Internet Issues
Ten Years Later
Better later than never on remembering the Iraq War. I would probably not have said a thing had I not stumbled across this article at the Booman Tribune.
In his entry for the Iraq Invasion Day Booman relates how disconnected many of us felt and how a nascent internet was there when we were looking for something besides what we were getting from American media, including NPR:
“The blogosphere was birthed by a simple phenomenon. Hundreds of thousands of Americans were consuming corporate media and feeling like they couldn’t believe a word of it, and they sought out skeptical sources which turned out to be a bunch of amateurs in pajamas smacking their keyboards in their parent’s basements while they downed bowl after bowl of Cheetos.
Once enough people discovered that they weren’t alone in thinking that Tom Friedman and Judy Miller were full of crap, they formed online communities. And then they started meeting in real life. And then they started to get organized. And then Howard Dean emerged as someone to rally around.
The legacy of that is seen all over our political landscape, as progressives have asserted themselves and made significant inroads in getting power within the Democratic Party. The media is better than it used to be. Even some of the old fraudsters have tightened up their standards and become less credulous.”
I was one of those people trying to figure out why what felt like BS from the networks and cable and radio news was not being countered anywhere. Something surely did not feel right, but there was nothing that I was able to get to at that time that told me any different. But like many at that time, I was in for an epiphany.
In what had to be a fortunate accident, I was called to substitute teach at Tipton one day before the invasion. I was substituting for the history teacher. In a few conversations I had found him to be as distrusting of the Bush administration as I was. I found out that morning that his distrust was based on writings from the internet. I was subbing for half a day that day and he left his computer on and left the website he was visiting up. I had some time before the next class and so I brought up the site he was on, tompaine.com.
Well, I almost couldn’t believe what I was reading. Stories questioning the administration to the hilt, calling them out for war crimes, demanding they stop the march to war. Holy Cow, I no longer felt alone. There were more like me out there – millions even. I saw pictures of anti-war protesters and read well written anthought out articles against our policies.
tompaine.com led to dailykos.com (often called the great orange satan) and a multitude of other sites where thoughts were expressed freely – I was in hog heaven. To tie it back to what Booman says, I was one of thousands or more likely millions who knew the main stream media was covering up at best if not outright lying and we were determined to find out what was really happening. So the great cover up by the corporate media has led in a great way to the opening of the internet and the lack of credulity in the MSM.
At least one good thing (and probably the only good thing) came out of Bush and Cheney’s lust for Iraqi oil.
Copps: “We Have Wreaked Untold Havoc On The Media Environment”
Highlights:
“..Finally we developed a strategy for the deployment of broadband around the country. This is the most opportunity-creating technology perhaps in the history of humankind. It is going to be something that helps us address every problem that is before the country. [Italics BFIA's]
“Every citizen has not only a right to this technology, but an urgent need to be able to obtain it…for eight years before the present administration, we were operating under the assumption that the market would get broadband out everywhere, even to those places where there was no reason for the market to go.
“This is the great infrastructure-building challenge of the early part of the 21st century. Just as throughout history we’ve had infrastructure challenges with roads and bridges and canals and railroads and highways and electricity and plain old telephone service, our challenge now is how to figure out how to get broadband to every American, no matter who they are, where they live, or the particular circumstances of the individual lives.
“… if we’re going to have this broadband technology and have the internet available to everybody, it has to be open to everybody. It has to be accessible to everybody. It can’t be run by gatekeepers and toll booth operators. It has to serve the purposes of us all. I would like to have gone farther than the Commission has gone so far, but at least it made a start.”
“I’m extremely worried about the future of our media, because I think it impinges so directly on the future of our democracy and the future of self-government. And I think, between the private sector and the public sector, we have wreaked untold havoc on the media environment.”
Tags: broadband, FCC, media reform, Michael Copps, net neutrality | 
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Tom Vilsack On Maddow: The Democratization Of Technology
Secretary of Agriculture and former Governor of Iowa Tom Vilsack made an appearance on the Rachel Maddow Show Wednesday to discuss the expansion of broadband internet to rural areas. Vilsack said the plan will “put people to work immediately.” Watch:
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
Iowa City wants Al Jazeera
Iowa City wants Al Jazeera
Johnson County, Iowa, where Blog for Iowa's editors live, is admittedly a bubbling pot of liberals in colors every shade of the rainbow. The conversation in some circles, is that our local cable television provider should carry Al Jazeera, which is, according to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton “real news” compared to what we get on commercial channels in the United States. These discussions are evidence of how far out of touch some liberals in the ivory towers, pampered salons and watering holes of the People's Republic can be.
