Can Canada’s social media defend themselves?
p2pnet news view Freedom | P2P:- Social media is a term used to describe web-based tools, spaces and practices people use to interact and share information online, says Steve Anderson, national co-ordinator of the Campaign for Democratic Media and co-founder of the SaveOurNet.ca coalition.
Social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, “provide online tools that can be used for practices such as sharing media and engaging in online conversations, while also providing users with online personal space that form a repository of shared media and social interactions,” he says.
Anderson, who’s written for the Toronto Star, Epoch Times, Adbusters, Canadian Dimension, among others, says social media are participatory in a much deeper way than most traditional (offline) media.
They represent an ecosystem in their own right.
But will they defend themselves when the open internet, the very well-spring of their existence, is threatened? – he asks, going on »»»
With traditional media like television, audience members mostly participate passively by consuming what is produced by others. In stark contrast, online social media represent something of a return to a pre-print oral culture – more of a ongoing dialogue than a form of production and consumption – in the form of commentary, anecdotes, and shared stories (in various forms).
Through social media the means of communication, the means of producing social meaning, narratives, and values have been returned to what Dan Gilmore calls “the people formally known as the audience.”
The Threat
Animated by networked conversations and shared media, the amalgamation of social media produces a living, breathing, interlinked media ecosystem. The question in my mind is, will this ecosystem defend itself when its very source of subsistence, the open Internet, is threatened?This is not some abstract, hypothetical question: In the coming days Canada’s federal communications regulator, the Canadian Radio-television Telecommunication Commission will issue a landmark ruling that has huge implications for the Internet in Canada. The CRTC decision will help determine whether Bell and other big telecoms can continue to throttle, and thus increasingly control, Internet traffic. This is certainly not going to be the final battle over Canada’s Internet, but it is a key battle.
Bell and other major Internet Service Providers (ISPs) are already slowing down (”throttling”) online peer-to-peer (P2P) applications. In essence, this means we the users of the Internet already do not have access to all the Internet has to offer. If you’re trying to watch a CBC show online and it takes a day to download because you’re using a P2P application, as audience members reported last February, the limitations are quite real.
With the launch of Bell’s unthrottled video store that competes with independent content using P2P applications, we already have a de facto tiered Internet in many markets; work with Bell you can get on the fast unthrottled lane, use independent peer-to-peer applications and deal with a slow lane with unreliable service.
Perhaps more frightening, Internet throttling is not only limiting media choice, it is also scaring away innovation.
If you were an online innovator that wanted to utilize P2P services, why would you start your service in Canada where it is uncertain whether or not you and the users of your services will have open access to the applications you need? Will the next NowPublic, TheREALnews, or Biro Creative be scared away by the impending ISP gatekeepers?
If this “throttling” persists we can expect some innovators to move their activities south of the boarder. After all, the US Federal Communication Commission is set to uphold “net neutrality” rules, and thus the open Internet, by punishing Comcast for throttling service. Furthermore, President elect Barack Obama has put forth a plan that supports the open Internet, and the newly elected congress is poised to make net neutrality law.
A functioning Internet Immune System?
Popular Canadian blogger Cory Doctorow suggests that the Internet has developed an immune system that attacks what threatens it. We saw this with the the remarkable movement for fair copyright legislation in Canada – the result of an uprising of concerned Internet users. The 1.5 million American citizens who lobbied politicians in 2007, demanding an open Internet, is further testimony to Cory Doctorow’s assertion.But there are a number of factors that differ between the U.S. and Canada. One factor is that the U.S. has powerful and well-funded media reform organizations, led by FreePress, which launched the SaveTheInternet.com coalition. Our own Campaign for Democratic Media is a very far cry from FreePress even if we factor in the relative population size. Secondly, the U.S. battle hit just as blogs were becoming a major political force, and as YouTube was gaining a critical mass.
In Canada, while the clout of media reform organizations is only beginning to grow, social media began to show their relevance in the recent federal election with groups like AnyoneButHarper, and Vote for The Environment. And in the just past Vancouver civic elections, social media was certainly a major force. Vancouverites using Facebook would have been hard pressed to avoid the onslaught of election-related Facebook groups and events, blogs, tweets, and a myriad of spontaneous online conversations. So the question remains: if social media have breached the political power threshold, as it appears, will its immune system be triggered by the current threat posed by Internet throttling? Will the social media community mobilize to save Canada’s Internet?
