Net Neutrality is the principle that has allowed for the remarkable development of the internet.  Net Neutrality is the principal that a service provider (Comcast for example) must allow all users to access all other users equally.  Net Neutrality has been under direct threat due to the actions of the big telecommications companies.  In April 2010 a federal court ruled that Federal Communications Commission did not have the authority protect the rights of internet users.  This decision legitimized actions of telecommunications providers that directed users serches towards their own properities and sometimes not at all to thier competetors.  The internet will be a much sadder place if the telecommunications companies get to decide what sites get to be accessed by the average internet user.  Over two million people have decided that the FCC does have the right to regulate the internet and have taken concrete steps to correcting the flawed legal decision.  The primary organizion working on this is savetheinternet.com.  At their website you will find much more information about this issue as well as action steps.

On Friday April 30th, the Federal Communications Commission held a workshop titled "Public and Other Noncommercial Media in the Digital Era".  Over 30 experts gave testimony including consumer advocates and people who run access centers. Video from the event should make its way to the FCC youtube account here

Until Firday May 7th, the FCC will take public comment.  This is a good opportunity to describe the value of non commercial media including; public tv,  public radio, and cable access television.  The organization Free Press has developed a user friendly tool to comment to the FCC here

The FCC website about this can be found here

If you do comment on the please send a heads up to info at indyaccess.org

The Open Video Alliance is a coalition of organizations dedicated to fostering open infrastructure, tools, and standards for online video. One of their efforts is the Open Video Conference, which has many resources available.  As it appears that there will be no stopping of the digital convergance, groups and individuals who are working to create open networks of online media are likely to be at the forefront of any meaningful "access" in the 21st century.

Recently, users of Facebook forced a reversal of changes in the terms of use for the social networking site. What is not always talked about are the institutional connections of information technology.

Here is a link to a presentation of the issues related to proposed change in terms or service as well as information about the institutional structure  of Facebook in general.

For more in-depth information about human rights and information technology, the Electronic Frontier Foundation is a good place to start.

We do not think that the documented threats to voting integrity in the US are receiving sufficient coverage in the mainstream media. So along with The Earth House Collective and Common Cause Indiana, we are presenting a series of documentaries on October 23rd and 30th to highlight some of these threats, and invite groups participating in non-partisan election protection activities to join us at these events.

Rev. Timothy Rouse, President of the South Bend Common Council.

After the closing of Comcast's public access television studio in December, the City of South Bend selected the local PBS affiliate, WNIT, to record its three remaining Common Council meetings for 2007. But when that contract was extended through 2008 without an open bidding process, African American Council members and previous bidders cried foul during a meeting of the Information and Technology Committee on February 6, 2008.