For marginalized groups, the Internet is a powerful vehicle for equal opportunity and empowerment. It creates social change by allowing people to speak for themselves without having to convince large media companies that their voices are worthy of being heard.

The Internet is and always was intended to be an open and neutral network. Right now, the FCC is crafting rules that will decide whether it stays that way. Thursday, in fact, is the last day for the public to submit comments on the proposed rules.

Last Friday, an appeals court heard arguments on Comcast v. FCC, which centered on the landmark 2008 FCC Net Neutrality ruling ordering Comcast to stop blocking users' ability to use peer-to-peer technologies like BitTorrent.

How much have you already used the Internet today?

We don't think twice about how much we rely on the Internet. Imagine not being able to map directions on Google or check the weather online. A business that doesn't have a Web site? Forgettable. Or rather, unsearchable. Remember when we didn't have e-mail? Would you want to go back to those Dark Ages? Me neither.