Net Neutrality Campaign

Terrence Davis Ratipriya Suresh Communications Studio Secondary Project Book Spring 2011

The World Wide Web is a free domain of information, replete with primary and secondary resources. Nothing comes without internet mobility anymore. When unknowingly taken away via payment plans and charges, the internet will no longer create the appeal it has today among general public and their routine habits. The internet has become a way of life. Regulating it would simply take away from its intended culture of userfriendly feasibility. Statistics and general data are so easily monitored today since internet use and connectivity are so easily accessible. Don’t tamper with something which already works.

May Virtual Freedom Ring.

project proposal

Objective Identify the current debate and with the gorilla approach show support for Network Neutrality. The freedom to access any kind of content on the web without the fear of restrictions, limits, or tiered levels of admission. Our audience will understand that Network Neutrality is the guiding principle behind the freedom that web users enjoy online.

Goals Demote the use of Internet Regulation with the use of hypothetical circumstances under which the user may have to pay to peruse. Help audience understand what is and is not given free to the general user today. Provide a compelling visual presentation which provokes audience to engage in solution oriented tasks to maintain Net Neutrality as is.

Audience Different avenues of observers for an array of interaction.

executive summary

What is the problem with the idea to abandon net neutrality? It is basically the idea that some data packages get favorable treatment and can be transmitted faster than others. In order to get this favorable treatment for a certain website or service, one needs to pay extra – either the company or the consumer or both. Your internet provider can essentially decide what kind of services and websites are more important. It is obvious that this has huge implications for democratic principles and basic rights.

The internet could be transformed into a huge broadcasting channel for wealthy content providers. To illustrate the problem, have a look at the following images, and think carefully whether you want to have an internet that looks similar, as opposed to promoting Virtual Freedom by maintaining Net Neutrality as is.

research

Imagine the world without the freedom of complete virtual access your ISP provides. Here is a glimpse of what additional charges may come your way if the internet is further regulated.

What is the problem with the idea to abandon net neutrality? Here are some illustrated reasons from which Virtual Freedom was created.

research

Net Neutrality places ALL web sites and services on the same level; that is, they ought to be treated as being the same by Internet service providers (ISPs) and mobile phone/cable/phone companies. Though this sounds logical, telecommunications companies are leaning towards the other end of the spectrum. They think that web sites and services ought to be grouped into different categories so that they can apply various charging schemes.

This image explains time as a commodity in context of the internet’s interface.

There’s a connection visible between time in vs. investment out.

Visual research included information graphics like this one which models Net Neutrality after modern dynamic systems like traffic , kinetics, and business. The viewer has a better understanding and analogy to the concepts behind Net Neutrality and its current debate as a result.

research

Background/definition of Net Neutrality, which outlines the method of information portrayal.

One of the analogies, highway traffic is modeled as a common dynamic system.

All traffic should be treated equal and preferrably evenly distributed if not predictably distributed. At the end of the day, everyone must share the road or interface platform.

There is a suggestion that a many-tiered (slow and fast lane) internet is the result of more regulation.

Observations from this sector show that advocates are more user based and high profile whereas the main opponents of Net Neutrality are larger hardware companies and members of the major cable and telecommunications industries.

Developing a mind map of our entire project allowed us to begin analyzing the prospects of the Virtual Freedom Movement’s Campaign and its counterparts.

This basic mind map presents simplistic analysis and correlation thus beginning our sketch process.

analysis

Further analysis of internet usage continues as we survey a varied sample of people. Results portray involuntary dependence on the internet over many hours of daily routine. Internet service is bound to lose a plethora of these users, who do not expect to pay extra charges on top of their service provider.

analysis

Survey 1 of 3 A majority of internet users surveyed spend more than 5-10 hours on the internet daily. All surveyed participants use the internet for two hours or more hours according to this survey.

Survey 2 of 3

Survey 3 of 3

To break down the components of our project, we mapped out ideas and thesis advocates that feed into the Virtual Campaign as pillars of support. Through this ideation process, a system is developed.

project map

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Each component feeds into the Virtual Freedom campaign. The ideation process commences as this integral platform is developed.