The Conservative federal government is NOT inclined to support an open Internet. To keep a level playing field on the Internet we’ll need a robust citizens movement to put pressure on politicians and policy makers and shape policy that protects equal access. The social web community can provide the foundation for this burgeoning movement – perhaps even serve as a catalyst. Consider this a call to action.
Get involved at:http://saveournet.ca
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Net access blocked by governm
November 18th, 2008 at 6:42 pm
I’ve composed the following letter that I’m sending around the web, I also sent it Michael Geist for his feedback; here’s my letter:
While we all await the CRTC’s decision on Bell Canada’s right to throttle third party ISP’s; I’ve thought of a very creative way to prevent Bell’s throttling. The world’s industrial countries are finally waking up to the impact of global warming and how we are overloading the planet’s ability to process this overload of CO2 emissions. Well Bell Canada is saying only a handful of people are using up 95% of its capacity (that’s too unbelievable to be true) via bit torrent usage, if that’s the case then Bell should be able to easily monitor the heavy users and throttle them but only slightly. However, Bell isn’t targeting a small minority of heavy users, I only use bit torrent occasionally and I’m throttled over 90%! Right now as I speak, I’m only getting 25 kB/s as my download speed but at peak times I’ll average 400 kB/s download (I have high-speed DSL)! I don’t keep my computer on continually but I’m forced to run my computer more hours, use more electricity, my hydro bills end up being more and I’m putting out more CO2 emissions by my unnecessary use of running my computer!
Bell Canada rather than just increasing its cabling capacity, which in fact as a sole monopoly of DSL lines should be mandated via its CRTC license to increase its Internet capacity to meet the need of Canadians; Bell is just trying to restrict usage! That’s like the province of Ontario being negligent to expanding the highway capacity so rather than build more highways and expand the lane capacity of the current highway system the Ontario government would severely restrict the capacity of the highways during peak hours–that’s not a solution. Just trying to restrict access to highways doesn’t solve the problem, it just piles onto the misery of the problems of traffic flow! Similarly, Bell Canada is just trying to hide under the covers rather than trying to increase its capacity to meet the ever increasing demand for the Internet by Canadians. Hiding under the covers isn’t going to solve the ever expanding demand of Internet users!
So my creative challenge is that in this era of carbon emission awareness by the public and the possibility of the federal government adding a carbon tax to consumers’ usage of greenhouse polluting energy; Bell’s throttling is forcing all Internet users into being energy hogs! The green movement is based on trying to accomplish the same tasks with less energy or should I say by using less carbon polluting energy sources. But I, as an electricity consumer only have one alternative, to use electricity that’s connected to the ‘grid’, these days it’s only the very few that have technology to maintain their home ‘off the grid’. Thus, when Bell throttles the average consumer such as myself, I’m forced to leave on my computer 3, 4 or even 5 times as long as I would if I wasn’t throttled in order to retrieve the same data from the Internet. So now if you multiply myself by the total amount of Canadians that are throttled by Bell Canada and if you then add up the enormous amount of extra kilowatt hours we are all forced to use because of Bell’s throttling–well that’s a hell of alot of unnecessary carbon loading to the planet!
So Bell’s throttling in the age of global warming awareness no longer just becomes a CRTC business decision but this now becomes an environmental decision! As a result, I believe Canadians can use legal environmental challenges against Bell’s decision to throttle! Throttling a few heavy users is one thing but Bell throttling every average Internet user such as myself is directly causing more greenhouse emissions to be dumped into the environment, thus Bell is guilty of advancing global warming! If anything, Bell should increase its Internet capacity and the speed users can access the Internet so as to allow Canadians to use the Internet faster and unplug their computers quicker! This could even become a slogan in the future, fast Internet: get on–get off and unplug!
What do you think?
November 18th, 2008 at 8:48 pm
Shenanigans– ^^
I lost you at the global warming part. You can calculate the size of your carbon foot print in your mouth.
