This Bill is an Emergency for the Internet

Originally posted by lostjohnny
We all know what happens to over-regulation within a system: It drives the users underground.

I work in IT support for a large multinational with incredibly strict security systems on all the client machines.

I recover encrypted hard drives full of user's projects and archives - all of which should be backed up on servers that are always running at full capacity.

We don't have control over the policies, security control or permissions on the networks we maintain but we are expected to bypass this red tape on a daily basis to satisfy our customers.

Needless to say, this has turned all the support engineers into hackers who are unable to do their job unless unofficial methods are used to perform recoveries or to transfer user's data to a new location.
Being caught bypassing security would mean we would be "walked off site". This happened once for an engineer caught with network sniffing software on his machine.

We know we can get away with the occasional hack or crack because of the 60,000+ clients and servers across campus. They can't regulate, censor or control that many machines.

How would they go about censoring the internet? Think about it. It would be like censoring every book that was ever written plus every magazine and newspaper published daily..

Bring this empty threat on I say!

If this makes them feel they are finally in control of the last bastion of free speech, We will show them they are in control of nothing more than an outdated system.

edit on 17/11/2011 by lostjohnny because: (no reason given)

they can destroy the internet if they choose to. all they have to do is block whatever they dont want accessed at the dns level. each isp has their dns server. when you type www.whatever.com, your system goes to the dns server to find out where to go. so all they have to do is order all isps to block whatever on their dns servers. if you try to bypass by typing the ip number instead of the url, they can still block websites by their ip#s im sure...

I'm not seeing why this is a surprise. When you buy into proprietary systems and use social networks that already do things like claim ownership of your material and pass over your personal information to any government stooge with even a hint of a warrant, what do you expect? These people have been in bed with the government for decades -- did you really think the Internet was going to do anything but slow them down for a few years?

The solution isn't to demand that they release their grip on systems that were designed to herd you into a kennel. It's to drop your use and support for these systems and platforms, and embrace free and open systems.

Believe it or not, this isn't a surprise to everyone. There are already alternatives available to you. All you have to do is be willing to walk away.

why would I support what Anon is supporting.. Right now they are threatening and belittling peoples facebooks with their magical internet powers... Sooooo

give me incentive.... why should I buy into this outside of making it a safer and more secure place to live a second life?

It's just another part of the every increasing powers they want to implement, designed to make us all CRIMINALS, and easily incarcerated/fined.

Noticeably, a lot of these new powers make you immediately GUILTY, and having to prove your INNOCENT, rather than the other way round.

More labels for Joe Public... he's a HACKER, he's a COPYRIGHT INFRINGER...a TERRORIST, a DRUGGIE, a NATURAL HEALTH NUT, a CONSPIRACY NUT, a PEDO etc etc

Time to get out there and start supporting OWS.

reply to post by CaptChaos


It seems odd how these mysterious "bills" appear ever so often out of nowhere only to be forgotten in a few weeks... disappearing as fast as they surfaced.

seems very fishy.

reply to post by SpaceJockey1


I totally agree with the point you just made. There are so many frivolous laws that they are trying to pass lately. They seem to be ridiculous unenforceable laws. But it all just seems like a plot to have some kind of dirt on every individual just in case they need to trump up some charges if you get out of line.

They are making laws prohibiting you from recording police on cell phones. They are making laws prohibiting you from selling second hand goods at a garage sale for cash. They are making these copyright infringement laws punishable by a jail term. They are making US drug laws apply abroad in countries that have no criminal drug laws. There are many more laws that when passed might work retroactively. Something you did a year ago which was not illegal then may now be illegal and you can get punished for it. Outrageous

Originally posted by Domo1
reply to post by Section31

 

Very true. Sadly the wrong people (corporations are people right?) own the internet. Perhaps us ATSers could string together a series of twine and tin cans to communicate, but I don't want Elevatedone or Skeptic Overlord snipping my connection! Also, my horrible crush on Greeneyedleo would surely get my twine cut. Dat voice.

Something like that. When people participate on forum sites, their actions are regulated by posted visitor policies. Since the forum (or site) you are visiting is 'owned' by someone, the owner has the ability to block out rule breakers. SkepticOverlord has the capability to block your ip, so you can no longer access 'his property'. Imagine if that happened on a large scale. Even though there are several small groups of overlapping infrastructure, (government, military, libraries, etc...), the larger backbone of the internet runs on a handful of servers. Each set of servers are 'owned' by specific individuals. Since there is a certain amount of maintenance involved, the owners of those servers lease space to everyone else.

'Occupy Wall Street' uses the internet to organize protests, so they can rage war against corporations and capitalism. Ironically, the internet would not exist or function without corporations and capitalism. If no one paid for web hosting, domain names, and service providers, (capitalism), the internet would be a hollow shell of empty space.

reply to post by knightsofcydonia


Petitions won't work simply because they will not listen and are determined to carry on as they want. Even the posts we place here will be censored and our names, addresses and countries will be noted and we will all be earmarked as 'trouble makers'.
However, I believe governments throughout the world are underestimating how damn annoyed people are getting with being mistreated and herded into situations that are inhumane and cause distress.
More of my money goes back into the government pockets than I get to spend and I get frustrated because I have no means to do anything about it.
I believe this is true of a lot of people and there are rumblings against government from very ordinary people that are growing louder all the time, as the governments issue more and more proclamations.
As someone said, "Even when you do vote, you still get a politician!" So true.
Somewhere, somehow the bubble will burst and that will be the end of our way of life or civilisation as we know it.
Democracy = hypocrisy!