What prompted all of this is not Al Jazeera itself. Many Iowans have been getting part of their news from Al Jazeera for years. It took the ABC News report of Secretary Clinton's statement to wake up the sleeping liberals to the new “cause célèbre.”
So people, hook your dang computer up to the Tee Vee monitor, watch Al Jazeera like the rest of us and get over it. We are losing the battle of the air waves in the United States, Afghanistan and almost everywhere, while networks like Al Jazeera have been changing minds. The explosion of on-line media has changed forever how people communicate, network and heaven forbid, chat politely over crostini and brie.
The battle for people's attention is real and while cable television is part of it, increasingly many twenty somethings don't even own a television. The world has changed, and media with it. Outlets with corporate interests have developed patterns of news gathering that are sadly outdated and geared towards creating an audience that will generate sponsorship. They do great when covering a basketball game or making C-SPAN, but it ends there.
The argument should not be about what is on the tube, but about how we can gain an inroad with people in the United States and abroad when every progressive media outlet is under fire, under funded and out shouted. Folks in the ivory tower, can you hear us down here?
~Paul Deaton is a native Iowan living in rural Johnson County and weekend editor of Blog for Iowa. E-mail Paul Deaton
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Are Progressive Listserves Arbitrarily being Blocked by AT&T?
Are Progressive Listserves Arbitarily being Blocked by AT&T?
By Caroline Vernon
A few months back, PACG (Progressive Action for the Common Good) started experiencing problems with our members dropping off our email list. Oddly, as site administrator, I was not receiving any official bounceback notices informing me of any undelivered email with the occasional exception of a full mailbox now and again.
It wasn’t until the first of this year that I realized the extent of the problem and determined that most of our Mediacom and Yahoo users were being blocked from receiving our email. Last week I finally received a bounceback notice in my administrative inbox, with the names of almost 70 members which were”blocked for abuse”. As it turns out, many of these members had not been receiving our email for weeks and in some cases months, so I was very concerned as to why I only recently received the bounceback notice. This indicates that the data was blocked going out and coming in. I immediately contacted Mediacom and after much wrangling was told that the problem lies with AT&T as they manage the traffic for both carriers. A Mediacom representative actually told me we had been “blacklisted” but did not know why. I then contacted AT&T, following their recommended protocol and providing them with all pertinent information via email as no telephone number is available.
After 3 days, and no response from AT&T, I filed an official complaint with Congressman Braley’s Davenport office who in turn filed a complaint with the FCC. At that time, the FCC indicated they were receiving many similar complaints. The following day (yesterday) I received a response from AT&T which indicated that the block will be removed within 24 to 36 hours. A copy of their response is below.
I think it is important to mention that PACG has been advocating against telecom immunity within the FISA bill. We sent out many action alerts asking our members to contact their elected officials and even staged a funeral procession for the U.S. Constitution outside of Senator Grassley’s Davenport office. We were asking the Senator to vote against the bill that provided immunity, and to protect the Constitution. Channel 6 (KWQC) covered the event as did the Moline Dispatch. The related action alert that we sent out to our list was front and center on our website for many weeks.
As you may know, in January of this year, AT&T, Comcast, and others, announced that they would begin to take more aggressive steps to manage network traffic in order to minimize spam and safeguard against copyright infringement of video sharing, etc. Unfortunately, they seem to be inspecting for content other than what they have cited. PACG is an opt-in only email service. We do not send out spam or share video files although we may provide links to sites that do.
During the recent Hearing on Broadband Network Management, FCC Chairman, Kevin Martin stated,
“Obviously network operators can take reasonable steps to manage traffic, but they cannot arbitrarily block access.”
There is no justifiable reason to have blocked PACG for abuse as is sited in the communication below… nor is any explanation given as to why we were classified as such.
I have since received communications from other progressive organizations who have indicated that much of their email is also being blocked. Given AT&T's response below, it seems as though they are saying this may be an ongoing problem for many listserves, and they seem to be passing the buck right back to the carriers.
If any of your organizations are experiencing similar problems, I strongly recommend that you contact your Congressperson and/or Senators to file an official complaint with the FCC.
