If you've always wanted to yell expletives at the guys who won't let you watch them on broadcast TV, now is your chance. All five members of the Federal Communications Commission will be in the Bay Area this Thursday. The FCC is holding a public hearing about net neutrality at Stanford University. It's a marathon event that runs from noon to 7 pm, so bring snacks.
Get the details here. --Andy Wright
I attended the FCC hearing in Boston because I had to, being one of the invited witnesses. I have to say it was one of the most boring and annoying experiences of my life, and I wish I could have those 7 hours back.
If you have any kind of a life, you can find something more interesting to do this Thursday, but if you're a glutton for punishment there will be a webcast.
Please don't take this as discouraging participation in the democratic process, because sitting in a room listening to seventeen different kinds of spin isn't really "participating," it's simply self-torture.
If you do go, or catch the webcast, try to ignore the fact that the commissioners don't appear to have the first clue about what they're empowered to regulate. If you pick up on that, and realize the importance of the Internet to Our Democracy, you won't sleep well for quite some time.
Posted at: April 15, 2008 2:27 PM