Dear All, My friend Jon Leland at Media Mall today emailed me about a dangerous move in Congress to permit telephone companies to charge long distance rates for email being shipped over their wires to distant locations. I don't yet know all the details or the bill's title, but Jon's a "reliable source," and would not put his credibility on the line (see below) unless the problem was real. Don't let this bill get passed, as it will stymie the growth and freedom of the Internet. The telcos have enough revenue streams, and they can get along quite nicely without gaining a stranglehold on email traffic. In his message below, Jon gives a website for writing your Congressional Representative, plus I further urge you to call your Representative's local and DC offices, and send a snailmail version of your letter (studies show that Congress still pays more attrention to regular mail from constituents than email). Only a grassroots cry of protest can stop this telco-backed measure, so please forward this email to as many friends as possible, and ask them to do the same. Timing is critical. Thank you for taking a few minutes now to help yourself and others. -- ken Ken Freed Media Visions Webzine http://www.media-visions.com P.S. Sorry for the bulk emailing, but the importance merits this route. _________________________________ >PROTEST! CNN reported that in the next two weeks Congress is going to >vote on allowing telephone companies to charge for Internet access. That >means, every time we send a long distance e-mail we will receive a long >distance charge. This will get costly. Please visit the following web site >AND complain. Complain to your Congressman. Don't allow this to pass. >http://www.house.gov/writerep. Pass this on! It is urgent! All of us have an >interest in this one. PLEASE FORWARD TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW TODAY!!! > >Clearly this is an issue that effects anyone who's actively using the >Internet for either business or personal gain. I agree that restructuring >the fees for Net access at this stage of the Net's evolution would be a >disasterous mistake. > >Also, for those of you who are US citizens, writing to your Congress person >is easier than ever. You can get really easy access as well as help finding >your representative via this URL: > > http://www.house.gov/writerep > >I wrote to my representative Lynn Woolsey as shown below and hope you will >join me in this action. Feel free to copy any of the text (below or above) >that you >wish to use and please forward this message according to your own views. >Thanks! >Jon > > >To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Greetings Ms. Woolsey: > >CNN reports that you will be voting in the next two weeks on allowing >Telephone Companies to charge for Internet Access. NO! This would >undermine the freedom that has made the Web a true breakthrough for the >democratization of communications. Not only is this part of my livlihood, >but a crucial part of trying to revive our democracy. > >As your constituent, I implore you to take a stand on this issue and make >sure that the telephone companies are not allowed to put business growth >and communication freedom inhibiting "toll booths" on these delicate and >formative stages of the development of our information highway. > >I would appreciate hearing your views on this initiative at your earliest >convenience. > >Sincerely, >Jon Leland > > >||||||||||||||||||||||| >Jon Leland >President, Communication Bridges: http://www.combridges.com >Publisher, Media Mall: http://www.mediamall.com/ >"Video Web" contributing editor, Videography magazine: http://www.vidy.com >[EMAIL PROTECTED] / 415-454-5505 > >Subscribe to my FREE Media Mall E-Letter: >http://www.mediamall.com/html/subscribe.html >|||||||||||||||||||||||
