The Story
My neighborhood has an Abitibi paper retriever. It is a large bin which allows us to dispose of paper for recycling, then providing the homeowners association with a modest monetary refund. I keep a bag near my desk to collect the plethora of junk items that appear in the daily mail to deposit in the bin.Yesterday I received a thank you note which I may hang on to for a while. With email, texts, and Facebook, as my main modes of written communication, I was delighted to receive this personal correspondence. Far more interesting to me however, was the source of this letter.
The card, handwritten on recycled paper (I confirmed it by smudging the ink with my finger!) came from a CREDO wireless employee named Andrew W. In response to Verizon's recent actions to alter net neutrality regulations, I had decided to change my phone carrier. The handwritten note was sent to welcome me to CREDO, to thank me for my business, and describe the impact that the company has had in supporting non-profits worldwide.
The Technology
The story of Verizon and the US Court of Appeals has been in the news the past few weeks. On January 14th the court reversed its ruling on "net neutrality" - or the role that businesses may play in regulating the flow of information over the internet. There have been plenty of stories which portray the unfolding situation as yet another instance of big-brother or eventual doomsday, while others have compared it to the changes which occurred with cable TV when pay-per-view and premium channels were added. With all of the press it can be hard to know which way is up.Certainly, as our technologies continue to evolve and change, so will business' responses to profit from them. While we may not yet know the full impact of the Court of Appeals' decision upon our freedoms in accessing the Internet, we can be sure that things will continue to change. In an era where many feel their voices cannot or are not being heard, it can be challenging to know how to respond mindfully to these sorts of global concerns.
The case of net neutrality is complex with no apparent "right or wrong" answers. I believe, however, that there are ways we each can respond mindfully to the litigation, helping the big Internet providers to understand our preferences for the web to remain open and free. They include: changing Internet and/or cell service providers, signing net-neutrality petitions online, sending our own hand-written notes to key players, or dreaming up new ways of doing things in an open source and humanistic manner.
Connections
One only has to look in the paper, turn on the TV or scan the Internet to see global stories of doom and gloom. From issues on wall street, to genetically modified food, from Obama care concerns, to women's reproductive rights, there are many areas for which we may have justified concern. How do we remain positive in the face of such challenges? And how might we make a difference as a single human being on a planet of over 7 billion?Many of the great wisdom teachers remind us, "You are the only one who can do something. Do that one thing that you can do." It is not always apparent what that one thing might be. I would suggest we consider utilizing our technologies to help us in that area.
Personally, I am choosing to work on becoming more mindful of my technology usage, and seeking out ways to support those who are finding their own particular gifts or ways to benefit the planet. I encourage you to think about how your technologies can impact the causes you care about - from blogging about your ideas or about how you are making changes, to seeking out new collaborations and diverse opinions, or signing petitions or making donations to non-profits working in the trenches. I urge you to choose something and to make a positive, mindful contribution. Good luck!
Images of the Internet and Earth courtesy of Pixabay: www.pixabay.com
