Seeking the advice and input of ATS members on an important issue...

i would no doubt support it. draw it up and i'll sign it.

Lawmakers need to keep their greasy hands off my Internet!

Treat us like adults, and we will act like adults! I police up my own computer, and what I see on teh webz.
As long as a website is not too intrusive, I even click a couple of ads once in a while. (mostly though I've developed a sort of tunnel-vision, that blocks out anything not pertaining to the subject)

Instead of blocking everything with dubious laws, we need to teach each other how to properly use, and protect, our computers. To all become responsible users of the net.

Less legislation, more education!

Wow,18 pages!ATS sure has a bunch of supporters!Count me in as well.

Can't you just make acceptance of the ads a condition of entry to the site?

Count me in. I don’t see where they need to worry about it anyway. There is, and has been for quite some time, an option in the browser for blocking 3rd party cookies.
In IE, you go to Tools>Internet Options>PRIVACY>Advanced button>check override automatic cookie handling>

There you can accept “First Party Cookies” Block “Third Party cookies”, and allow Session Cookies.

So, the Privacy issue this legislation does not even need to be legislated to law as anyone already has the option if they want to use it. This makes it a ‘community education’ issue and nothing more.

If we alert our legislators to this fact, then that should make the necessity for the bill a moot point.

I use it, block all third party cookies that is, but still get ads with no problems. So, I don’t quite understand the issue with “Third Party Cookies”. Unless you’re saying third party ad networks use first party cookies or session cookies.

It sounds like the attack on small business from TPTB will be underway soon. If this passes then you can bet that non internet small business's will be next. Nice find. S&F.

Originally posted by Alethea
I can understand your concern about loss of revenue though ads.
However, many of these advertisers ARE unscrupulous and people have experienced virus attacks and trojans because of these ads. I have, on many occassions, had my computer both attacked and frozen from such ads.

I think people should have a voice in whether to allow cookies or not. Otherwise, it is a condition of use that is being shoved down our throats whether we like it or not.

Those who wish to contribute financially to the website by allowing cookies should have the option of "giving" in that way instead of it being demanded of them.

Also, if allowing cookies were an optional feature, and even if it did affect the income of the website, then those websites who still stand, in spite of smaller incomes from ads, would show that their motives are altruistic and not simply a "for profit" pasttime.


When people are involved in something they truly believe in, lack of monetary reward is not a factor.


I am in favor of the bill that gives people the voice of freedom of choice.



[edit on 25-11-2009 by Alethea]

You can turn cookies off in your browser.

It has been an interesting 18 pages. Got to hand it to you Bill, with just a short word you have fired up the masses. I know that I am not the only one that has noticed this fact.

I have no problem with ATS circumventing our own rules in this instance but we should make it very clear that we, as a community, are going to clearly define just how far we are willing to go.

By that I mean, we have some rather "talented" members within our slice of the web. I do not feel we as a community should take this as a declaration of "war" ala what 4chan (or other such sites) would do if unleashed. I feel it very important that we are very clear on this matter.

On the whole, petitions are ignored. Even direct in person communication is ignored. Prime recent example would be the Mexican Pilot Program. Steve Sommers of the syndicated American Trucking Network (a radio program broadcast on a few AM stations as well as XM at the time) did go to Washington along with quite a number of truck drivers and spoke to Congressmen. Eventually Congress opposed the pilot program and wrote legislation. The Dept. of Transportation ignored Congress with the backing of President Bush and used loopholes in the quick blocking legislation to allow the program to go forth as planned.

I want you and all of ATS to be aware that even if we win, we can still lose. Especially if we resort what amounts to bullying or god forbid, what they would define as "cyber terrorism" by their limited understanding of the term.

For years, I have known that a war in America is coming, if things go as I have seen it could be as early as fall 2010. However, I am unaware of the catalyst. I just know that we as a whole must tread lightly on all issues that are of a national concern.

This bill, if it became law, could and would indeed affect the entire internet as we know it with a pen stroke. Such a rapid change to such a massive amount of people could be the proverbial spark to the powder keg.

So I say proceed but be very mindful. We are all interested in conspiracy and for the most part are considered harmless. Quirky kooks, if you will. But with the numbers we at ATS have and the power of influence that can be welded by the staff and members, we could be labeled as seditious. Not a pleasant label when they turn the dogs loose upon us. Feel free to U2U SO, if you would like to continue where that conversation goes.

I'm in support, where do I sign up?

Make another internet. It's just cables and computers. Rules ? Of course the dictators will make rules even for that...The Machine mind. They want us, they want to "assimilate" us.
We are fighting The Borg. No - they don't have those masks on their faces, the masks are implanted inside their heads ! Only the ones at the very top - are thinking for themselves and control the drones.

