The Learning Center

Does the Internet seem a bit different to you today? Are you noticing a mass amount of loading icons? You aren’t going crazy and it’s not just the middle of the week blues – today is the Internet Slowdown.

All over the Internet, websites are using the symbolic loading icon to raise awareness for a major issue facing websites and the state of the Internet as we know it.

To make a long story a bit shorter, according to CNN, the Federal Communications Commission proposed allowing large communications companies such as Comcast, AT&T, Time Warner Cable and Verizon Wireless to charge major websites such as Netflix for prioritized access to consumers. 

This isn’t the first time cable companies have tried to take over, but now is the time to take a stand. Imagine having to pay a fee to load videos, pictures and other types of content at full speed. If you didn’t, you would wait ages for content to load.

On the other side of the deal, the proposed allowance for these major companies to also charge popular, global websites such as Amazon, Netflix, Youtube and more, a fee to stay in front of their users. Therefore, your small business website would be put in the slow lane in comparison to gigantic companies who would be able to pay.

Luckily, many of these websites are against this proposed allowance. And for that, we thank them! Here’s a handful (but certainly not all!) of the websites against Team Cable:

• Reddit
• Netflix
• Tumblr
• Upworthy
• Etsy
• Foursquare
• Kickstarter
• Vimeo

Net Neutrality

Net neutrality argues that Internet providers should treat all types content across the Internet equally.  Today, September 10^th, many well-known websites including Reddit are displaying the “Spinning Wheel of Death” on their website to inform users of the impending doom of the Internet if Team Cable won.   

Imagine having to pay even more for your Netflix subscription, all to make it load faster. Popular websites, such as Buzzfeed, would load at ridiculously low speeds if they refused to pay the Internet providers for ‘premium access to users’.

Organizations such as the Battle for the Net are combatting these cable companies.

Interested in keeping the Internet a level playing field for all involved? Show your support today! Learn more at the following sites:

• Net Neutrality
• Battle for the Net
• The Open Internet
• A Neutral Guide to Net Neutrality