Ruckus's Notes
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In recent years, alternative and independent media sources like rabble.ca have made tremendous inroads into a Canadian media landscape traditionally dominated by corporate media.
These inroads have in large part been helped by the relatively low costs associated with online publishing and broadcasting, and the few restrictions on accessing online information.
But a recent move by Bell Canada threatens this open access.
Bell Canada is implementing a ‘third-party ISP traffic shaping’ policy. This policy is more accurately referred to as ‘throttling’, because it allows an internet service provider to decide which websites will operate faster and which ones will operate slower.
Hypothetically, Bell Canada could slow your ability to access alternative media sites, while boosting the speed of its own media outlet or of (corporate) media outlets that have the money to pay for prioritized speeds.
This ‘throttling’ policy will fundamentally change the Internet. It seriously threatens the Internet’s democratic potential.
We need to act now to put a stop to this.
Follow these links to:
TAKE ACTION
http://canadians.org/actio
LEARN MORE about Net Neutrality:
http://democraticmedia.ca/
Bell The Throttler Video:
http://democraticmedia.ca/
An insightful blog entry by Michael Geist on the matter
http://www.michaelgeist.ca
The clown fish of Web filtering, Wayne MacPhail
http://www.rabble.ca/colum
CDM Media release: Canada must adopt legislation to stop Bell Canada from
shortchanging the public, says coalition
http://tinyurl.com/3b24ya
If you want to help keep the Internet open another thing you can do is join the "Stop The Throttler" facebook group:
http://www.facebook.com/gr
MORE AT
http://democraticmedia.ca
These inroads have in large part been helped by the relatively low costs associated with online publishing and broadcasting, and the few restrictions on accessing online information.
But a recent move by Bell Canada threatens this open access.
Bell Canada is implementing a ‘third-party ISP traffic shaping’ policy. This policy is more accurately referred to as ‘throttling’, because it allows an internet service provider to decide which websites will operate faster and which ones will operate slower.
Hypothetically, Bell Canada could slow your ability to access alternative media sites, while boosting the speed of its own media outlet or of (corporate) media outlets that have the money to pay for prioritized speeds.
This ‘throttling’ policy will fundamentally change the Internet. It seriously threatens the Internet’s democratic potential.
We need to act now to put a stop to this.
Follow these links to:
TAKE ACTION
http://canadians.org/actio
LEARN MORE about Net Neutrality:
http://democraticmedia.ca/
Bell The Throttler Video:
http://democraticmedia.ca/
An insightful blog entry by Michael Geist on the matter
http://www.michaelgeist.ca
The clown fish of Web filtering, Wayne MacPhail
http://www.rabble.ca/colum
CDM Media release: Canada must adopt legislation to stop Bell Canada from
shortchanging the public, says coalition
http://tinyurl.com/3b24ya
If you want to help keep the Internet open another thing you can do is join the "Stop The Throttler" facebook group:
http://www.facebook.com/gr
MORE AT
http://democraticmedia.ca
A BIT OF HISTORY - AND A FINE YARN IT IS
Ruckus is a member of the Hiking sock monkey family. Native to the
hills of Northern Scotland, members of the Hiking clan weave their
nests in fields of fragrant heather. Sock monkeys have distinct mark-
ings and mate for life. Shortly after courting, each sock monkey takes
on some of the pattern of its mate until they are identical – though
the males are normally left-handed and the females right-handed.
Sock monkey couples knit two or three offspring each spring from
strands of wool brought from nearby towns by Highland Yarn
Magpies.
In early April, to those who know how to listen, the fells around
Glasgow are filled with the gentle clicking of sock monkey knitting
needles as male and females follow breeding patterns thousands of
years old.
Though originally the species evolved in the hills of England, they
were forced north during The Great Removal of 1289. Aggressive
Sports sock monkeys, loyal to the English King Thorlo II, raided the
green and pleasant High Weald of Kent and drove the peaceful Hiking
sock monkeys to colder climes. Though the Hikings fought valiantly,
their defenses unravelled due to the treachery of a treasonous general,
remembered in Hiking legend as The Garter Snake.
The lessons of history have rendered the Hikings sensitive to inequity
and the plight of the downtrodden. Though outwardly fun-loving
tricksters, they are itching to fight injustice.
HOW RUCKUS CAME TO CANADA
Ruckus is eldest of the seven sons and daughters of Commotion and
Tumult McGregor. His siblings are: Ado, Bustle, Flurry, Ruction, Stir
and Little Fuss. When Ruckus reached the Age of the Eighteenth
Darning, his mother, Commotion, told him it was time he tested his
wool against the wide world. Though his father had descended from a
proud line of barley pudding makers, Ruckus decided the family busi-
ness was not to his taste. “I want to stir things up,” he told his father,
“but not just in a steaming vat”. His father sat silently a long time,
looking out over the high hills, a narrow plume rising from his reed
pipe.
“We have a little savings socked away,” Tumult finally told his son.
“Take it, go wide in the world and knit up the ravelled sleeve of care
where you may.”
The next morning Ruckus bid a tearful farewell to his family. “Don’t
cry so, Little Fuss,” Ruckus told his youngest sister. “You’ll shrink and
you’re small enough already.” He kissed his mother’s knitted brow,
then whistled a Yarn Magpie from the sky, slipped a silver coin in its
mouth and pointed it West.
Ruckus is a member of the Hiking sock monkey family. Native to the
hills of Northern Scotland, members of the Hiking clan weave their
nests in fields of fragrant heather. Sock monkeys have distinct mark-
ings and mate for life. Shortly after courting, each sock monkey takes
on some of the pattern of its mate until they are identical – though
the males are normally left-handed and the females right-handed.
Sock monkey couples knit two or three offspring each spring from
strands of wool brought from nearby towns by Highland Yarn
Magpies.
In early April, to those who know how to listen, the fells around
Glasgow are filled with the gentle clicking of sock monkey knitting
needles as male and females follow breeding patterns thousands of
years old.
Though originally the species evolved in the hills of England, they
were forced north during The Great Removal of 1289. Aggressive
Sports sock monkeys, loyal to the English King Thorlo II, raided the
green and pleasant High Weald of Kent and drove the peaceful Hiking
sock monkeys to colder climes. Though the Hikings fought valiantly,
their defenses unravelled due to the treachery of a treasonous general,
remembered in Hiking legend as The Garter Snake.
The lessons of history have rendered the Hikings sensitive to inequity
and the plight of the downtrodden. Though outwardly fun-loving
tricksters, they are itching to fight injustice.
HOW RUCKUS CAME TO CANADA
Ruckus is eldest of the seven sons and daughters of Commotion and
Tumult McGregor. His siblings are: Ado, Bustle, Flurry, Ruction, Stir
and Little Fuss. When Ruckus reached the Age of the Eighteenth
Darning, his mother, Commotion, told him it was time he tested his
wool against the wide world. Though his father had descended from a
proud line of barley pudding makers, Ruckus decided the family busi-
ness was not to his taste. “I want to stir things up,” he told his father,
“but not just in a steaming vat”. His father sat silently a long time,
looking out over the high hills, a narrow plume rising from his reed
pipe.
“We have a little savings socked away,” Tumult finally told his son.
“Take it, go wide in the world and knit up the ravelled sleeve of care
where you may.”
The next morning Ruckus bid a tearful farewell to his family. “Don’t
cry so, Little Fuss,” Ruckus told his youngest sister. “You’ll shrink and
you’re small enough already.” He kissed his mother’s knitted brow,
then whistled a Yarn Magpie from the sky, slipped a silver coin in its
mouth and pointed it West.