In order to track this issue more closely, I am creating a list of all organizations who are having similar problems with delivery of their email. I can be reached at carolina1961@gmail.com or 563-676-7580.
Response from AT&T:
Administrator/Customer:
Thank you for contacting the Postmaster/Abuse team at ATT.NET and
BELLSOUTH.NET.
The mail-server IP address(es) associated with your request will be
removed from the block-list within 24-36 hours from the receipt of
this letter. ATT.NET and BELLSOUTH.NET, its affiliates, and network
services customers do NOT intentionally block legitimate mail in the
course of our anti-spam initiatives. We regret any inconvenience this
may have caused.
Network administrators at ATT.NET and BELLSOUTH.NET closely analyze
the mail stream bound for our customers to identify sources that exhibit
the characteristics of compromised network objects or are compromised
by an offender of Acceptable Use Policies. While a certain level of
this kind of mail is to be expected in today's internet traffic, when
this occurs above generous thresholds set by ATT.NET and BELLSOUTH.NET
system administrators, immediate and decisive action is taken to
protect our network resources.
****CUSTOMERS****
If you submitted an IP address for removal through the administrator's
webform, or requested removal by emailing abuse_rbl@abuse-att.net, the
administrator of the sending mail service or hosting provider is unaware
of the issue and the IP may be blocked again. It is imperative that the
sending service or hosting provider be made aware of the issue. Please
send this message, along with the error message to that administrator
so action may be taken to resolve the issues that caused the block. If
you forward mail from a hosting service to your ATT.NET and
BELLSOUTH.NET mail account, read the note on forwarded mail below.
****ADMINSTRATORS****
Please thoroughly check your IP logs before requesting removal. If you
have already been removed, please examine your logs for rogue traffic,
AUP offenders, and compromised scripts or objects. You must determine
that all traffic from the blocked IP is actually from your mail servers
to ensure your network is not compromised. Administrators who fail to
do this may experience subsequent and more resolute blocking.
Thank you for helping the ATT.NET and BELLSOUTH.NET network combat
network abuse in all its forms.
Regards,
ATT.NET and BELLSOUTH.NET Postmaster/Abuse Team
****FORWARDED MAIL****
If you are forwarding mail from a vanity domain, hosting service, or
any other mail account that receives a high volume of spam, you may
be indirectly contributing to the blocking of that IP. Forwarded spam
is still spam and should be filtered at the source to end the abuse of
network resources at the earliest point. Users can do this by utilizing
spam filtering tools provided by the hosting service or external
Internet Service Provider before it is forwarded to your ATT.NET and
BELLSOUTH.NET.
BELLSOUTH.NET.
removed from the block-list within 24-36 hours from the receipt of
this letter. ATT.NET and BELLSOUTH.NET, its affiliates, and network
services customers do NOT intentionally block legitimate mail in the
course of our anti-spam initiatives. We regret any inconvenience this
may have caused.
the mail stream bound for our customers to identify sources that exhibit
the characteristics of compromised network objects or are compromised
by an offender of Acceptable Use Policies. While a certain level of
this kind of mail is to be expected in today's internet traffic, when
this occurs above generous thresholds set by ATT.NET and BELLSOUTH.NET
system administrators, immediate and decisive action is taken to
protect our network resources.
If you submitted an IP address for removal through the administrator's
webform, or requested removal by emailing abuse_rbl@abuse-att.net, the
administrator of the sending mail service or hosting provider is unaware
of the issue and the IP may be blocked again. It is imperative that the
sending service or hosting provider be made aware of the issue. Please
send this message, along with the error message to that administrator
so action may be taken to resolve the issues that caused the block. If
you forward mail from a hosting service to your ATT.NET and
BELLSOUTH.NET mail account, read the note on forwarded mail below.
Please thoroughly check your IP logs before requesting removal. If you
have already been removed, please examine your logs for rogue traffic,
AUP offenders, and compromised scripts or objects. You must determine
that all traffic from the blocked IP is actually from your mail servers
to ensure your network is not compromised. Administrators who fail to
do this may experience subsequent and more resolute blocking.
network abuse in all its forms.
If you are forwarding mail from a vanity domain, hosting service, or
any other mail account that receives a high volume of spam, you may
be indirectly contributing to the blocking of that IP. Forwarded spam
is still spam and should be filtered at the source to end the abuse of
network resources at the earliest point. Users can do this by utilizing
spam filtering tools provided by the hosting service or external
Internet Service Provider before it is forwarded to your ATT.NET and
BELLSOUTH.NET.
