Someone is Astroturfing the FCC, ERATE ESL 2011

Update: I have received information that the originator of the astro-content is a well-known ERATE web hosting company in Chicago. If confirmed, I will post their name.

(this post contains information about the FCC ERATE program, and assumes that readers know some details about the program. I’m too lazy to provide a comprehensive background now).

Astroturfing: 1. The use of shills to create the impression of a popular movement, through means like letters to newspapers from ‘concerned citizens’, paid opinion pieces, and the formation of grass-roots lobbying groups that are actually funded by a PR group (AstroTurf is fake grass; hence the term). See also sock puppet, tentacle. (courtesy CATB.ORG)

The FCC has recently proposed a change to the eligible services list (ESL), items that are fundable under the ERATE program, that removes web hosting for 2011 forward, stating that it is NOT a basic Internet service (ie; basic conduit access). As soon as this was proposed, out popped the astroturfers.

If anyone knows who is really doing this ‘turfing (i.e. writing the comment template), please drop me an email message to ’slackmaster@gmail.com.’ Btw, I will be cross-referencing names, cities, schools, and service providers to see if there are any matches… and will publish what I find. I wonder if these school districts know that there staff are astroturfing the FCC and may be promoting a commercial entity.

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Representative Astroturfing, all filed on 7/7/2010.
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Twanda Banks, 173 Kaigler Road, Georgetown, GA 39854
UPDATE: Technology Director, Quitman County Elementary
I deeply question how you could state that web sites are not essential to educational purposes, especially given the fact that you had the vision to make these services eligible in 2004.

Ronny Murray 1001 N Jackson St, Tullahoma, TN 37388
UPDATE: Technology Director (murrayj@k12tn.net), Tulahoma City School District
I deeply question how you could state that web sites are not essential to educational purposes, especially given the fact that you had the vision to make these services eligible in 2004

Kay Highbarger 13939 Diagonal Road Clearwater, KS 67026
UPDATE: Executive Director, South Central Kansas Education Service Center #628
I deeply question how you could state that web sites are not essential to educational purposes, especially given the fact that you had the vision to make these services eligible in 2004

Tammy Merritt, 3451 GA Highway 266 Cuthbert, GA 39840
UPDATE: Administrative Assistant, Georgia Head Start Association
I deeply question how you could state that web sites are not essential to educational purposes, especially given the fact that you had the vision to make these services eligible in 2004.

Tammy McLane, 406 W. Plains Oreana, IL 62554
UPDATE: Technology Coordinator, Argenta-Oreana Junior High School
I deeply question how you could state that web sites are not essential to educational purposes, especially given the fact that you had the vision to make these services eligible in 2004.

Steven Howe, 301 W 4th Udall, KS 67146
I deeply question how you could state that web sites are not essential to educational purposes, especially given the fact that you had the vision to make these services eligible in 2004.

Stacy Fees, Vista Del Mar USD, 9467 San Julian Road Gaviota, CA 93117
I deeply question how you could state that web sites are not essential to educational purposes, especially given the fact that you had the vision to make these services eligible in 2004.

Rosemary Karcher, Ridgewood Village School District 49 Cottage Place, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
I deeply question how you could state that web sites are not essential to educational purposes, especially given the fact that you had the vision to make these services eligible in 2004.

Ron Swanberg GFW Schools 323 E. 11th Street Gibbon, MN 55335
I deeply question how you could state that web sites are not essential to educational purposes, especially given the fact that you had the vision to make these services eligible in 2004.

Michele White 1 Magnum Pass P O BOX 180069, Mobile, AL 36618
I question how you could state that web sites are not essential to educational purposes, especially given the fact that you had the vision to make these services eligible in 2004.

And….