I linked an article and my own op-ed piece about SOPA on my facebook account.
If you S&F this post and agree with its premise that SOPA is a bad piece of legislation then it behooves you to disseminate the message to others as well. If you have a facebook account, some other social network service, or even a personal blog then I encourage you to post a link to inform others, and to help them understand why this is bad if they don't know or don't care.

Great post. Word about this atrocity needs to get out. The government is attempting to take away our most crucial part of our freedom, information, entertainment, and communication. We simply cannot idly sit by and let the powers dictate our lives!

Well. . .crap.
Good thing I gave up posting intelligent responses. . .cause private corporations might censor it anyway.

See I'm still cornfused. Where does it say we have to use THIS internet...

Isn't the internet just a bunch of computers routed through a few buildings? The Internet isn't a singular destination...it's a thing that was built. Just like the refrigerator in your kitchen. I mean we already built one...is it impossible to build another to compete with the one the goberment ruined?

reply to post by ufos8mycow


even if you manage to build a local one, don't you think they will deem it illegal and go after you?

Originally posted by snowspirit
An online petition to save the internet

www.avaaz.org...

I sent mine off.... BESIDES, don't these idiots realize the revenue they'll be losing with these bills, and the fun lil tracking games they love playing that shall be no more?

What, Carnivore, Echelon, CIQ, and the toll house cookie recipies lost interest now? What will ICE do now? gosh... Business Trojans and packet sniffers ARE THE BOMB!!!

HEY!! can you pass me another key logger? thanks Scriptkidder..... Wormin' write a blog... to install my latest executable on as many zombies as possible via my malformed url... GOOOOOOOOOOOO LOVE TUNNEL !

Whatcha gonna do with the nextgen nuker?... send it to Iran?! OOHHHH!! that's right, you already tried that!... er, hey dumdum, thats Iran, with an I, not Japan with a J.... STUXNET... it's not just for breakfast anymore

NOW WE GOT STUCK NET... because an IDIOT with power... is still and always WILL BE - A ~COMPLETE~ IDIOT!!

LOUIVILLE OAK.... WITH A CORK CENTER.

Feel the vibrations!..... feels much better when served by vengence.

Hands off the Internet, or American Politics will become a hands on project.

Originally posted by knightsofcydonia
Ponder these statements for a few minutes..and sign the petition. Nobody owns the internet!!!

Actually it`s the other way around. Everyone owns the internet and are able to build a bit of it by them selves. Build yourself an internet domain, ask you`re closest "neighbor" for connection to the rest of it, and voilà, your an owner.

If you build a server then you`re actually more than an owner, you`re in business. If you build a NODE, then you`re the connection to many other in the world.

Sorry, didn`t read your entire post as you`re opening line threw me off..

reply to post by ufos8mycow


Sure, it`s just a huge hub with "driving rules" /protocols, but it wouldn`t happen.

1. It would take 40-80 years to gather the same amount of info, if not more.
2. Nr. 1 because of there already is a functioning internet.
3. There is no big money involved to build another. The main reason for the first mainland -> mainland cables were the stock exchange. Telegraph, phone and phone was changed to signals via a modem and "decoded" into data. Then you let go of the modem and upped the bandwidth. Computers went faster and server storage became a profitable business. The average joe wanting in on the joy of the internet was also a trigger for phone companies / cable companies to build more "internet structure".

Bottom line is that Money was the biggest reason the internet was built. As long as we have one, we don`t really need another.

But I do imagine that in 20 years the "hubs" will be floating in space. Wireless bandwidth will be massive and it will be lightning fast. After that the question is who wants to get paid for routing traffic through the "hub". And who own`s space.. who can launch a satellite.

With no need for a line you`re only issue will be connecting wireless (paying for the routing through satellite and bandwidth used). The satellites will need to gather all info from servers (competition principle) and nobody can stop every single broadcasting server.

My vision at least..

Edit: Btw., the biggest problem will be wireless hacking and solutions for forever-random cryptation.
I simplified it as much as possible, for layman term purposes.

Internet will be free anyway. If the bill passes everyone who wants security will buy a VPN service for like $10 per month. Internet isn't owned by anyone.
It's still a horrible idea to control the internet.

because this is going to help the economy recover

I reckon when people notice facebook and youtube freaking out at them singing into there hairbrush they're not going to be happy.

if this bill is passed how long till we'll see it in action?

reply to post by Blaine91555


if it is real KILL THEM ALL AND BURN THE BODY !!!

Originally posted by br0ker

Originally posted by knightsofcydonia
Ponder these statements for a few minutes..and sign the petition. Nobody owns the internet!!!

Actually it`s the other way around. Everyone owns the internet and are able to build a bit of it by them selves. Build yourself an internet domain, ask you`re closest "neighbor" for connection to the rest of it, and voilà, your an owner.

If you build a server then you`re actually more than an owner, you`re in business. If you build a NODE, then you`re the connection to many other in the world.

Sorry, didn`t read your entire post as you`re opening line threw me off..

Hey bud did you finish reading the entire post?

I think you misinterpreted what I was trying to say. Which was that no single entity owns the internet. get it?