It seems that all anyone in the web community can talk about these days is net neutrality. For many people who don’t spend their days in active development like we do at CodeGeek, the constant yammering may have turned into the equivalent of listening to Charlie Brown’s teacher.
But that would be a shame because net neutrality isn’t just an issue important for web developers. It’s for EVERYONE. And if things go south, then that “wah wah wah” will turn into a “Whaaaat?!” when you try to access your favorite content on the internet.
Tech journalist Dave Roos explains the basic premise of the issue this way:
The internet has evolved so quickly and works so well precisely because the technology behind the Internet is neutral. In other words, the physical cables, routers, switches, servers and software that run the Internet treat every byte of data equally. A streaming movie from Netflix shares the same crowded fiber optic cable as the pictures from your niece’s birthday. The Internet doesn’t pick favorites. That, at its core, is what net neutrality means.
As with any issue, there’s much more to net neutrality—and its impact on our lives—than just this simple statement. But if the prospect of the internet picking favorites kinda worries you, then welcome to the club and consider what you can do.
Step 1: Learn more about net neutrality.
Take advantage of our currently free internet by learning what you can about this issue. You can start with Dave Roos’ article 10 Reasons Why You Should Care About Net Neutrality, and then move on to Wired’s FIGHT: The WIRED Guide to Net Neutrality.
Step 2: Write to Congress.
Battleforthenet.com has a simple form in place that allows you to send a letter to your congressperson. It takes less than a minute but the cumulative impact could be huge.
Step 3: Talk about net neutrality with others.
Now that you know more about net neutrality, share that knowledge with others. CodeGeek supports—and is fighting to protect—net neutrality. If you have questions about it, we’re happy to chat with you.
Featured image credit: battleforthenet.com