Google Data

Posted by Richard Whitt, Washington Telecom and Media Counsel

As we turn the page from summer to fall, it seems appropriate to pause for just one day to celebrate the unique awesomeness of the Web.

OneWebDay -- September 22nd -- was first held three years ago to commemorate and support the World Wide Web as a resource that is revolutionizing communications, connecting billions of people across the globe, and empowering users in unprecedented ways. I was fortunate enough back in 2005 to be part of the small group of folks, including Susan Crawford, David Weinberger, and David Isenberg, who first talked about putting together an international day of celebration for the Net.

So how exactly does one celebrate OneWebDay? Like the Web itself, OneWebDay is run from the bottom-up, so the choice is entirely yours. You can donate a computer. Learn more about Internet policy issues. Edit a Wikipedia article. Blog, tweet, and submit YouTube videos about why you love the Web (make sure to use the #OWD09 hashtag). Change your facebook or twitter pic. Or, if you're into politics (and especially if you're not), contact the Federal Communications Commission or your congressional representative to propose your favorite project to enable bigger, better broadband access to the Net. Mine currently happens to be enabling fiber to the library. The point is: it's up to you.

There are also scheduled meet-ups and events in cities across the country and around the world. Here in Washington, D.C., for example, users are invited to join me and many others to participate in a live discussion on the future of the Internet on Capitol Hill.

Yesterday, the Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission outlined his plan to protect open and robust access to the Internet. Whatever your own views on how best to preserve and promote its unique openness and freedom, there's no denying that the World Wide Web has changed our world for the better. It's well worth taking one day a year to celebrate that fact.