But really, why does bell/rogers get to decide what kind of internet traffic I use? and I agree with the blogger: the internet has developed an immune system.
Nice article Jon.
November 20th, 2008 at 2:22 am
I lost you at global warming? How much clearer could I have been? OK let me put it in terms of the average Canada–are you smarter than a 5th grader?
1) Leaving on your computer longer causes you to use more electricity; true or false?
2) Answer: TRUE
3) So duh…I was saying if you’re being throttled by Bell, you need to leave your computer on longer to retrieve the same amount of information than if you weren’t being throttled!
4) So by Bell throttling everybody, more computers are running longer, therefore more electricity needs to be used and if you’re getting part or all of you’re electricity through coal, oil or natural gas fired power plants than more unnecessary carbon will be released into the environment!
GET IT NOW? Are smarter than a 5th grader?
November 20th, 2008 at 2:58 am
but not all people turn off their computer do you get it? so how am i wasting any extra electricity through throttling?
and the intelligence card was well played considering you have no idea based on my comment what my education is.
November 20th, 2008 at 3:02 am
FYI I run a small network of computers 24/7 I could care less how much electricity I use. No corporation is going to change the way they do business because of a group of tree huggers. I dont agree with throttling but this is totally side stepping the hole subject of net neutrality; trying to merge it with environmentalism is not going to help give weight to the cause.
November 20th, 2008 at 7:11 am
That’s right, if you don’t agree with somebody–insult them! Again, I say then are you smarter than a 5th grader, NO! Because only children insult other children when they don’t understand a problem and/or don’t agree with the other children!
I’m sick and tired of inputting ideas to forums and being insulted! It doesn’t matter what forum I’m in, it could be about using a specific type of application but if I lay out point by point to somebody how to get a task done; always and I mean always there’s some A-holes who have to insult me! And the last 2 comments are typical, if it doesn’t apply to you then fine but don’t insult me! If I’m in a forum about Firefox 2 and then some A-hole says I’m an idiot–just update to Firefox 3! Or for example, people insult me when I’m taking about AVG Free, that’s the topic but I get insulted from jerks saying I’m a loser AVG sucks and they use something else!
So got it! The last 2 comments are absolutely useless, out of context and inapplicable to my topic but yet you A-holes have to insult me because you have lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots of money to BURN!!!! Well I don’t and that’s the topic! If this subject matter isn’t applicable to you then SHUT UP AND DON”T POST!!! That’s how forums work!!
AND YOU DON’T INSULT PEOPLE!!!!
If you have the luxury to keep you computer on 24/7 then you’re in the minority of people! I’m not a tree hugger, I don’t run my shower 24/7! I don’t run my stove 24/7! I don’t keep my TV on 24/7! I don’t keep my car engine running 24/7!
AND I DON’T KEEP MY COMPUTER RUNNING 24/7!!
November 20th, 2008 at 10:06 am
im sorry.. but the internet doesn’t care about your sense of entitlement Donald. Everyone is allowed to share their opinion.
Please dont forget whose bandwidth, disk space, and electricity your wasting with your rants. opinion +1
November 20th, 2008 at 10:45 am
quote:
Iâm sick and tired of inputting ideas to forums and being insulted! It doesnât matter what forum Iâm in, it could be about using a specific type of application but if I lay out point by point to somebody how to get a task done; always and I mean always thereâs some A-holes who have to insult me!
There is one common denominator in your plight Donald, its you. If you are consistently being insulted in EVERY forum you post to, then perhaps you should consider the fact that you might be the issue, and not the forums. Or are you the only one in the world smarter than a 5th grader, and everyone else in the world is not.
Better yet, get a life and stop posting to forums, and you won’t be insulted anymore. Get it?
November 20th, 2008 at 5:05 pm
FINE then FUCK ALL OF YOU!!!
You’ve just proved exactly me point! None of you know the etiquette to how Internet forums work so I’m off of this one and I’m complaining to the person running this website!
I’ve stated Internet forums are topic specific, why don’t you look up how there supposed to function: no going off topic, no spamming, no flaring (that’s intentionally insulting a poster for his/her opinion), etc. If you don’t follow the rules then you don’t have a forum, all you have is the equivalent is brick wall with gangsters spraying their vulgar graffiti over each other!
