New group aims to 'Save the Internet'

NEW GROUP AIMS TO 'SAVE THE INTERNET'
[SOURCE: C-Net|News.com, AUTHOR: Anne Broache]
Days before a congressional committee is set to vote on an overhaul of the nation's telecommunications policy, a broad coalition of media, consumer and Internet groups has organized behind a dramatic tagline: "Save the Internet." Dozens of organizations ranging from the conservative-to-libertarian Gun Owners of America to the liberal group Moveon.org to the American Library Association, have just launched a Web site under the "Save the Internet" banner. During a Monday press conference call, supporters of the newly minted group at times adopted the tone of a pep rally. "The fight for Internet freedom is now being waged in earnest," said Tim Karr, campaign director for Free Press, a media reform organization that opposes large media companies and organized the coalition. "On one side you have the public...on the other side you have the nation's largest telephone and cable companies, who have aligned with some in Congress to strip the Internet of the First Amendment." At issue is a concept known as Net neutrality, also called network neutrality. It's a philosophy supported by Internet content providers such as Google, Microsoft and Amazon.com that would prohibit broadband providers from prioritizing certain types of Web traffic--such as streaming video or their own preferred content.
http://news.com.com/New+group+aims+to+save+the+Internet/2100-1034_3-6064384.html

* Save The Internet. Why? And For Whom?
http://gigaom.com/2006/04/23/save-the-internet-why-and-for-whom/