Access denied

I work for a locally-owned company. We have built our clientele and forecasted business on some very simple terms: transparency, access, and engagement with our customers. We operate via multiple levels of engagement and focus - a very healthy B2B roster, wholesale, and direct-to-consumer.

While common sense would tell you that our business will continue to engage wholesale and B2B with larger firms effectively, given today’s FCC fiasco, there are two areas of concern to me. Our direct-to-consumer (public) access and the work we do with small businesses and startups. While large contracts are wonderful for future business development and upgrades on equipment, staffing, and production resources (all VERY important things to running a business and forecasting future growth), the small jobs are still our bread-and-butter.

Why? Small businesses, entrepreneurs, startups, artists, musicians, freelance designers, retailers, and minority- and women-owned businesses contribute directly to the culture of the place we live and work. We are a minority-owned business. We have a reputation for providing accessible and affordable printing and production services to EVERYONE. It’s about access, engagement and ease of use.

A large majority of our business takes place online; we utilize online print portals with our B2B customers, supply online ordering to our consumer and small business customers through our public ordering website, perform proofing, invoicing/payment and transfer enormous amounts of files and communication daily in our business. We accomplish this through access (and speed) of the internet, and that access is currently available to all. When it’s restricted, and inevitably when the file limitations, slow speeds and email choke restricts this efficiency, there is no doubt in my mind that we will lose business, and systems that are already expensive to implement will explode with additional fees, limiting both vendor and customer on how they deliver goods and services.

That is how this will affect my life (as a marketer who uses the internet, social media and direct email as our primary and best means of reaching our customer base) from a work standpoint.

Limitations dependent on ISPs following consumer protections will be eliminated. Rates, contracts and regulations will be gone with the wind. ISPs will be able to change pricing structures on their whim, and you will be targeted based on your usage and be dictated to by a small group of content police. As a result, creativity and engagement will suffer tremendously, and people on limited budgets will be further limited in their ability to engage and seek resources that are personal and unique to them when needed. The content on your own websites and blogs may be restricted based on…nothing. Controversial art, opinions, commentary will be under watchful scrutiny…and could be completely stifled, especially if it’s anti-government, anti-establishment, anti-homogenistic societal constructs. You see, there are plenty of reasons not to want your citizens to mobilize to protect their so-called freedoms.

Will I be able to pay for my tech and data usage? Probably. Will my neighbor? Probably not. They live on a fixed income, and have to combat a number of other obstacles. Being able to engage and access community resources with ease, their support network of family and friends, and find a way to do so without internet access will be a debilitating daily exercise.

What is accessible to some should be accessible to all, especially when it comes to information and communication exchange. I do not want anyone telling me what I can and cannot view based on their own agenda and interpretation of information. I have no right to tell others what they can and cannot view based on my agenda and interpretation of information. I do not want to be restricted from viewing, reading, engaging with commentary that affects my existence. That is my opinion. I do not care if you share it. Having said that, why don’t you? I want to see my neighbors, co-workers, friends, families and complete strangers thrive and engage with society. Having a means to communicate and harness resources and information is even more vital when there are other limitations in play. We must think of everyone - how they consume, contribute and engage.

Net neutrality is a much larger and complex issue than whether or not you will be paying a boatload of money to watch Netflix. Rolling back consumer protections like those in place with net neutrality is a dangerous game with disastrous long-term consequences for commerce (locally and globally), communication exchange and public access. Already underrepresented and marginalized communities will be further marginalized if your well-funded content provider doesn’t like what they have to say. This is a free speech issue. Today’s action by the FCC is misguided, biased and a direct slap in the face to our entire nation of citizens. Over 25 million people expressed their support for net neutrality in direct communication to the FCC. That was ignored. No public forum. No communication to We the People during this process. Zero engagement because they know it's wrong, unpopular and completely undemocratic.

This is not what a country that is concerned with innovation, commerce and vibrant culture does to their citizens. That is what North Korea does. And that’s where this is headed.

(insert your rant here)