A new "online workers union" to promote net neutrality?
Thank you Tech Daily for flagging a silly blog by MyDD calling for an organizing an "online workers union... to look out for the political interests of online workers. These interests include net neutrality, intellectual property law like DMCA..."
You can see me shaking my head in disbelief now... an online workers union for net neutrality...
Let me highlight just a few of the silly aspects of this idea.
First, organizing bloggers into a union to promote net neutrality?
- Duh! It already exists!
- The "online workers union" is called Moveon.org and it already has 3 million members, all they have to do is change from political donations and require mandatory union dues.
- The MoveOn/FreePress folks already operate as de facto union bosses of the net neutrality movement.
- And by the way doesn't MyDD know that the Consumers "Union" already supports net neutrality regulation?
Second, social media technology already allows onliners to organize around what ever idea they want whenever they want. Its a free country and a free and open Internet. Why not create:
- UnionBosster?
- MyUnionSpace?
- UnionFace?
- Goonion?
- LaeBayr?
- AmUnionZon?
- AskYourUnionRep.com?
- Wikidarity?
- eUnionDues?
- SaveUsFromIndividualism?
- OrganizeAgainstYourself?
- Socialized Internet?
- Surely MyDD could "move on" one of these many "online workers union" ideas.
Third, MyDD's idea for organizing eBay sellers is sort of bizarre.
- I thought these eBay "sellers" were entrepreneurs and businesspeople making a living running their own businesses.
- Aren't they their own "management" that unions generally oppose?
- Or are all eBay sellers "workers" for the eBay webopoly that has 95% share of the online auctions market -- per Jupiter Research?
- Or are eBay sellers "businesses" who have no real competitive choice of auction platform?
Fourth, I have some ideas for a new rallying cry for MyDD:
- "Online workers unite against the tyranny of choosing to work at home or wherever you want!"
- "Rise up online workers against the Internet free market!"
- "Stop Internet capitalism!"
Finally, it really appears MyDD wants to organize better politically. Maybe they could create an online political party!? Yeah that's the ticket! Nobody has ever thought of that? How about:
- The Online People's Party?
- Democrats for a Government-run Net?
- The Netocratic Party?
- The New Luddite Party?
- The No Progress Party?
- The Digital Socialist Party?
- The Move On Party?
You can see me shaking my head in disbelief now
Damn, scott, you are funny! I mean, if common internet users were to actually organize to protect their interests, what would that do to that other internet bunch that has organized to protect it's interests? You know, the um, the telecom corporations. They might be faced with some competition for control of something that legitimately belongs to the American people...all of us. You...funny man!
You can see me shaking my head in disbelief now.
Online writers are organized into a number of unions, most notably the National Writers Union, UAW Local 1981.
Office workers, both at home or in the office, who work on the Internet building sites, graphics, web systems are often members of another union, OPEIU.
While thre is no union, that I know of, for eBay sellers -- geez, there should be! I responded to the MYDD article highlighting how these sellers are constantly harassed by an absurd amount of DMCA violations. The sellers post items for auction with images and copy that come directly from the manufacturers' sites -- but if the sellers are not authorized dealers or selling below MAP, they are "violatiing" copyright laws? .... right!
The only reason these huge companies want to enforce anything that has to do with a copyright is because they don't want the sellers posting items at auction below MAP. I am not saying all corporations are watching auction sellers like a hawk, but there are many that are out there.
The people who sell online should be eductated and protected in countering DMCA notices of violation, but how do they do that? Should they go pay for another service that can watch them like hawks to be the "first alert" that they are screwing up? I am doubtful anyone would pay ... but if you want an online worker, who is unionized, to handle that business for you -- please write me.