Statement of FCC Chairman Kevin Martin on Broadband Network Management Hearing:
http://www.freepress.net/news/30728
Establishing our Progressive Iowa Network (PIN) – Update
Establishing our Progressive Iowa Network (PIN) – Update
By Caroline Vernon
This Saturday, June 9th, progressive leaders, legislators and activists from various organizations across Iowa will come together for the first DFA-Iowa Networking Summit.
We will be gathering at the Iowa City Public Library from 9am to 3pm (the last hour will be devoted to DFA-IA administrative business).
Some of our great leaders who will be in attendance include Charlie Chamberlain from Democracy for America, Ed Fallon, Denise O’Brien, and Senator Joe Bolkcom, just to name a few…
Once again, the purpose of this gathering is to establish a Progressive Iowa Network which will serve to better unite progressives across the state in order to support each others efforts around important issues, particularly if we hope to be more effective moving into the next legislative session. Besides providing an excellent opportunity to connect with fellow progressives, one direct benefit of an Iowa Network would be the enhanced ability to articulate our progressive world view by creating a state-wide echo chamber that will carry our unified message to all Iowans.
As previously indicated, we have identified 5 issues in Iowa that require urgent action:
1. VOICE (Voter-Owned Iowa Clean Elections)
2. CAFO regulations / Farm Bill
3. Fair Share
4. Healthcare
5. Media
Also, due to the recent vote on the Iraq supplemental bill, it is our hope that peace activists from across Iowa will take advantage of this opportunity to come together to discuss potential state wide initiatives that will effectively pressure those in Congress who voted for the bill.
In addition to addressing the above issues, we are tracking organizations by their particular area(s) of focus. This list has also evolved since my last blog:
1. Policy / Research
2. Lobbying
3. Media & Blogs
4. Grassroots Organizing
These 4 areas have been added:
5. Direct Action
6. Education
7. Funding (to identify potential sources of funding)
8. Political Campaigns (organizations who can be involved with campaigns)
We are working on compiling a comprehensive list of all participating organizations, including contact information, primary areas of focus and primary issues of concern. If you or your organization will be attending the summit, we ask that you submit your information using the example below (4 stars = primary focus)
Example:
Organization: Progressive Action for the Common Good
Address: 3707 Eastern Ave, Davenport, IA 52807
Contact Information: (name/position/phone/email):
Caroline Vernon, Organizer, 563-676-7580, carolina1961@gmail.com.
James Lee, Executive Director, 563-650-3922, jlee6367@yahoo.com
Areas of Focus Rating Issues Rating
Policy/Research VOICE ****
Lobbying ** CAFO/Farm Bill ***
Media/Blogs Media **
Grassroots Organizing **** Fair Share **
Direct Action *** Healthcare ***
Education **
Funding * Other: _Peace _ ****
Poltical Campaigns
Please send the above information to carolina1961@gmail.com by Thursday, June 7th so we can be sure to include your information in the hand-out.
It is important to note that we encourage ALL progressive organizations to attend this meeting and become part of the network even if we may not be focusing on your specific issues at this time. The goal of the network is to create a framework designed to support all progressive initiatives. We need everyone’s participation in order to succeed.
If you have any questions, please call Caroline Vernon at 563-676-7580.
Hope to see you Saturday!
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Take the Bus to the US Social Forum Jun 27th
Take the Bus to the US Social Forum June 27th
Mark Your Calendars for the Progressive Event of the Year!
By Caroline Vernon
PACG
is working on securing a bus (or two) to take a large Iowa contingent
to Atlanta, Georgia from June 27th thru July 1st to attend the US Social Forum
(USSF). Please mark your calendars and spread the word far and wide.
Details about the cost of the bus trip and available lodging will be
forthcoming… stay tuned…
Excerpt from the site:
The
US
Social Forum is more than a conference, more than a networking bonanza, more
than a reaction to war and repression.
The
USSF will provide space to build relationships, learn from each other's experiences,
share our analysis of the problems our communities face, and bring renewed
insight and inspiration. It will help develop leadership and develop
consciousness, vision, and strategy needed to realize another world.
The
USSF sends a message to other people's movements around the world that there is
an active movement in the US
opposing US Policies at home and abroad.