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The Virtual Freedom Movement’s identity is based on mobile computing and Wi-Fi, the newest frontier in networking. The parts of the logo include a succession of bezier curves and the cell phone signal icon. The curves represent the signal from a wireless fidelity or WiFi signal, found on a laptop or mobile device, which allows internet connectivity without any wired connection. The cell phone signal icon aspect is represents the mobile phones, which in the last few years, have gone from single-purpose devices to multitasking, social networking, web surfing machines, and even creating WiFi networks for other mobile devices to use. Older style phones used that icon to bring attention to the signal bars next to it. The combination of the two aspects is meant to amplify the importance of these correlations.

applications: logo

Sticker 1 of 3 3in x 3in dual tone

Sticker 2 of 3 3in x 3in dual tone

applications: print

Sticker 3 of 3 3in x 3in dual tone

Small Print 1 of 3 3in x 3in dual tone

Small Print 2 of 3 3in x 3in dual tone

Small Print 3 of 3 3in x 3in tri tone

applications: print

Large Sticker 1 of 3 5in x 10in dual tone

Large Sticker 2 of 3 5in x 10in tri tone

Large Sticker 3 of 3 5in x 10in tri tone

Poster 1 of 4 8.5in x 11in dual tone function: promote, present, identify

applications: print

Poster 2 of 4 8.5in x 11in tri tone function: promote, present, identify

Poster 3 of 4 8.5in x 11in dual tone function: promote, present, identify

applications: print

Poster 4 of 4 8.5in x 11in tri tone function: promote, present, identify

Mock up of print application in venue bus vehicle wrap tri tone function: promote, present, identify

Mock up of print application in venue handball court dual tone function: promote, present, identify

applications: print

Mock up of print application in venue residential dual tone function: promote, present, identify

applications: media

Ideals and components of the Virtual Freedom Movement synthesize in the Project Blog. This platform presents a collaborative project in efforts to inform the public about net neutrality, how important it is to its users like ourselves, and how large companies like Comcast and Verizon are attempting to put an end to it for what else...profit.

The linked Virtual Freedom Facebook page, Twitter page, and Gmail email also feed into the Project Blog. One can access RSS feeds from and to all sources, again promoting Net Neutrality and Virtual Freedom. Collaborate and fight to maintain what’s free to users today.

Demand Progress. Visit our blog to see what others have to say about the Virtual Freedom Campaign.

Blog Phase 1 of 2 Image 1 of 5 function: introduce campaign, generate a social network, promote and present virtualfreedom2011.tumblr.com

applications: media

Blog Phase 1 of 2 Image 2 of 5 function: introduce campaign, generate a social network, promote and present virtualfreedom2011.tumblr.com

Blog Phase 1 of 2 Image 3 of 5 function: introduce campaign, generate a social network, promote and present virtualfreedom2011.tumblr.com

Blog Phase 2 of 2 Image 4 of 5 function: introduce campaign, generate a social network, promote and present virtualfreedom2011.tumblr.com

Blog Phase 2 of 2 Image 5 of 5 function: introduce campaign, generate a social network, promote and present virtualfreedom2011.tumblr.com

applications: media

Email function: method of action, directed user method, promote campaign virtualfreedom2011@gmail.com

Facebook function: method of action, directed user method, promote campaign Virtual Freedom, RSS Feed Admins: Terrence Davis Ratipriya Suresh

Twitter function: method of action, directed user method, promote campaign Virtual Freedom, live updates Admins: Terrence Davis Ratipriya Suresh

To promote and present interactivity to the viewer, dynamic information graphics were created. These iterations build further from the Mind Map sketch analysis seen earlier. Not only can the viewer understand the connection between various project components, but he or she will also realize how much each part serves the whole (in this case the Virtual Freedom Movement).

Though the typography presents a vertical hierarchy, the connections and mannerisms eventually become the social network themselves.