ECFS Filing: Lisa Amerson (02-6) - 12/18/2009
Dec 18, 2009… deeply question how you could state that web sites are not essential to educational purposes, especially given the fact that you had the …
ecfsdocs.fcc.gov/filings/2009/12/18/6015503174.html

ECFS Filing: Sandra Guinn (02-6) - 12/22/2009
Dec 22, 2009… deeply question how you could state that web sites are not essential to educational purposes, especially given the fact that you had the …
ecfsdocs.fcc.gov/filings/2009/12/22/6015503429.html

ECFS Filing: Jamie R. Burkett (02-6) - 12/17/2009
Dec 18, 2009… deeply question how you could state that web sites are not essential to educational purposes, especially given the fact that you had the …
ecfsdocs.fcc.gov/filings/2009/12/17/6015503001.html

ECFS Filing: Tim Southerland (02-6) - 12/17/2009
Dec 18, 2009… deeply question how you could state that web sites are not essential to educational purposes, especially given the fact that you had the …
ecfsdocs.fcc.gov/filings/2009/12/17/6015503017.html

ECFS Filing: Sue Tucker (02-6) - 12/17/2009
Dec 17, 2009… deeply question how you could state that web sites are not essential to educational purposes, especially given the fact that you had the …
ecfsdocs.fcc.gov/filings/2009/12/17/6015502983.html

ECFS Filing: Matthew Shell (02-6) - 12/17/2009
Dec 17, 2009… deeply question how you could state that web sites are not essential to educational purposes, especially given the fact that you had the …
ecfsdocs.fcc.gov/filings/2009/12/17/6015502951.html

ECFS Filing: Corey Cochran (02-6) - 12/17/2009
Dec 17, 2009… deeply question how you could state that web sites are not essential to educational purposes, especially given the fact that you had the …
ecfsdocs.fcc.gov/filings/2009/12/17/6015502950.html

ECFS Filing: Golda Donaldson (02-6) - 12/17/2009
Dec 17, 2009… deeply question how you could state that web sites are not essential to educational purposes, especially given the fact that you had the …
ecfsdocs.fcc.gov/filings/2009/12/17/6015502966.html

ECFS Filing: Andrew Cohn (02-6) - 12/22/2009
Dec 22, 2009… deeply question how you could state that web sites are not essential to educational purposes, especially given the fact that you had the …
ecfsdocs.fcc.gov/filings/2009/12/22/6015503334.html

ECFS Filing: Robert Hagler (02-6) - 12/17/2009
Dec 17, 2009… deeply question how you could state that web sites are not essential to educational purposes, especially given the fact that you had the …
ecfsdocs.fcc.gov/filings/2009/12/17/6015502879.html

ECFS Filing: Lauderdale County Schools (02-60) - 12/17/2009
Dec 17, 2009… deeply question how you could state that web sites are not essential to educational purposes, especially given the fact that you had the …
ecfsdocs.fcc.gov/filings/2009/12/17/6015502873.html

ECFS Filing: Mark Miller (02-6) - 12/16/2009
Dec 17, 2009… deeply question how you could state that web sites are not essential to educational purposes, especially given the fact that you had the …
ecfsdocs.fcc.gov/filings/2009/12/16/6015502806.html

ECFS Filing: Rachel Arriaga (02-6) - 12/18/2009
Dec 18, 2009… deeply question how you could state that web sites are not essential to educational purposes, especially given the fact that you had the …
ecfsdocs.fcc.gov/filings/2009/12/18/6015503185.html

ECFS Filing: Karen Braxton (02-6) - 01/04/2010
Jan 5, 2010… deeply question how you could state that web sites are not essential to educational purposes, especially given the fact that you had the …
ecfsdocs.fcc.gov/filings/2010/01/04/6015504413.html

ECFS Filing: Judy Fletcher (02-6) - 12/28/2009
Dec 28, 2009… deeply question how you could state that web sites are not essential to educational purposes, especially given the fact that you had the …
ecfsdocs.fcc.gov/filings/2009/12/28/6015504197.html

ECFS Filing: Mary Jo Peters (02-6) - 12/18/2009
Dec 18, 2009… deeply question how you could state that web sites are not essential to educational purposes, especially given the fact that you had the …
ecfsdocs.fcc.gov/filings/2009/12/18/6015503205.html

ECFS Filing: Mr. Brian Craig (02-6) - 12/18/2009
Dec 18, 2009… deeply question how you could state that web sites are not essential to educational purposes, especially given the fact that you had the …
ecfsdocs.fcc.gov/filings/2009/12/18/6015503096.html

