Internet Slowdown Day
I'm fairly sure I can speak for most internet users when I say I get pretty annoyed when I feel like my internet is not working as quickly as it should. This slowdown can happen for a variety of reasons, such as increased traffic to a specific website or servers going down. However, on September 10th, many major sites such as Reddit, Foursquare, and Wordpress will be participating in an event known as "Internet Slowdown Day."
A lot of people may be confused about this, but it's actually serving a rather important purpose: the preservation of Net Neutrality. Current laws prohibit internet providers from giving preferred service to certain websites, and instead allows all sites to be viewed with equal download times. However, companies such as AT&T, Comcast, and Verizon could profit greatly from the creation of a paid internet fast lane, that would allow only the large, established services to have the fastest loading times.
This is problematic for a variety of reasons, but the one that sticks out to me in the inherent inequality this will create for those who are just starting small internet companies. They could be forced into slower service, due to being unable to pay what could be incredibly high premiums. For me, anything that gives preferential treatment to any company on the internet is ridiculous. It should remain as is: a free and open resource, equal to all creators and consumers.
This reason is why those companies have chosen to participate in Internet Slowdown day, to raise awareness of the issue, and to make a point to the government. These companies will be posting a "infinitely-loading site loading icon" so their viewers can see what the internet could be like if providers were to set up such a system.
This is an excellent way to raise awareness of an issue that could affect everyone online. Many people who may not have ever been aware that such an issue exists will be exposed to it, which in turn will have an explosive effect on general awareness, and will help to keep the internet a free and open resource. As it stands, the internet is a great equalizer, everyone is equal (more or less), and it would a shame to have to see that change for the worse.
Information for this post comes from cnet and the PDS.