3:23 PM
Paul B
Through my Stumbles while waiting for patches on a VMWare ESXi VM Template I am creating, I happened upon a really interesting image. It's from the guys over at Tech Dirt, and it was created based on concerns from many people including myself because of all the legislation coming down the pike that threatens the last true free realm, the Internet.
That being said, I don't know if the U.S. Government will recognize such a declaration. I mean will this stop them from writing legislation like SOPA, PIPA, COICA and others? Probably not. It is however, a great way to get the word out that we are not going to take this stuff lying down.
From Tech Dirt's page:
A whole bunch of organizations and individuals are getting together today to launch the beginning of a process, the creation of an Internet Declaration of Freedom. We've seen how the internet has been under attack from various directions, and we recognize that it's time to make that stop. The internet is an incredible platform that we want to grow and to thrive, and thus, a very large coalition got together to produce the following document as a starting point, hoping to kick off a much larger discussion which we hope you'll join in.
Check it out:
If you have a problem viewing the picture here is a text version:
Declaration of Internet Freedom
We stand for a free and open Internet. We support transparent and participatory processes for making Internet policy and the establishment of five basic principles:- Expression: Don't censor the Internet.
- Access: Promote universal access to fast and affordable networks.
- Openness: Keep the Internet an open network where everyone is free to connect, communicate, write, read, watch, speak, listen, learn, create and innovate.
- Innovation: Protect the freedom to innovate and create without permission. Don’t block new technologies, and don’t punish innovators for their users' actions.
- Privacy: Protect privacy and defend everyone’s ability to control how their data and devices are used.
I personally think these guys have kept something so important short, sweet and to the point. I think this is basically what we all want. If you feel like they missed something though, you can vote for each principle, or add your own on their Step2 Discussion page.
What do you think about it? Let us know in the comments! Want to sign the declaration? You can do it here: (Sign the Declaration of Internet Freedom)