ECFS Filing: Dianne Anderson (02-6) - 12/18/2009
… deeply question how you could state that web sites are not essential to educational purposes, especially given the fact that you had the vision to make …
ecfsdocs.fcc.gov/filings/2009/12/18/6015503219.html

ECFS Filing: Melissa Shields (02-6) - 12/18/2009
Dec 18, 2009… deeply question how you could state that web sites are not essential to educational purposes, especially given the fact that you had the …
ecfsdocs.fcc.gov/filings/2009/12/18/6015503070.html

ECFS Filing: Suzanne Stockton (02-6) - 12/18/2009
Dec 18, 2009… deeply question how you could state that web sites are not essential to educational purposes, especially given the fact that you had the …
ecfsdocs.fcc.gov/filings/2009/12/18/6015503043.html

ECFS Filing: James H. Armand (02-6) - 12/18/2009
Dec 18, 2009… deeply question how you could state that web sites are not essential to educational purposes, especially given the fact that you had the …
ecfsdocs.fcc.gov/filings/2009/12/18/6015503136.html

ECFS Filing: Devlynne Barnes (02-6) - 12/18/2009
Dec 18, 2009… deeply question how you could state that web sites are not essential to educational purposes, especially given the fact that you had the …
ecfsdocs.fcc.gov/filings/2009/12/18/6015503117.html

ECFS Filing: Steven Howe (02-6) - 12/18/2009
Dec 18, 2009… deeply question how you could state that web sites are not essential to educational purposes, especially given the fact that you had the …
ecfsdocs.fcc.gov/filings/2009/12/18/6015503142.html

ECFS Filing: Jim Davis (02-6) - 12/18/2009
Dec 18, 2009… deeply question how you could state that web sites are not essential to educational purposes, especially given the fact that you had the …
ecfsdocs.fcc.gov/filings/2009/12/18/6015503050.html

ECFS Filing: Jessica Donato (02-6) - 12/18/2009
Dec 18, 2009… deeply question how you could state that web sites are not essential to educational purposes, especially given the fact that you had the …
ecfsdocs.fcc.gov/filings/2009/12/18/6015503103.html

ECFS Filing: Peggy Collum (02-6) - 12/18/2009
Dec 18, 2009… deeply question how you could state that web sites are not essential to educational purposes, especially given the fact that you had the …
ecfsdocs.fcc.gov/filings/2009/12/18/6015503177.html

ECFS Filing: Sheila Brawner (02-6) - 12/18/2009
Dec 18, 2009… deeply question how you could state that web sites are not essential to educational purposes, especially given the fact that you had the …
ecfsdocs.fcc.gov/filings/2009/12/18/6015503084.html

ECFS Filing: Sarah L Fletcher (02-6) - 12/18/2009
Dec 18, 2009… deeply question how you could state that web sites are not essential to educational purposes, especially given the fact that you had the …
ecfsdocs.fcc.gov/filings/2009/12/18/6015503105.html

ECFS Filing: Ronnie Wicks (02-6) - 12/18/2009
… deeply question how you could state that web sites are not essential to educational purposes, especially given the fact that you had the vision to make …
ecfsdocs.fcc.gov/filings/2009/12/18/6015503095.html

ECFS Filing: Michael Estrada (02-6) - 12/18/2009
Dec 18, 2009… deeply question how you could state that web sites are not essential to educational purposes, especially given the fact that you had the …
ecfsdocs.fcc.gov/filings/2009/12/18/6015503088.html

ECFS Filing: Glenn Stott (02-6) - 12/18/2009
Dec 18, 2009… deeply question how you could state that web sites are not essential to educational purposes, especially given the fact that you had the …
ecfsdocs.fcc.gov/filings/2009/12/18/6015503101.html

ECFS Filing: Stephanie Snyder (02-6) - 12/17/2009
Dec 17, 2009… deeply question how you could state that web sites are not essential to educational purposes, especially given the fact that you had the …
ecfsdocs.fcc.gov/filings/2009/12/17/6015502845.html

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