The nature of the strokes represents direct and indirect idiosyncracies of users, all leading to Virtual Freedom. Without one, the others cannot exist. As project coordinators, we attempted to promote interdependence (not independence) amidst our own self-directed social network.

applications: media

Information Graphic 1 of 5 connections among project components

Information Graphic 2 of 5 mannerisms among project components

Information Graphic 3 of 5 mannerisms within facebook component

Information Graphic 4 of 5 mannerisms within blog component

applications: media

Information Graphic 5 of 5 impact of action on entire campaign You are the social network.

No action. No network.

A formatted appeal both in letter and email body text was written with specific audiences in mind. These groups include highly sought after telecommunications researchers, Randolph J. Mayor and Thomas M. Lenard, part of Progress and Freedom Foundation, Pennsylvania State Senators, and Comcast. With the forthcoming complaint forms and directed communication, any user can send their inputs directly. By using our campaign method as a template, one should just modify his or her text and subsequently contribute to the system of the

action

To help us deal with your complaint efficiently, select the option that best relates to your complaint. This Federal Communications Commission Complaint Form is available through all of Virtual Freedom’s campaign media sources.

A directed user based scenario enables user to self-evaluate his/her local network in comparison to other IP addresses nearby. A highly visual interface invaluable to impact the group participation of Virtual Freedom.The Internet Speed Test.

Cover Letter function: inform, promote campaign, contact, directed user communication, begin social network

Campaign for Net Neutrality Virtual Freedom 301 S. Broad Street Philadelphia, PA 19102 Tuesday, March 1, 2011 Dear ____________, What started as a threat to mainstream has flourished today, forming a diaspora of business profitability. The Internet thrives today connecting more networks together and providing reasonable service to all. Progress towards a mobile environment necessitates facilitation of the concerns which arise due to internet blacklisting and copyright infringement. We ask you to consider these restraints which may solidify in the future and help us make possible The New Movement - Virtual Freedom. All internet users, after paying for their provider and their provider only, deserve the freedom to access any kind of content on the Web without the fear of restrictions, limits, or tiered levels of admission.

Network Neutrality is the guiding principle behind the freedom that web users enjoy online. Without an open internet, big corporations would have tight control over how we access websites and services. Please do your part to keep the internet a cornerstone of freedom and opportunity.

Thank you for your time and consideration in this matter.

Email Body Letter function: inform, promote campaign, contact, directed user communication begin social network

Sincerely yours,

Campaign for Net Neutrality

Terrence Davis Ratipriya Suresh University of the Arts Graphic/Web Design

Virtual Freedom 301 S. Broad Street

email: virtualfreedom2011@gmail.com blog: virtualfreedom.tumblr.com phone: 484-477-7672

Philadelphia, PA 19102 Tuesday, March 1, 2011 Hello ____________, We are currently Juniors at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia and would love to present our work to you.

The debate we have synthesized (which we lovingly call Virtual Freedom) to maintain Network Neutrality as is, with your consideration, will make an impact to the general public. Please view our attached letter and Executive Summary. Help us confirm that Net Neutrality is the guiding principle behind the freedom that web users enjoy online. Feel free to contact us via email, blog, or phone to set up an appointment.

We appreciate and thank you for your time, Terrence Davis Ratipriya Suresh University of the Arts Graphic/Web Design email: virtualfreedom2011@gmail.com blog: virtualfreedom.tumblr.com phone: 484-477-7672

action

All internet users...deserve the freedom to access any kind of content on the Web without the fear of restrictions, limits, or tiered levels of admission.

...cornerstone of freedom and opportunity.

Net Neutrality is the guiding principle behind the freedom that web users enjoy online.

Terrence Davis Ratipriya Suresh University of the Arts Graphic/Web Design email virtualfreedom2011@gmail.com blog virtualfreedom.tumblr.com phone 1 484-477-7672 phone 2 718-644-0490 Appointment Schedule Appointments can be made via email, blog or phone.

Project coordinators need at least 24 hours notice before a presentation.

contact