“Old” and “internet” don’t always go together. But in Old Town Scottsdale, they do.

That was a clear takeaway from our recent visit with five local businesses and Rep. David Schweikert in Old Town Scottsdale.

Communities and businesses across the country depend on the internet to stay connected. State and national leaders should develop policies that continue to foster economic growth and a high quality of life for their communities.

One way to highlight how small businesses and civic organizations derive value from internet-enabled services and platforms is through internet community crawls. The crawls are a chance for community leaders and business owners across industries — including art galleries, restaurants, real estate, and retail in Scottsdale — to share stories about how they’re using the internet to attract more consumers and expand their product offerings.

The result is better options for communities, stronger economic growth, and the continued vibrancy of Old Town.

Read The Full Article on Scottsdale Independent →

Rarely does a century-old musical instrument drive policy in Washington, but that’s exactly what’s happening in the music community at this moment. Everyone from Internet Association (IA) members to artists to record labels are supporting a new piece of legislation called the Music Modernization Act (MMA), that will help bring music licensing into the digital age. The bill passed the U.S. House unanimously recently and now heads to the Senate.

So what’s the driving force behind this new bill? Player pianos. We’re not kidding.

Read The Full Article on Billboard →

Cars are expensive to buy and maintain, and 95 percent of the time they sit unused. Fortunately for Californians, state lawmakers have the opportunity to make car ownership more affordable and practical.

Assembly Bill 2873 would support internet-enabled car sharing, which connects vehicle owners with consumers and travelers. These legislative efforts have been stalled by rental car companies, which want to preserve the status quo and prevent competition (“Don’t let startups play by own rules,” Viewpoints, April 23).

Californians have shared their personal cars nearly 74,000 times through the Turo service. Nearly half of Turo users joined to increase their mobility, while another 20 percent joined to earn money; the average user earns $539 a month by renting their vehicle for just 10 days.

Read The Full Article on The Sacramento Bee →

The internet is about opportunity. Its evolution continues to open doors for students to further their education, for communities to exchange ideas, and for small businesses to leverage tools that help them market their products and engage consumers. In places like Brooklyn, one of the most diverse communities in America, the growth of the internet fosters economic opportunity, cultural inclusion, and community building.

Internet-enabled innovation expands the possibilities for local businesses and other organizations to thrive in an increasingly global and digital world. A recent visit to local businesses and community organizations on our “Internet Community Crawl” highlighted the immense value internet-enabled services provide New Yorkers in the City’s most populated borough.

On the crawl, we heard from Brooklynites at Domo Taco, viBe Theater Experience, and Berg’n beer hall, each of whom highlighted the critical role the internet has played in growing their organizations and making a difference in the community.

Read The Full Article on Bklyner →

Mark Epstein’s “How To Keep Online Speech Free” (op-ed, April 30) highlights many of the tensions internet companies face in balancing the demands of creating safe online communities and protecting their users’ constitutional rights. What one person may consider abusive or hateful content could be speech protected under the First Amendment.

Read The Full Article on The Wall Street Journal →