Vernon on 25/4/2006 at 17:04
I keep bumping into posts about the recent 'Congress' bs concerning the internet. The more I read, the more worrying it sounds.
The gist of it is that Congress is voting to hand 'control' of the internet to the big American telcos.
(
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/042306G.shtml) Truthout blah blah blah
I guess (
http://www.savetheinternet.com/) this is the 'official' website.
(
http://news.zdnet.co.uk/internet/0,39020369,39228246,00.htm) ZDNet article
What the fuck is this? The internet being handed over to the telcos? Have I missed something here? Is it just typical bandwagonmongering 'omg the government is evil' bullshit? Or is this really a threat? Reading that people like AT&T (
http://www.eff.org/news/archives/2006_04.php#004538) don't give a fuck about the constitution let alone anyone's privacy would indicate the latter.
I didn't really think the internet could be 'controlled,' but the talk of backbone bandwidth being made available only to those who stump up loads of cold hard cash is what worries me. If this is for real, the changes will be immense - the decent part of the internet will be pushed underground, and fuck knows what readily-available services we take for granted these days will become inaccessible. The idea of Google's alternate internet and things like (
http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,1282,57605,00.html) this aren't sounding like such crazy ideas anymore (well not to me anyway).
What the fuck guyz... :(
Matthew on 25/4/2006 at 17:17
To expand on the ZDNet article, IIRC the US did indeed refuse to give up responsibility for the root servers.
OnionBob on 25/4/2006 at 19:55
haha bullshit, they can't fuck with the internet. They can't TOU
Matthew on 25/4/2006 at 20:09
Looks like you get to share a cell with the Korporal after all.
Ultraviolet on 26/4/2006 at 02:00
My post in that savethenet thing, with inserted retrospective:
I'm a bit disgusted at the poor job politicians seem to be doing representing the interests of the Americans that matter -- we, the people, who support the machinery that pays your salaries, even if the affluent lobbyists are the ones handing the stacks of cach [MOTHERFUCK I TYPOED IN THE ONE I SENT AND THE CONNECTION WAS ALSO SOMEWHAT VAGUE] to you [accidental accusatory, god dammit, and I put my address with this -- hay McCain and Kyl I meant politicians in general if you're reading].
Keep the Internet free of commercial influence. For many of us, it's almost like a temple, where we go to learn and socialize. I have a feeling Jesus would be turning tables over like mad right now if he were in corporeal form. The Internet is an icon of equality of standing and opportunity, and defiling it in such a way makes my bile surge. As it stands, nothing online is untainted by advertisement, chubby, greedy fingers leaving smudges all over. To hand ownership of the entire network lying within the United States would be the final insult. How does a corporation own freedom?
You want votes? DO SOMETHING. Failure to do so might result in loss of your oligarchic position!
Fringe on 26/4/2006 at 02:53
Quote Posted by Ultraviolet
For many of us, it's almost like a temple, where we go to learn and socialize. I have a feeling Jesus would be turning tables over like mad right now if he were in corporeal form. thanks a bunch now I have coffee and spittle all over my monitor :grr:
...
:erm:
oh wait this isn't a joke is it.
Aja on 26/4/2006 at 02:55
where would i go to watch videos of drunk people?:(
Ultraviolet on 26/4/2006 at 23:49
Quote Posted by Fringe
thanks a bunch now I have coffee and spittle all over my monitor :grr:
...
:erm:
oh wait this isn't a joke is it.
It'll at least get attention!
