-Caveat Lector- All: As they say, forewarned is forearmed, and this certainly applies to a petiton letter circulating around the net on behalf of the OpenNET Coalition (http://www.opennetcoalition.org/action/). Best to check out who the Coalition is before signing any petitions. This issue is not nearly as it has been presented by, among others in the coalition, AOL. If this Coalition is successful in it's attempt to restrain free trade on the part of the cable companies, we will be forced to accept a perpetuity of slow and shoddy ISP connections. The cable companies want a piece of the Internet market through Broadband connection and, in reality, AOL and others dont want them to horn in on the market. AOL will become nearly obsolete with the MUCH faster connection provided through Broadband (cable). There's more to this issue than meets the eye. Clipped below are the corporations comprizing this "coalition." After reading them, tell me what you think about what's going on. We need to be signing petitions alright, but NOT for this coalition of big business ISP's. >From the Coalition Home Page: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The openNET Coalition consists of many of the nation's leading providers of consumer Internet services, including: A+Net Internet Services AccelerNet Access 2000 Network ACD.net Internet Services ActionWeb Services Adept Communications, LLC AcmeNet Advanced Global Net Advanced Internet Connection Services Inc. Aero Internet Services, Inc. AKC Computer Services Corp. Alexssa Enterprises, Ltd. Allegan Internet Services, Inc. America Online Amberwave Internet LLC American Digital Online Services, Inc AMUG Internet Services Anaxis Internet Atlantic.Net Internet Services, Inc. Autumn Internet Exchange & Services Aye Net Internet Services BackPack Software, Inc. Baha's Web Inc. Basic Communication, Inc. Bertelsmann AG Bitstream Associates Bluegrass.net BNS, Inc. C4 Systems, Inc. Cable & Wireless USA, Inc. Caribbean Internet Services Corp. Carolina Online Networks, Inc. CE Net, Inc. Cerbernet Limited Chattanooga Data Connection, Inc. CISO Citicom Communication Services Citilink Internet Cloudnet, Inc. Cloud 9 Consulting, Inc. CM2.COM, Inc. Collective Intelligence, Inc. CompuSource Internet Services Computer.Net, LLC Computer and Internet Resources. Inc. Computer Office Solutions Inc. Comwerx, Inc. Connect Northwest Internet Services Coolware, Inc. Connect Crocker Communications Crystal Clear Concepts, Inc. CSInet Internet Access CyberAgency Corp. CyberNet Nationwide (CNNW.Net) CyberRamp Internet Services Cyber Solutions CyberZone Internet Services Dakota Information Services DataStream Solutions Dave's World DigiLink Internet Services Digital Highway Communications, Inc. Digital Starlight Communications, Inc. dotSTAR Communications L.C. DLP Technologies, Inc. Dynamic Consulting, Inc. Eagle Net EazeNet Elastic Networks Eldersearch.com Electrotex Inc. Emerald Internet Services Excelr8 Networks EZ Online, Inc Fantaz Internet Services Fast Data Inc. FastQ Communications Flare Net, Inc. FlashNet Communications Florida International Business & Educational Resources Fiberhood Networks, Inc. Fortwayne Internet Inc. Grapevine Internet Service GlassCity Internet, Inc. GlobalMAX Business Services Goldrush World Access, Ltd. GTE Havenet Internet Svc. Inc Hawaii Aloha Internet, Inc/ HMC Ltd, Inc. I Connect, Inc. IDL IgLou Internet Services, Inc. In4web InLine InLink Business Services Innova Communications, LLC Intec, Inc. The Internet Store Internet 2000 Internet America InternetMLS network inc. Internet NCP.net Internet Services of Texas Information Gateway Services Information Systems Technology, Inc. The Iserv Company, Inc. ISLC Izzy Dot Net, Inc. JET Business Net Jet City Online JORSM Internet Juno Online Services, Inc. Kentucky ISP Association Lahman Internet Services, LLC Lakota Group, Inc. Larck Internet LavaNet Internet Services, LLC LeaseNet, Inc. Legend Technology Company LemooreNet Lightning Internet Services, LLC LINCS Internet LSNet LTI MacConnect Mako Internet Maui Net, Inc. MCI WorldCom MICRYS MicroConsulting, Inc. MindSpring Enterprises, Inc. Modem Madness BBS Montana Communications Network MoonStar Mountain Telecom/Mountain Works Inc. MTCO Communications MultiPro Network MyLink NAISP.NET NEOCOM Microspecialists, Inc. NeoTEK, Inc. Net Nevada Net-Thing, Inc. NetBrain.com NetQuick, LLC Netscape Communications Corporation Net-Sentry Corp NetWest Online Network Innovations, Inc. NFE Online Nightowl Internet Gateway Norden 1 Communications LTD NorthEast Nebraska Comnet Northern Net Exposure Nova Internet Services, Inc. Ntegrated Technologies O.A.S.I.S. Old Dominion Networks Olympia Networking Services Oregon Internet Service Providers Assoc. oz.net Internet Services PC Professionals, Inc. PCN, LP Pacific Global Communications, LLC Peachtree ISN Penncom Internet Company Peripheral Sciences Internet Networks Planet Earth Internet Services, Inc. PlanetSTL.com Points South Prarie Lakes Internet Prodigy Communications Corporation Public Electronic Access to Knowledge, Inc (PEAK) Quik Internet NWA Quik Internet of Portland Quik Internet of Tioga County, Pennsylvania Quik Internet of Wichita Falls, Texas Quik Internet of Wisconsin Resource Marketing, Inc. RJS Online Services Rocky Mountain Internet Safe Access Inc. Sensory Perceptions Internet, Inc. Shore Networks Simflex Corporation Sirus, Inc. Sonnek Communications S.O.S. Computer Solutions, LLC Speakeasy, Inc. South Bend Internet SpeedNet, Inc. Sprint Starfish Internet Services Stargazer Internet Services Starix Internet Services, Inc. StarLinX Internet Access (a.k.a. Modern Development) Sterling Communications, Inc. Streamedia Communications, Inc. Sun Internet SuperDuperMall SurfNet Inc. Sybercom, Inc. SysTec Computer Systems, Inc. TAMB Associates, Inc. TBC Group TDI Internet Services, Inc. TFBnet Telebyte NW Internet Services Teleport Internet Services TerraNovaNet Texas.net Texas Internet Services Providers Association The Java Stop Today's Technology Trusted Net, Inc. Twin Cities Free-Net TWR Communications Uconects LLC US Internet Technologies, Inc. US WEST Verio Inc. Virtual Journeys Virtual Reality Domains Inc. Visual Link Internet Volunteer State Internet Washington Association of Internet Service Providers Wabash Valley Computing WebCC Inc. WebKorner Internet Services WebShoppe, LLC Websnap Internet Corp. Web Space International WESNet Systems Wizard Communication Systems, Inc. WorldNet Communications World Trade Network Inc. World Wide Internet Services, Inc. Xaranda Internet, Inc. XTS.NET Ziggycom Internet Service If your company or organization is interested in joining the openNET Coalition, please visit our membership application page. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Edward ><+> ============================================ "From the rage of today's downtrodden comes the revenge of tomorrow's revolutionary force. " Edward Britton ><+> http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/5285/connector1.html Reality Pump: http://www.onelist.com/subscribe.cgi/Reality_Pump2 ============================================ DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substance—not soapboxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. 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