The machine in our heads

These ego-alien identifications, built up over the course of a lifetime, cohere and form a distinct, circumscribed personality, or false self, that represents and enforces the rules and regulations of civilization. This false self is observable in the frozen facial expressions, stereotypic gestures, and unexamined behavioral patterns of the general public. This false self determines much of our everyday lives, so that we are seldom the origin of our actions. We lapse into the false self at the first sign of danger, under stress, or simply because it is the path of least resistance. In this unthinking mode of social role playing, we internally reproduce our own oppression.

Confederacy of dunces

Mass dumbness is vital to modem society. The dumb person is wonderfully flexible clay for psychological shaping by market research, government policymakers; public-opinion leaders, and any other interest group. The more pre-thought thoughts a person has memorized, the easier it is to predict what choices he or she will make. What dumb people cannot do is think for themselves or ever be alone for very long without feeling crazy. That is the whole point of national forced schooling; we aren't supposed to be able to think for ourselves because independent thinking gets in the way of "professional" think-ing, which is believed to follow rules of scientific precision

Only way to fight this - no matter the outcome, is to spread information. Physical fighting - will not affect the drones, human machines. Humans in fact. Caught in the Matrix. And there are too many of them for an "old style" revolution to accomplish anything.

[edit on 26-11-2009 by pai mei]

Perfect Example of how lobbyists control Washington DC and every other facet of the USA.

Big money talks.

Originally posted by SkepticOverlord

Is this something we should do? If you think it is, I will bring to bear all that I know to ensure your opinions are noticed in an independent effort (not directly related to ATS) all users of the web could embrace.

I don't know if petitions work very well in the US but not down under. I wonder if everyone used a signature line along the lines of "Big Media wants your internet $, don't feed the bears" and a url pointing to a web site with a simplified message. Along with the suggestion that everyone copy the signature?

Im sorry i dont recall who this quote is from but its one of my favourites.

"If i were to loose all but one freedom, i would retain my Freedom of Speech. For it is with this one Freedom that i know i can regain all the other freedoms that had been taken from me."

Kind of relevant.

I WILL SIGN THIS PETITION.

I'm In ...

Everyone needs somewhere to voice their thoughts and opinions. Liked or Not.

I've finally found mine here on ATS and I for one will not give it up without a fight.


LET'S DO THIS!!!

[edit on 11/26/09 by RecentlyAwaken]

If you want a state sanctioned internet then go live in China, if you want an area where you can freely speak your mind, look at whatever news platform or 'bongo' *ahem* adult entertainment site you want to without fear of being labelled a pervert or a dissident by TPTB.

And closing the internet down and having it 'state sanctioned' would mean that we the people cannot co-ordinate anything between us, nor could we find any information that ISN'T covered up by the Government, so that you do not find out they are complicit in illegal unethical activities, like torture of citizens or divebombing planes into skyscrapers.

It'll be like my works 'firewall' the ususal 'porn' obviously but also I get , access denied- non banking related site, access denied- auction site ( ebay) , access denied - mobile phone accessories, access denied - humour, access denied - alternative news ( lucky I can get ATS) , access denied - weapons and tactics ( paintball) access denied - informational url.

[edit on 26/11/09 by DataWraith]

Yes - of course I support it.

Please advise any and all means by which members can support opposition to this attack on freedom - people to call, donations, events - whatever we can do, I am sure there will be people who will be willing and able.

Dear Memory Shock and other Mods of this forum,


Specifically, the decorum I was referring to in this thread has to do with all the T and C violations in it. It is because of the subject matter and who it was that posted it that people feel they can "break the rules" in this regard.
Surely you must see it.
Therefore you are choosing not to do your job as moderators, willing, perhaps instructed, to "let this slip."
That makes at least one person here a hypocrite.

Thus it is the lord of the flies in it's degeneration of civility.

I can leave a one liner insult with curse words in it too, if that's what we're going to do now....

reply to post by SkepticOverlord


Sir,

I, too, have followed the information in the media regarding this issue. I believe, without hesitation, in free speech, and in a free internet. In I may be of any help to you or to the site in this regard, please contact me. It would be lovely to use my years in marketing for an actual use that is of concern to all of us.

Best of luck and please know you have my full support. This site is incredibly important, in that one is able to express ideas not always welcomed elsewhere, and to do so with the backing of a team of intellectual people as admins- either to encourage us to check our reporting, to scold us for lack of mutual respect, or to laud us when we contribute something of import. This site simply must remain open! I will help in whatever capacity i am asked to participate. Thank you for a site where I can have a dialogue with stranger who somehow become friends on the level of dialectic and in the Socratic method.

My best wishes,

C

Although I pay for internet services, I concider the internet free. More so as in 'free thinking'. The thoughts and ideas that are put on the internet will only open one's imagination which lacks in our increasingly 'drone' society.
If big corperates start to regulate what/who can or cannot say, express their feelings, inspirations or ideas then we resort to the way others want us to think and act, thus giving up our individuality.


Please do not let them herd us back into the flock of 'grazers'.