Protect Net Neutrality

What does Net Neutrality have to do with paddling?

What does net neutrality have to do with paddling and paddling.com? As it turns out, a lot. Paddling.com is run by a small team of five people and we run on a shoestring budget.  We are passionate about using paddling.com to help everyone get out on the water.

Right now, we have the luxury of using a completely free and open Internet. However, there is a movement afoot to end that practice which could have dire consequences for paddling.com and many other small websites.  

If the proposed changes in the FCC regulations do pass on December 14, paddling.com and your other favorite sites could be relegated to the super-slow lane of the Internet.  That means you could wait a long time for every page on paddling.com to load.

Help us keep the internet open:

Take under two minutes to submit your comments to the FCC by December 13 prior to the vote planned for December 14.

We have included step-by-step instructions below along with more resources from a wide variety of voices.

Net Neutrality summed up in one cartoon

From the Star Tribune

Net Neutrality Explained

Net Neutrality can be a fairly complex idea to understand.  John Oliver does a great job explaining this complicated concept. A word of caution - there are some NSFW (not safe for work) four-letter words.

Need more opinions?  See more resources below.

Submit Your Comments to the FCC

Submitting comments to the FCC is rather tricky so we have provided step-by-step instructions.  It will take you less than two minutes to complete. But if you want an easier method, you can add your name to the consumer's union net neutrality petition instead.

1. Go to the FCC page for this proceeding and click on Express
   
   https://www.fcc.gov/ecfs/search/proceedings?q=name:((17-108))
   
   Yes, it is the odd looking page like this:

   

2. Complete the form
   You can use the pre-written comments below or write your own.
   
   Note: You are filing a document into an official FCC proceeding. All information submitted, including names and addresses, will be publicly available via the web.
   
   

   

   
   Sample Comments:
   I urge you to stop the FCC's plan to end net neutrality *before* the FCC's December 14th vote. I don't want ISPs to have the power to block websites, slow them down, give some sites an advantage over others, split the Internet into "fast lanes" for companies that pay and "slow lanes" for the rest, or force me to buy special "tiers" to access the sites and services I choose. But that's exactly what the FCC plan would do. Please read it: https://apps.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-347927A1.pdf Blocking & throttling by ISPs is a serious problem. Comcast has throttled Netflix, AT&T blocked FaceTime, Time Warner Cable throttled the popular game League of Legends, and Verizon admitted it will introduce fast lanes for sites that pay-and slow lanes for everyone else-if the FCC lifts the rules. This hurts consumers and businesses large and small. If some companies can pay ISPs to have their content load faster, startups and small businesses that can't pay those fees won't be able to compete. This will kill the open marketplace that has enabled millions of small businesses and created America’s 5 most valuable companies. Without strong net neutrality protections, Internet providers will effectively be able to impose a tax on every sector of the American economy. Moreover, under Chairman Pai's plan, ISPs will be able to make it more difficult to access political speech that they don't like. They'll be able to charge fees for website delivery that would make it harder for blogs, nonprofits, artists, and others who can't pay up to have their voices heard. If the FCC passes their current order, every Internet user and business in this country will be unprotected from abuse by Internet providers, and the consequences will be dire. Please publicly support net neutrality protections by denouncing the FCC's current plan. Do whatever you can to stop Chairman Pai, to ensure that businesses and Internet users remain protected.
   
   

3. Review and Submit Your Comments
   You are almost done.  Be sure to review your submission and then hit the SUBMIT button.
   
   
   

   

4. Verify your comments were received
   Verify you get to Step 3 on the FCC site. You can confirm this when the status shows as RECEIVED.
   
   

   

Resources

Explanations of Net Neutrality

• Consumer's Union (publisher of Consumer Reports) What is Network Neutrality
• NBC News: Explaining “Net Neutrality” [Video]

Pros and Cons + Impacts of Net Neutrality

• Vittana.org: 13 Pros and Cons of Net Neutrality
• Fox News: How the FCC's move on net neutrality could impact consumers
• NBC News: Ending net neutrality will destroy everything that makes the internet great
• PBS News Hour: How will rolling back net neutrality affect consumers? You’ll have to read the fine print.
• Digital Trends: Verizon Wireless Throttling Video Traffic