It’s been widely reported that Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) is a self-admitted “illiterate” when it comes to computers. But some have suggested that he could still put forward sound technology policy because he surrounds himself with tech-savvy advisers, such as former Hewlett-Packard chairman and CEO Carly Fiorina and former eBay president and CEO Meg Whitman.While most of the industry leaders understand the significance and importance of Net Neutrality, remember that John McCain has long been an enemy of Net Neutrality and clearly does not understand how his ideas would kill any real value, monetary or otherwise, that the Internet provides to everyone...But it’s unclear how much he is listening to them. Yesterday, McCain finally released his technology platform. (Until this time, “technology” was not even listed in the Issues section of his campaign website.) His plan supposedly focuses on innovation, but in reality, it often repeats McCain’s previous non-innovative positions, such as his opposition to net neutrality:
When Regulation Is Warranted, John McCain Acts. John McCain does not believe in prescriptive regulation like “net-neutrality,” but rather he believes that an open marketplace with a variety of consumer choices is the best deterrent against unfair practices.
This position is misguided and opposed by major Internet innovators. As Free Press explains, net neutrality preserves a “free and open Internet” by prevening “from blocking, speeding up or slowing down Web content based on its source, ownership or destination.”
On April 5, 2006, technology industry leaders wrote to Congress and asked it to preserve net neutrality.
Just look at the moronic position McCain took, from this vintage brew, in December of 2006, raising the ire of the everyone in the Blogosphere. Left, right and center included:
McCain has Gone COMPLETELY OFF THE DEEP END!How anybody could trust the bumbling and foolish John McCain with with anything, never mind voting for him as the POTUS, is beyond comprehension?This isn't about child porn... This is about shutting down the Blogosphere. That's it in a right-wingnut-shell. That is all there is to say. McCain has completely and totaly lost his effin' mind.
"Because "social-networking site" isn't defined, it could encompass far more than just MySpace.com, Friendster and similar sites. The list could include: Slashdot, which permits public profiles; Amazon.com, which permits author profiles and personal lists; and blogs like RedState that show public profiles. In addition, media companies like News.com publisher CNET Networks permit users to create profiles of favorite games, gadgets and music.Not only will the left blogosphere start pounding him on this BUT the right-wingnuts will spazz out on this in their typical fanatical fashion. CT Bob has already found some signs of the twitching in right-wingnutosphere."This constitutionally dubious proposal is being made apparently mostly based on fear or political considerations rather than on the facts," said EFF's Bankston. Studies by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children show the online sexual solicitation of minors has dropped in the past five years, despite the growth of social-networking services, he said."
Think Progress has more on this:– Commercial websites and personal blogs “would be required to report illegal images or videos posted by their users or pay fines of up to $300,000.”This could wreak havoc on sites like MLN, dKos and other big communities. Nevermind the fact that little Blogs like your Blogspot could end up shutting down completely. How many of us can afford a $300,000 dollar fine?
– Internet service providers (ISPs) are already required to issue such reports, but under McCain’s legislation, bloggers with comment sections may face “even stiffer penalties” than ISPs.
— Social networking sites will be forced to take “effective measures” — such as deleting user profiles — to remove any website that is “associated” with a sex offender. Sites may include not only Facebook and MySpace, but also Amazon.com, which permits author profiles and personal lists, and blogs like DailyKos, which allows users to sign up for personal diaries.
Imagine MLN or dKos if they had to turn off the comments features for fear of one person adding a link to the wrong address? The entire freeflow of thought that has built the left's internet think tank would effectively be muzzled. And how the hell do they stop this in other countries? They can't enforce this here unless they cut the American internet off from the rest of the world.
The moronic McCain has just surpassed Kerry by a longshot as the biggest joke in the Blogosphere. Unlike Kerry's botched joke, McCain has willfully chosen to commit political suicide. I guess that will makes him the punchline too!
And if that isn't enough they are also attacking us from everywhere on other Blogging issues! Kidspeak has an excellent piece on how the politicians (on both sides) will be taking the failed federal attempts at muzzling us down to a state level in "Net Neutrality: Strangling netroots state by state." Figure the odds that "we see the political power of the netroots begin to be strangled, with the fine help of a DLC-approved Democratic governor."
We have to pay close attention to these issues. We will only get one shot at stopping all of this madness and after that the Blogosphere as we know may cease to exist.
