FCC Reverses Position, Will Protect Net Neutrality

After signaling on Monday that they would take a weaker position on the issue of net neutrality than they had held in the past, the FCC again reversed course and said it would indeed protect equal access to Internet content, but only after some nudging from Google.

After backlash from Congress, legal experts, and the public, the Wall Street Journal is reporting that the FCC will unveil the details of its plans to protect net neutrality in the face of a Supreme Court decision that seemed to tie the hands of the FCC in regulating Internet Service Providers. After suggestions from Google's legal team as to how the FCC could work around the Court's decision by reclassifying the services offered by broadband carriers under a new legal framework, the FCC will reportedly reaffirm its support for net neutrality at an event on Thursday.

Net Neutrality is the concept that Internet service providers should not be able to discriminate between providing equal access to different online content. It means that you'll be able to use your bandwidth as you want, and that you won't face any obstructions in data transference when you download the latest Lady Gaga song from iTunes, steam the newest Glee episode on Hulu, or read that breaking news article on TheNewYorkTimes.com.

GW Students Meet Google

Tonight, our class went to Google's DC headquarters. More details coming, but here is a great class picture -- courtesy of Johanna Shelton, Senior Policy Counsel & Legislative Strategist for Google:

Ahem, it's with sadness and embarrassment that I point out that the above picture was taken with Google's new Nexus One phone. Here is the picture from my iPhone:

Anyone want to buy a used iPhone?

Ok, Czech Readers...Identify Yourselves.

Andrew's post mentioning that his friend from Prague writes on his Facebook wall with suggestions about what he should write about on GWblogspot got me thinking. 3 thoughts, in particular.

1)It's great that just a few months after our (amazingly awesome) official ribbon cutting, there's actually an expectation by the greater GW community that this blog will be discussing certain issues. I've heard from numerous campus leaders that they read the blog, but for some reason a random GW friend in Prague really hit the point home for me. Then again, I suppose it's only logical.

2) Andrew's friend should totally join GWblogspot's new Facebook group.

3) I wonder how many other people abroad read our blog. A simple look at Google analytics ((c) David) revealed 51 countries! And ironically, after thousands and thousands of views in the United States, guess which country was number 2. The Czech Republic, home of Prague. More below.

Geographic layout of GWblogspot readership













Our esteemed Czech readers















So, we apparently have had 48 visits from Prague and 1 from a place called Hradex Kralove -- which is just inherently cool. Either some traveling soul was off on an excursion from Prague and just NEEDED to check GWblogspot while in Hradex Kralove...Or, we had some really confused visitor. (One who is not Xavier.)

But I can't just end this post with geographic analysis and some mild expressions of joy. No. I need to call someone out.

And who better to call out than the Czechs! So Czech readers, I'm calling on you to identify yourselves!

If it's just Andrew's friend checking 49 times, well...you seriously win some award. (Do you like Google card holders? They're a HUGE hit in class.)

But if there are other Czech readers out there (heck, I'll even extend it to others in non-Czech countries) it would be great to hear how you started reading GWblogspot, and what you think of it.