With a new administration in the White House, new ideas and political views are brought to the forefront. While health care, the economy, the war on terror, and a multitude of other topics are constantly being debated, another far-reaching issue has had a fairly significant turn of events – net neutrality.

For the uninitiated, net neutrality is the concept that networks should not restrict access to any sites or content while also dealing with the notion that fees should not change based on usage. For a more in depth explanation, there’s always Wikipedia’s definition.

Discussions of net neutrality have been around for awhile (especially with many ISPs changing their policies to go against net neutrality), but a new statement by FCC chairman Julius Genachowski may stir up the neutrality debate once more. With Genachowski’s comments being a declaration of support for and enforcement of net neutrality, we may start seeing those cable companies changing their policies back to what they once were.
continue reading…

It’s tough finding an audience for a new product or service on the internet – especially with the sheer amount of noise found on the Web these days. For some, the daunting task of launching something new online means hiring a PR firm to handle the marketing side of things. While most PR firms are ethical in their practices, some have taken the “easy route” when it comes to online marketing. One of the shadier tactics that’s starting to rear its ugly head more and more is something called astroturfing.

Astroturfing is basically the process of getting some people together to advocate whatever you are pushing (such as a product, a message, or a candidate for office). While the concept is not new and has been used before the internet came along, the simple fact is that creating fake reviews, testimonials, and word of mouth online is cheaper and easier than it has ever been before. Take for example Reverb Communications, a company that appears to be heavily into the astroturfing game.
continue reading…