The Future Of (Inter)Net Neutrality. Im getting worried and pissed off

[AzureMusique 0]

I don't know about all of you, but I for one, would hate to see all the freedom that we have with the internet would just...disappear. China forcing Google to make China "the happiest place on Earth" when everyone else knew that China isn't all that innocent. Then they control people how much they get to spend on the internet? It's bad enough already. I'm glad that I don't live there, but now, I face the threat of not being able to browse sites in the way I please (not the unmentionables, of course), nor blog in the way I please, nor even be able to post on content in the way I please without the fear of being blacklisted just because some big business feels threatened by my (completely innocent) content. It even threatens my life as a hobby side-scripter and web designer, including my life as a student Education for All rights activist. Free hosting sites like this might not even get a chance to exist because other companies are demanding that every web-designer wannabe to pay up if their site are to be hosted. If that happens, what if they suddenly decide that we aren't allowed to view websites outside of the US? Chat with our families and friends who live in another country? If you all are also worried about net neutrality and would like to petition like I am:
http://forums.xisto.com/no_longer_exists/
http://act.demandprogress.org/act/wyden/?referring_akid=60.283049.hnyl26&source=typ-fb

[sheepdog 10]

It's not just the freedom of the internet that we are loosing that worries me, it's all the other garbage that is going on, all over the world. And the stupid population just nods and goes back to their TV's and chat rooms and complains and then vote the stupid rule makers right back into office. Look at the recently passed Food Safty Act, (I believe it was SB510?) In the name of "protecting" our food supply the government gained some major controls over private industry, and even the rights of property owners to grow and give food away. Even before the passage of this evil bill we are already dealing with an out of control government, and don't take my word for it, read this insane story http://forums.xisto.com/no_longer_exists/
The government telling you how much food you can grow ON YOUR OWN PROPERTY!!!Did you ever even dream anything that crazy could happen in the United States? It all reminds me of what Benjamin Franklin said about how if we are willing to sacrafice freedom for saftey we will end up having neither, or something like that, I forget exactly how it goes. You know, sometimes I wonder if people even understand the complex idea of freedom. It seems that a whole lot of people want their freedom, and scream like the devil if they feel they have been denyed their rights, but those same people are the first ones that proclaim, "there ought to be a law against that" when someone does something that goes against their personal beliefs. Look at all the stupid city ordinences there are on the books. If you don't mow your lawn often enough to suit your neighbors they run to city council and have a law passed that says you have to mow your grass. Or you can only have this that or the other, and you can only have it if your neighbors think it's ok. Now just how is that freedom for all? Take pets for another example. Many towns have enacted pet limit laws. Despite the fact that pets are considered personal property, you have the government coming in and telling you not only how many, but what kind of pets you can have. Why is it fair that the person who is a responsible pet owner and takes good care of their animals should loose their rights to own the pets that they want because somebody had a different opinion of how pets should be owned or taken care of?So.....what can we do except sit and type and complain? Voting the jerks out doesn't seem to work, we just get in a new bunch that is just as stupid.

[anwiii 17]

i've always been a believer in less laws. it's not that i believe people should be able to do whatever they want, but it gives to much power to abuse laws. i have witnessed first hand how laws are being abused every day. there has been talk about the government controlling the internet for over 20 years now. even before the www. this is not new to me nor do i feed in to the garbage that people spread rumors about. i am not anti government, but some people are and they will spread false rumors and accusations just to discredit the government.also, most people believe in the laws that are being passed so there is little or nothing one can do to fight against the laws we don't believe in. county, state, and federal officials like senate and congress know they have to please the majority or get elected out their next term so i don't think that's the problem. the problem is that once a law takes in to effect, it's hard to reverse it unless it's deemed unconstitutional whether on the state or federal level.laws aren't about protecting people anymore though. they have become a means to control people and take away their freedoms. laws are passed every year in every part of the country, but it's happening so slowly, people are unaware after 20 years, how much of their freedoms have really been taken away. the government makes up for it by doing good deeds with the tax payers money as a distraction to what is really going on over time slowly and gradually.when i was in my 20's and realized certain things, i predicted unrest and another civil war because i thought other people would take noticed what has been going on over time. a civil war not just because of governement control, although that would be how it would start...but turn in to something a lot more tragic with very little meaning behind it. i predicted it would happen before i turn 50. i am now 42 and i doubt anything majopr is going to change in 8 years, but ya never know. i still think it's gonna happen, just maybe not in my lifetime now. in a way i am happy this has not happened because i can forsee the final result. in another way, i am saddened that there aren't more protesting and people standing up for their own individual freedoms that are granted to us naturally as citizens of the united states(not the United States "government").with my disappointment in how i see things being run, i still have to say i wouldn't trade this government for any other government in the world. a couple of them come close, but they just don't compare in the long run.i've learned a long time ago, that i will never be able to change the system no matter how wrong it may seem or be. i can't only help people along the way and maybe by doing THAT, i can make a difference somehow...sheepdog- i hear ya about the grass cutting example, but i am split on that. within city limits, there shoudl always be stricter laws because it's more heavily populated within city limits. i cam to missouri about 6 years ago and quickly found out that tall grass here attracts snakes...some DEADLY, and ticks that can move on to other neighbors yards. this is just a fact and if my neighbor was attracting those things from their home and not isolating them so they couldn't spread to mine, i would be one of those complainers about the grass cutting thing or i would just cut it for them if i had the means. there are better examples to use than the grass cutting one although outside city limits, there should absolutely be NO grass cutting regulations. that's one of the benefits in living in the country and away from people. you are less restricted than if one chose to live in a more densely populated area. where they say the laws are there to protect people and the police are also there to protect and serve and enforce those laws(although the missouri police are some of the dumbest cops i have ever run across).

