Republicans Aim to Block FCC’s New Internet Rules Before They Go Into Effect
FoxNews.com
By Stephen Clark
Published December 22, 2010
Sens. John Ensign (l) and Kay Bailey Hutchison (r) are among the Republicans who are planning to stop the FCC’s new Internet rules pushed by Chairman Julius Genachowksi (c), before they go into effect. (AP)
The Federal Communications Commission this week adopted a plan to police the web, but it will take at least a couple of months to implement the new rules – a procedural delay that could benefit Republican critics in Congress who are determined to erect a blockade.
The Internet regulations — which aim to prevent service providers from discriminating against websites and companies using their networks — cannot go into effect until 60 days have passed after they have been posted in the Federal Register. But the rules won’t be released until the dissent by commissioners who voted against them are addressed.
A source with knowledge of the FCC’s workings told FoxNews.com that the rules are likely to be made public in January, putting them on track to be enacted sometime in March.
What Do the FCC’s Net Neutrality Rules Mean for You?
PC Magazine
By: Chloe Albanesius
December 22, 2010
Net neutrality is in the headlines again, but what does it mean for you? Is this just some wonky, inside-the-Beltway chatter that won’t have an impact on our daily lives or an issue that will affect how we access the Web in the future? The short answer is: both.
The basic news is that the Federal Communications Commission approved net neutrality rules yesterday and those rules give the commission the authority to step into disputes about how Internet service providers are managing their networks or initiate their own investigations if they think ISPs are violating its rules.
One important thing to note is that the FCC hasn’t actually released the full text of its net neutrality rules yet. The Republican commissioners voted against the plan yesterday, and according to FCC procedures, the commission must respond to any dissent before releasing its rules. So it could be another day or two before the commission adds that response and publishes the rules.
That being said, the FCC did provide an overview of what’s included in the order and it breaks down to three high-level rules: transparency; no blocking; and no unreasonable discrimination.
Transparency: Does your ISP slow down its network at peak times? Does it have a usage cap? What about roaming fees? The transparency requirement basically requires broadband providers – fixed and wireless – to be more transparent about their activities. They need to be upfront about how they manage their networks, how well (or poorly) their networks perform, as well as details about their plan options and pricing. Most ISPs would argue that they already do this, but if you disagree, you could conceivably take it up with the FCC.
No Blocking: Much of this net neutrality debate started in 2007 when Comcast was accused of blocking access to P2P networks like BitTorrent because people using BitTorrent on Comcast’s network were slowing down the experience for everyone else. Comcast denied cutting off access completely but said it did delay access to P2P sites during peak times. Under the FCC rules, an ISP would not be able to pick and choose apps or service to block in order to improve network performance. Your ISP would not be able to block access to Netflix’s streaming service, for example, or Xbox Live just because a select few people were clogging the system.
CBS Airs Hoax Cover of Bush Memoir
FoxNews.com
Published December 22, 2010
[Editor: And the LEFT LIBERAL PROGRESSIVES can't stop being childish!]
YouTube
Shown here is the image of a fake cover for former President George W. Bush’s recent book.
CBS News aired a fake cover of former President George W. Bush’s memoir over the weekend, after a staffer apparently got duped by a hoax image floating around the Internet.
The image of the faux cover, along with that of several other genuine book covers, was flashed on screen for a fraction of a second during the introduction to a feature package Sunday about how book covers are designed.
The title of the Bush book read: “Desision Points … How I Managed to Go Eight Years Without Making One Good Decision.”
Save for the headline, the cover image looked similar to that of the real book, “Decision Points.”
CBS issued a statement acknowledging it made a “mistake,” saying nobody could see it “because you’d have to freeze the frame to notice it.”
“Clearly we have to be more careful when downloading material,” CBS said, calling the incident a “cautionary tale” about the risks of Internet content.
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/12/22/cbs-airs-hoax-cover-bush-memoir/#ixzz18rl2sCiB
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