Antidote To Facism: The Internet

[Solomon]

The thing that Orwell couldn't predict. He had everything right, but he didn't know there would be an internet.

Look for some kind of attack against the internet in the coming years.

[maxsolomon]

1. internetS

its plural, you know!

didn't youse gets the messages?

12 hours to go!

[Solomon]

2. Wonder how many nuts out there in the red states are now saying

"internets" because they know it's the correct way to say it.

[knowbody0]

3. it's just too big. it belongs to the people

[BeHereNow]

14. BUT is controlled by SATELLITES...

And guess who owns those?
BHN

[bigmonkey]

4. If everything goes well today . . .

I think everyone should educate themselves about digital copyright issues. It's the only path for the right to control the Net as tightly as they'd like. It may seem esoteric at first, but some unholy combination of Microsoft and digital rights management to "protect copyrights" scares me more than anything. Seriously.

[bryant69]

5. It's a complicated argument

Obviously some corporations would like to be able to completely control the internet and ensure that nobody does things they don't like, and some digital anarchists think that they should be able to steal whatever they want, simply because they want it. Navigating between the two streams is tricky.

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[Solomon]

6. We have to find a way. We can never give up on the ability to

communicate directly with each other. Democracy depends on it.

[InformedSource]

7. They could control it right now. They're letting it be free because

they're using it to gather information. Everything everybody does on line is recorded (see Eschelon, among other things) and, when they have enough power, they will know who to come get. Anyone (like me) who has ever logged into a leftist or progressive website, everyone (like me) who has ever looked at internet porn, or anyone who has ever done anything they don't like on line -- they know who we are and, when they're ready, they will act.

Am I paranoid? You bet! Do I hope I'm wrong? You bet. Am I?

[Solomon]

9. I've been feeling this too. Echelon and Promis software, etc.

They already have it in place, and they test it in various ways.

I had a recent experience that drove home the point. I went looking for a particular video game one day. At the first store, I was told that they had it, but couldn't sell it until October 26. That was at least a week away, and I was puzzled by this.

I went to at least four other stores, different businesses. Each time the clerk, not knowing that it wasn't supposed to sell until October 26, tried to sell it to me, but their computers wouldn't let them. They would try to beep the thing, and it wouldn't work. After a time eventually something would come up on the screen telling them that they couldn't sell it until October 26.

I don't think they all businesses are working on the same computer system, but there's obviously some kind of software in effect, that can work with any system.

Very scary.

[BeHereNow]

15. You are NOT paranoid. You are not wrong.

You are absolutely 100% on target:
http://www.fas.org/spp/eprint/article06.html#ft123
BHN

[TahitiNut]

8. Corporate Fascism has already corrupted the Internet.

As conceived, the Internet is architecturally egalitarian. Any system on the Internet should be freely able to host server software as well as client software. From a protocol design perspective, there's no reason to inhibit an individual system in running a web server, an FTP server, a mail server (post office), or any other kind of server.

The corporate ISPs prohibit this as a part of their "service agreements" and enforce it by crippling various traffic through their routers. Such was not the case prior to about 1993 - the time of the commercialization/corporatization of the Internet.

[Solomon]

10. I guess I need to study the internet and learn if there's anyway to

salvage it.

From what you know, is there hope?

[TahitiNut]

11. I'd encourage community backbones.

The most democratic and egalitarian access can be achieved with public ownership of "fiber to the curb" cable systems over which various services can compete in a non-monopolistic fashion. Clearly, the future of the Internet as a public/populist resource is tied to fiber optics cable systems. (WiFi is secondary.) When those cable systems are monopolized franchises, the people become mere sheep in corporate corrals.

I'd suggest looking at how Ashland, Oregon, has created a community cable infrastructure. Residents can get 3 to 5 megabit data services for $20/month with three ISPs competing for their business. Another six ISPs serve the businesses.

[Solomon]

12. Wow. Thanks for the tips. I think this is very important.

[drunkdriver-in-chief]

13. For first time in history, FREE SPEECH EXISTS

People can now air their views w/o going thru the damn media filter. Doubt if it lasts long though since both the media and govt hate free speech. Look for more talk about how terrorists and kiddie-porners use the net. I suspect the kiddie porn sites are set up by our govt as an excuse to destroy the internetS.

[info being]

16. But there's still a problem on the demand side

Lot's of information available, but most people still look to the mainstream.