So I congratulate all of you for destroying this forum! Well done–now there’s no room for anyone to constructively add comments! You’ve single-handily destroyed what forums are about!
November 22nd, 2008 at 3:29 pm
you start out harsh, and vindictive and expect sympathy.
sorry, my bad., I thought I had a valid argument and never once called u names.
I rest MY case as well bigdaddy D.
November 22nd, 2008 at 5:12 pm
Good article Steve, thanx for posting it Jon
Good idea Donald even though it’s been thought of before and many are on the case.
“but not all people turn off their computer do you get it? so how am i wasting any extra electricity through throttling?”
- because you are still wasting electricity … and that’s Your fault!
- your intelligence speaks for it’s self
“… trying to merge it with environmentalism is not going to help give weight to the cause”
- WRONG! … it’s all part of it: business, abusive business, waste, neocons, elite, religions, WTO, IMF, restrictive laws, freedom of speech, duping the population, gun control, child porn, EVERYTHING!
FYI: this is a WAR! .. a war against all humans on Earth by the ruling class. Mainly backtracked to biggest bankers on the planet and their associates [governments, businesses, Vatican, Satanic cults, Scientology, tyrants, freemansuns above 3rd deg., jesuits, fundamentalists etc.]
try to watch Zeitgeist:
http://video.google.ca/videoplay?docid=-594683847743189197&ei=qmgoSZexK5Lu-gGnpazzBg&q=zeitgeist&hl=en&dur=3
and :
Zeitgeist Addendum:
http://video.google.ca/videoplay?docid=7065205277695921912&ei=A2koSe7DB5Lu-gGnpazzBg&q=zeitgeist+addendum&hl=en&dur=3
and Enki Sumerian Tablets Translation: [full 14 chapters and parts thereof]
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=enki+sumerian+tablet+translation&search_type=&aq=-1&oq=
and see the real FULL story.
When you’re done and Understand it come back and I’ll be glad to discuss it with you.
If you don’t I/we will understand that you are just another programmed little slave of elite tyrants satanic cult. As William Cooper would say “sheeple”
Enjoy
November 23rd, 2008 at 12:01 am
âbut not all people turn off their computer do you get it? so how am i wasting any extra electricity through throttling?â
- because you are still wasting electricity ⦠and thatâs Your fault!
- your intelligence speaks for itâs self
sadly… you missed the point freeman and I do enjoy your comments most the time
I have seen both zeitgeists you are not introducing anything new. Even Jacques fresco can admit we will still need electricity until every person is fully self sustainable … even then their will alway be an abundance of electricity more than any other resource. Tthe computers are left on for a business I run however at night they are in ’standby’ mode (except the main server) but nonetheless they remain turned on. How do you think this particular website is run freeman? I assume you understand how servers work. The entire internet would not function the way it does without servers pumping queries and bandwidth 24/7 ?
November 24th, 2008 at 11:23 am
Electricity is not something that can be stored, it’s constantly generated. Not using electricity wastes it.
November 25th, 2008 at 2:05 pm
I am from Vancouver, Canada, I am hoping that Canada takes the initiative to ensure that people such as myself continue to have the right to publish my opinion without the possible threat from Homeland security of inadvertently be put on a no-fly-list in the U.S. My border crossing over the years had become more and more strange. The last time the U.S. Border customs suggested that a telephone bill should accompany me next time I go into the U.S. Also, one piece of luggage, that was important to me was held at the YVR. I ended cutting my trip short by two-weeks, returning before my return ticket time, and guess what, I get a call from the airport that my missing piece of luggage is in Vancouver. I do not have a criminal record, I have not traveled to any war-zone countries. We have a current case of a law abiding Canadian that is a retiree who found out for some reason she got on a no-fly list not in Canada but in U.S.A. The only way that this country will research her case is she causes some notice to herself in that country. What about the one Canadian stuck in prison on the island in Cuba, picked up at the age of 15 years old. So, for me, a law abiding Canadian citizen, it is becoming very tiresome that I am randomly selected for extra security checks to go back to Canada. So, here you go for my food for thought today.