Support Uber and competition

The Internet has finally come to Dallas.  This is the one time it’s good to be in a red state, though it is a blue city.  Uber is here  and getting a nasty reception from the Dallas City Council  and local gendarmes.   The Dallas City Council wants to kick them (and Lyft, which is coming soon) out.

Now the local taxi companies have a point.  Uber is violating the law and clings to silly semantics to get by where they can.  Of course we’re lucky the regulations support motorized carriages.  You might as well forget about anything having to do with the Net.

The right solution is promoting competition, accommodating new ways of doing business, and allowing businesses to better serve the public.  The government should be promoting the welfare of its citizens, not sheltering legacy businesses.

Please join me and sign the petition to say No to the Anti-Uber proposal.

Protect innovation and your online rights

It’s that time of the year again. Because once more, on virtually an annual basis, big media lobbyists have succeeded in getting Congress to fast track legislation to turn the government into their personal cops. Apparently they didn’t get the memo that Occupy Wall Street pertains to all corporate overlords, not just banks.

The Senate bill is called Protect IP. In the House it’s E-Parasites. Of course it’s big business’s IP that they seek to protect and the parasites are them for transforming your friendly neighborhood ISP into their direct attack dog.

Once more they overreach in the name of online piracy, which is getting old. This legislation chills innovation, compromises online security, and strips consumer rights. It was written with no input from the technology industry or consumer advocates.

Please take direct action now. Tell your representatives in Congress to keep their slimy hands off your Internet through the EFF Action site.