Like most everyone, I’ve been sitting back, watching Google grow to an enormous size. I’ve been concerned they’ve grown too large. But lately, they’ve been swinging their big bats in what I consider my defense. I’m sure they have their own reasons for taking the stands they are taking, but I consider it defending my (and your) rights.

If you haven’t been paying attention, you probably don’t know about the phone companies attempt to seize control of your internet pipes. Likewise, you may not have heard of Google’s tangle with the Justice Department that sent their stock price plunging today.

I pay a bucketload of money every month for high speed internet access from home, not to mention the bandwith I pay for here at pb-and-j.com. Now, the phone companies say that the user paying for the bandwidth is not enough, they want to be paid twice for that bandwidth. In the process of getting paid twice, they also “back into” the power to control which online businesses survive. They will get to do this by throttling higher speeds to online vendors that pay them the most, and relegating those that can’t afford it to the slower speeds. So, far from the information superhighway the internet is, small online businesses will get relegated to the internet’s back alleys. Google is rolling up its sleeves to fight this one, but they are outnumbered. The phone companies have bucketloads of lobbyist hacks already in Washington, and with this much money (and power) at risk, it’s going to be an extremely tough fight for Google. So, I’d like to ask everyone that reads this to send emails to your Representatives and Senators in Washington. If you don’t, you may see the Internet go the way of Mom and Pop, swallowed by Wal-mart, and paying higher prices for the privilege, too. You may also face a guy walking into your office with the following spiel:

• AT&T sales guy, “Hi, I’m from AT&T, we’ve noticed that you run quite an efficient business. Your customers flock to your website.”
• You, “Umm, yes, we’re quite proud of it, we have high expectations.”
• AT&T sales guy, “I’m sure you do… Listen, I’m not going to kid around.”
• You, “I’d appreciate it.”
• AT&T sales guy, “Your customers use a lot of bandwidth, our bandwidth.”
• You, “Well, they already pay for it, so…”
• AT&T sales guy, “That’s just it, we can’t hit earnings estimates with just that, we’re going to need you to pony up $xxxxxxx.xx.”
• You, “What?! Are you out of your flippin’ mind?”
• AT&T sales guy, “No, you see, if you don’t, we’re going to make sure that your customers can get to your competitors website much faster than they can get to you. Your competitors have already agreed to pay us.”
• You, “So, you’re extorting me? If I don’t pay, you’ll put me out of business?”
• AT&T sales guy, buffing his nails, “Pretty much.”

Farfetched? Not really.

The second item. Google and the DOJ. The DOJ issued a subpoena for user search records to Google, to Yahoo, to MSN. Yahoo and MSN, like the lapdogs they are, rolled over. Google is telling the DOJ to show cause. Trouble is, they have no cause, and don’t think they, the big bad government, should have to show cause. This is the same government that swore WMD’s were in Iraq, the same government that is spying on it’s own citizens. Go get ‘em Google. It’s about time someone stood up to this kind of fear mongering. “It’s about the kids,” and “It’s for your own safety,” as excuses are wearing pretty thin. I’ll take my chances with less government monitoring, not more. Once power is ceded, it will never be returned.