The world is changing... I can feel it.

[Falconius]

http://www.savetheinternet.com

I don't mean to be alarmist, but this could be the beginning of a great oppression and depression. Our only means of stopping the spread of wholesale evil is through countering it with the truth. We all know the limitations and strengths of the internet and there is no use in denying that it often perpetuates lies too. I can speak only for myself: much of my world view and knowledge lies scattered across the www.

It seem likely that anonymous surfing will become a criminal offence. Have we all really become potential terrorists?

[Wolf]

Well... that depends. I don't think terrorism is the immediate concern of people pushing for greater regulation of the Internet, if anything, I think the push is being made largely by "older" (e.g., "were not raised with the Internet") consumers and providers of goods and services who do a substantial amount of their business online. Fraud, the skyrocketing costs of systems and information protection, and the imperfect application of modern legal methods to situations involving the Internet are all very good reasons why the 'Net might actually profit from some much-needed regulatory attention.

Naturally, however, 'Net regulation shouldn't come at the cost of freedoms that we experience elsewhere in society--such as freedom of speech or worship. At the same time, however, the exercise of these freedoms in "real life" are not absolute. As the famous example goes, one cannot yell "fire" in a crowded theater; likewise, one cannot publish libelous stories (which already applies to the Internet), nor can one communicate with the intent of committing a crime or conspiring to do so (likewise). I agree with you, Falcon (and if you've ever played MechWarrior, this might become an interesting conversation), that perhaps the best means of combating "evil" is with the truth, but Internet regulation isn't necessarily evil--certainly, the FCC isn't proposing the same sort of regulations that have been passed in Russia (which, if my Russian is any good, allows the executive office to censor Internet content for anything that impugns the "national feeling"--no joke, it's part of their law, look it up) And even if the FCC were of the same mind--in a vast, nefarious plot to erode the virtual freedoms of virtual citizens in a virtual world--chances are that a court will not allow a "loophole" in otherwise-mild regulatory legislation to become a magic bullet for silencing Internet users. If you feel that you have been injured by the misapplication of these proposed regulations, sue. I'm totally okay with that.

I wouldn't worry about it, Falcon. It stands to reason that our generation--one that has been more or less "raised" online--feels a certain sting whenever the subject comes up, but there are other, better ways to enjoy an even freer Internet. For my part, the free software and open source movements are far more likely to produce tangible freedoms than the illusion of freedom that we labor under now.

EDIT: As per the Russian thing, http://www.grfc.ru/grfc/English/History/index.htm

"On 12.03.2007 the Decree of President of the Russian Federation № 320

[TMA_1]

Wow, that was some really insightful reading. Thanks, Wolf. :-)

[Wolf]

Glad you liked it. It's good to put my highly varied education to use all at once.

[TMA_1]

Haha :-)