Thursday, May 27, 2010

Net Neutrality and the Writer

First: The musician for whom i wrote the treatment loved it :D My brother said he wasn't going to change much, and that I had a very solid story board going on. So, I am happy. Success! $200...well, it's something.

That said, some legal issue was brought to my attention and I think it's relevant because books are media/entertainment. With the increased popularity of e-books, video streaming, and all this talk about "enhanced e-books," what is being taken for granted? Computer bandwidth is, thank you. The ability for the consumer to access what is available. There is a threat to this system, however. The telecoms, lead by AT&T, Comcast, and Verizon are seeking to create an internet superhighway. they want us to pay for "premium internet" like we would "premium cable." This would limit (or prohibit) video streaming (Netflix, Hulu), voice-over IP (Skype, Vonnage and the like) and force consumers to use the applications sponsored or developed by your Internet Service Provider.

As E-books are downloadable content, and enhanced-e-books *may* contain audio and animation, I would imagine reducing connectivity to dial-up conditions could severely hinder consumer experience.

That said social-media, blogs, and other forms of communication are becoming integral to promotional efforts. Authors are doing Virtual Book tours, selling short-stories from their sites. Visual appeal is becoming synonymous with success, or at least essential in achieving it. So if our capacity to access or communicate online is limited, it can affect our careers negatively. Do some people promote themselves and their books without internet? Sure. But for those of us who are "wired in" and have been growing more wired as the technology progresses, it can prohibit us in reaching our audiences the best way we know how.

Just saying. I'm concerned. If you're interested and living in the US, here's a place to voice your opinion:

https://secure.freepress.net/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=459&JServSessionIdr004=bgcvw5rgp7.app244b

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