend doing so either in a public comment or at the commissioners email addresses if one does not want to make a public comment: http://www.fcc.gov/contact-us.
Nonetheless, people have been making their voice heard on this issue to the FCC for years now to no avail, so writing to them alone may also be something of “a fool’s errand” while still being a good idea one should not neglect at the same time. Therefore, I strongly recommend doing more than that by contacting other government officials. Read this excellent article from April:
“The FCC is about to axe-murder net neutrality. Don’t get mad – get even”
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/apr/24/fcc-net-neutrality-tom-wheeler-stop-rules
“The former cable and wireless industry lobbyist Tom Wheeler is re-writing rules in favor of the telecom giants – not you, me or the internet. Here’s what you can do to stop him”
And yes, definitely watch the John Oliver video embedded at NetNetrality.com. It’s excellent.
Finally, as if life, the world as you know it, and your life’s business wasn’t hanging in the balance with the Net Neutrality issue alone, on a related note let’s all keep in mind that the issue and conflict over Internet oversight is quietly underway now as well. The most recent news makes it look like it’s become only a partisan issue, but President Clinton also opposes the transfer. In truth and reality it’s as bipartisan and nonpartisan an issue as it gets.
A word on the John Oliver video embedded at NetNeutrality.com now, while this thread remains sadly dormant. I had watched it some weeks ago for the first time and thought it was great. For some reason upon finding this DI post and visiting NetNeutrality.com yesterady, I was in the mood to sit through the whole thing again. It’s over 10 minutes, so you have to be motivated. What I found was that it was even better the second time around, even funnier, and I even had become mindful of a little more cultural knowledge in the interim to appreciate the video a little bit more. This video is one of the most perfect blends of absolutely serious and crushing incisiveness combined with incredible simultaneous humor I have ever seen. It cracked me up all the way through with abundant and heavy laughing out loud while making serious points and conveying important info with serious implications at each step. And as you watch the video, whenever a moment arises where you think it might not be as wonderfully funny as it has been any more, you get hit with it again. Anyone who cares even the slightest about this issue and doesn’t watch this famous video is definitely missing out.
Well said, John. It’s worth pointing out the Level 3 blog posts for those who haven’t seen them, plus a clear explanation of the issue from the infrastructure level. Not to mention the irrefutable data about how the ISPs keep getting caught with their collective hands in the cookie jar. Two samples:
http://blog.level3.com/global-connectivity/observations-internet-middleman/
http://blog.level3.com/global-connectivity/verizons-accidental-mea-culpa/
Thanks SL.