We
must declare what we want our world to look like and begin planning the path to
get there. A global movement is rising. The USSF is our opportunity to
demonstrate to the world Another World is Possible!
Check out the following link to see some of the many workshops that will be available…
http://www.ussf2007.org/en
If you would like to be part of this great adventure, please contact Caroline at 563-676-7580, carolina1961@gmail.com
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Establishing Our Progressive Iowa Network (PIN) – Mark the Date!
Establishing our Progressive Iowa Network (PIN) – Mark the Date!
By Caroline Vernon
On Saturday, June 9th, progressive leaders, activists and legislators from across the state will converge on Iowa City for our first 2007 Democracy for Iowa Organizing Summit. We are still working out the details on the venue (forthcoming) but we will be meeting from 9am to 3pm (the last hour will be reserved for DFA-IA members to discuss administrative business so it will not be necessary for everyone to stay for that segment).
The purpose of this gathering is to establish the Progressive Iowa Network (PIN). This network will serve to better unite progressive organizations, legislators, and leaders across the state so we can support each other’s efforts around progressive issues in Iowa.
Currently,
we have an unprecedented opportunity to get progressive legislation
passed in our state. However, in order to achieve legislative victories
on the issues that we care about, we must establish an effective
framework that allows us to better organize our efforts, clarify our
message, mobilize our base, educate the public and influence our state
officials.
We have identified the following 5 issues as requiring urgent action:
1. VOICE (Voter-Owned Iowa Clean Elections)
2. CAFO regulations / Farm Bill
3. Fair Share
4. Healthcare
5. Media
Please note: we want ALL progressive organizations to attend this meeting and become part of this network even if we may not be focusing on your specific issues at this time.
The Summit Agenda will cover the following:
I. Why is PIN important?
The first part of this summit will discuss why PIN is important. Groups/Individuals will be asked to introduce themselves and identify their main areas and issues of focus:
• Policy/Research
• Lobbying
• Media/Public Relations (including bloggers)
• Grassroots Organizing
This will NOT be an informational meeting about the issues, but rather a strategy session on how we can support each other moving forward.
II. Update & Evaluation of the recent Iowa Legislative Session
• What went well?
• What would we do differently?
III. Break-Out Sessions by Issue
• Strategize with other progressives around the state that are working on the same issue.
• What kind of help do you need from other organizations/leaders who may not be directly involved in your issue.
Lunch
IV. Report back to larger group identifying specific needs
• What do you need from PIN?
We will not have time to hear specific plans but rather will want to hear your list of needs on how other organizations/leaders can help you make progress around your issue.
V. Where does PIN go from here?
We will discuss logistics, network structure and set a date and time for our next meeting(s).
VI. DFA-Iowa Administrative Planning Session (for DFA-IA members)
This last segment will be for DFA-IA members to discuss by-laws, how we can better support Blog for Iowa, and other administrative details.
Outreach around this summit has been underway for awhile — many progressive organizations/individuals in Iowa have already been notified. However, if you have not yet heard from us directly, please email Caroline Vernon ASAP: carolina1961@gmail.com. We need every progressive organization, leader and legislator in Iowa to participate in order to achieve maximum effectiveness as a network.
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Turn up the Heat on Congress: Tell Your Senators to Support Net Neutrality
Turn up the Heat on Congress: Tell Your Senators to Support Net Neutrality
By Rapid Response, from Yahoo DFIA<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = “urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office” />
If you live in <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = “urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags” />Idaho, Iowa, Montana, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, or Virginia, we've identified several opportunities for you to go before your senators and ask them to take a stand for Net Neutrality.
Check the Action Squad calendar now to get the latest on upcoming public appearances by your senators. Attend your senator's next town meeting and speak up for the free and open Internet.
Sen. Grassley at the 2006 Women's Conference
7:45 a.m., Monday, August 21
Hy-Vee Conference Center
West Des Moines, IA 50309
Senator Chuck Grassley and Barbara Grassley will host the 2006 Women's Conference on Monday, August 21, 2006, at the Hy-Vee Conference Center in West Des Moines. For more information please contact Mike Steenhoek at mike_steenhoek@grassley.senate.gov or 515-288-1145.
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- Schultz Raises Dead Voter Scare Again
- Repubs Stage Crime at NH Polls
- Wondering About GOP Caucus Count
- Judge Fires Voting Machine Investigators
