This Media Alliance report is a compilation of several events held in the state of California in 2008 where grassroots groups and members of the community gathered to discuss the the Internet.
All posts by Midnightschildren
Digital Infrastructure, By the Community, For The Community
by Eloise Lee
In East Palo Alto, we’ve realized that it’s not a case of ‘if you build it, they will come.’
Just because technology is in place doesn’t necessarily mean people will find value in it,” states Dr. Faye McNair-Knox, executive director of One East Palo Alto—an organizational member of the East Palo Alto Digital Village Program. “Working alongside groups who provide essential services to local residents has helped us to partner with individuals who have not participated to become familiar with the technology and develop their own value for it. You really have to build that whole base of value within a community for people to access technology.” Continue reading Digital Infrastructure, By the Community, For The Community
Net Neutrality 101
What is Network Neutrality?
Network Neutrality — or “Net Neutrality” for short — is the guiding principle that preserves a free and open Internet.
Put simply, Net Neutrality means no discrimination. Net Neutrality prevents Internet providers from speeding up or slowing down Web content based on its source, ownership or destination. Continue reading Net Neutrality 101
The Low-Access People: Tiny Grey-Garcia’s Notes on the NCMR
By Lisa Gray-Garcia
It’s the snow that appears late at night on our TV… it can reach across oceans and mountain ranges and beyond…it has the potential to provide a channel of access to many independent broadcasters, which is why the big telecoms are trying to seize it,”explained Eloise Rose Lee, from Media Alliance based in California, one of five people speaking at “The Future of the Internet” panel at the National Conference of Media Reform held in Minneapolis last week. Continue reading The Low-Access People: Tiny Grey-Garcia’s Notes on the NCMR
The FCC Bus: One Person’s Story
Printed courtesy of Poor News Network and authors Guillermo Gonzalez and Gloria Esteva
I sat in a dark, foreboding hall at Stanford University listening to the words of resistance of Gloria Esteva (staff writer of POOR Magazine/PoorNewsNetwork and member of the Voces de Immigrantes en Resistencia at the Race, Poverty and Media Justice Institute at POOR). As I listened I felt truly inspired. Continue reading The FCC Bus: One Person’s Story
MA Joins Vint Cerf Filing Comments In Electronic Labeling for Wireless Devices Proceeding
Media Alliance signed on to comments by Vint Cerf, oft-dubbed co-founder of the Internet, in an FCC proceeding about Electronic Labeling of Wireless Devices, a proceeding that has significant impact on open source development. Continue reading MA Joins Vint Cerf Filing Comments In Electronic Labeling for Wireless Devices Proceeding
Alameda County Board Of Supervisors Passes Most Comprehensive Cell Phone Interceptor Privacy Policy In the Country
Update: On November 17th the Alameda County Board of Supervisors passed a comprehensive privacy policy regulating the county’s use of cell phone interceptor equipment (often referred to in the press by “Stingray” or “Hailstorm”) before approving the purchase of an equipment upgrade. Continue reading Alameda County Board Of Supervisors Passes Most Comprehensive Cell Phone Interceptor Privacy Policy In the Country
Prison Debit Cards – Another Extortion
The more familiar you become with the practices of the prison-industrial complex, the more extortion rackets you uncover directed at squeezing every last drop out of the ever growing numbers of Americans incarcerated for all or part of their adult lives.
In the latest regulatory look at the US mass incarceration network, The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is looking into the use of prison debit cards, when the assets of newly released prisoners are returned to them via mandatory debit cards with high usage fees. Continue reading Prison Debit Cards – Another Extortion