Our Latest Stories:

Today in Palo Alto, there is a public hearing with officials from the FCC. The hearing has to do with the development of the Internet.

A couple of important issues ought to be discussed in the meeting. First, there’s the issue of network neutrality - making sure that everyone who uses the Internet has got the same basic infrastructure to work with, so that powerful corporations don’t have the power to buy one class of efficient Internet while the rest of us get relegated to a second class, slow rate of transmission.

Then there’s the matter of spying on the Internet - by our own government. The FCC should be considering methods for people to ensure the privacy of their electronic communications. Right now, the Bush Administration has been granted the power to conduct massive electronic dragnets of email, web use an other electronic communications, under the pretext to protecting us from terrorists. Well, the 300 million Americans subject to that government spying are not all terrorists. It would be appropriate for the FCC to coordinate efforts to bring some degree of privacy back to the Internet, even now that we are living in the shadow of the Protect America Act.

If you can make it to Palo Alto by noon Pacific Time today, you can go to the following location to attend the public meeting in person: Dinkelspiel Auditorium, 471 Lagunita Drive, Stanford University Palo Alto, California.

If you can’t make that physical meeting, you can still submit your comments at the following online location: http://gullfoss2.fcc.gov/prod/ecfs/upload_v2.cgi and enter proceeding number 07-52.

I just made my comment, and the system seems to be working. You can do the same, or you can choose not to be heard.