[chinu 0]

i wanna add a point too. the net today is usa centric. everything written in what ppl in usa want. most of the bloggers are indians or from the subcontenent but they produce content for usa. the american companies like apple are hilighted even if they have low quality product, compared to other products. (nokia etc). every thing on net is highly biased in american favor because they have money in the pocket. they are willing to spend online even when they dont need to. as a result advertisers target aerican to tap the potentials paying higher for americ views/clicks. as a result bloggers target them. so we need money in everyone whos online in pocket to get internet neutrality.

Edited May 24, 2012 by moderator (see edit history)

[AzureMusique 0]

Take a good look at Singapore. People have their freedom...HOWEVER, you cannot litter, burglarize others, vandalize people's property or otherwise you'd receive a hefty fine and be given a couple of swats with a cane on the behind in public right on the spot. It doesn't matter if you a politician, a wealthy investor, or even a tourist, you cannot get away with it. You cannot bribe or sue to make them go your way. Some American lawyer or tourist tried to do sue against the Singaporean government a few years back on the actions that his teen's son got caught upon doing a few years back. He failed. You'd be amazed at how strict they are with their rules and laws. I half wish that our country would have done that. There'd be less corruption, less thievery that way. No Columbine. No VT. Unfortunately, given the vastness of our country, it's almost impossible. Corrupted people won't like that.

 

As my college French teacher once told us, "The US DIDN'T LISTEN to our warnings of a possible terrorist attack. And now, the planes went 'KAPOOSH'. THEY WOULD HAVE AVOIDED THAT!!!" Ok, so it's a little dramatic on my part, but when she first told us about that, I didn't know if she was joking or if she was serious. If she was, what the hell happened to our intelligence agency?! They were SUPPOSED to protect us from harm. Looks to me that they either didn't do their job, turned a blind eye, or was bribed by the evil corporations. I know its a bit straying from my original topic.

 

Don't you think it's a tad bit fishy that a corporate leader of a big company just suddenly decided run for governor, make "too good to be true" promises, and blow millions/billions of dollars of their own pocket money? That happened during our recent gubernatorial race. Luckily, she didn't win.

 

The reason for the introduction of this bill is, call me paranoid, because the big businesses want control of the internet, hence the "blacklist". Most of our society's elected politicians, many of whom who aren't mentally sound, are slowly bowing down to the will of the corporates and their business lobbyists. They're likely the reason why our education are recently down in the dumps, especially in my state of California. They try to avoid taxes by "creating jobs", and some of the bigger offenders refuse to pay any taxes at all, which is beneficial to many of our free public services, many more that actually need "welfare money" than the abusers, keeping national and state parks low cost and sometimes free. Good quality education in k-12 and 2-year colleges free and state university systems low cost, as well as rehabilitation for juveniles, former inmates, and those who suffered a tragic or an abusive past.

 

Instead, many of these are cut, which is what my boyfriend is paranoid about. Our current president is under the pressure of business lobbyists to give up his "Internet freedom for All" stance. One of my other friends and his father is also paranoid about monopolies, corporations, and such. Moi, quality education for all at little to no cost, as previously stated. At the same time, I also want see that all familes and individuals that aren't suffering from the hands of others, particularly our right to speak our honest truths on the internet and the right to read and learn and protest and rebel against the tyranny of others. Of course, the internet still *needs* some protection from the harmful acts of others whether it would be computer-related or people-related, but the blacklist bill just doesn't cut it. It just speaks tyranny of big businesses.

 

That's more of my vent. A little bit disorganized though.

[sheepdog 10]

Ahhhh anwiii, but isn't the neighbor doing you a favor by letting his grass grow? If snakes and ticks like long grass they will stay in your neighbors yard if you keep yours mowed!