The GPS Random SD&D Topic #6: The Internet

[Gundampilotspaz]

Should the UN allow any single nation to control the internet? Should corperations be allowed in on the action?

Or should the internet remain as it is, a free zone of which no nation or person has authority?

[Arcane]

Option number 2. (The latter one)

The internet has been running fine as it is for 30ish years now. No need to start making all kinds of governing rules for it. The internet works fine under self rule.

[margot]

I can't understand why you would be for censorship. Though, the US government can already take action against you depending on what you say on the internet, and a lot of countries filter content.

[darkon]

Create a global body to oversee it. That way no laws can be passed because global bodies always fail.

Pedophelia needs to be eliminated however.

Edited November 24, 2005 by darkon

[Gundampilotspaz]

The only nation that really censors the internet now is China. They made I think it was yahoo news edit things that were pro-capitalist or anti-chinese communism.

[margot]

Also some middle east countries

[Gundampilotspaz]

http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/4460168.stm

This seems to fit, it is an article about how the chinese hate the BBC, and goes into censorship in China.

[Ceraziefish]

The internet should be exactly what it is, a tool of communication. Governments can set up their own servers and set up their own networks and censor that -- however, I think that the internet, and internet access, and use of the internet (putting your own stuff on it), should be free to everyone.

Of course, this leads to some unfortnate side effects (pedophilia and such; ever tried to torrent something only to find it was bestiality porn?). But I can't think of how to do it effectively without messing with people's use.

Controlling the internet is just as bad as controlling what people say.

[Poophy]

The way it works right now is basically a bunch of people trying to protect their own interests (trying to avoid scams, hackers est....), which seems fine to me. But I think that the suggestion of giving some body control of the internet was to try and stop these types of things, more than trying to censer it. Personally, I like it the way it is and don’t believe that any such body should, or even could really exist. There are billions of sights, and that number is growing every day(note: I typed “the into google, I got 9,240,000,000 sights… the current world population is about 6,446,131,400) no single organization can control that.

Edited November 26, 2005 by poophy san

[Ceraziefish]

The way it works right now is basically a bunch of people trying to protect their own interests (trying to avoid scams, hackers est....), which seems fine to me. But I think that the suggestion of giving some body control of the internet was to try and stop these types of things, more than trying to censer it. Personally, I like it the way it is and don’t believe that any such body should, or even could really exist. There are billions of sights, and that number is growing every day(note: I typed “the into google, I got 9,240,000,000 sights… the current world population is about 6,446,131,400) no single organization can control that.

HACK THE PLANET!

[darkon]

ever tried to torrent something only to find it was bestiality porn?

Repressed memories returning... ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH~!

[Kreutz]

The internet won't always be free. Sooner or later, one state/organization will secure the net and use it to their own needs. It's just another source of information, like the newspapers and TV. Look at how free those two are.

[Galkar]

You think TV is not free? Go turn on public access and say that!

[Kreutz]

You think TV is not free? Go turn on public access and say that!

Apparently, your public access station isn't owned by the same company as the newspaper and the cable service like mine is.

[Ceraziefish]

Yeah, the Seattle Public Access Network is run by a community college (that actually isn't in Seattle, but whatever). However, it might get bought up by Comcast soon.

And they do censor a little. Mike Hunt TV finally got taken off. That was the show where this creepy guy narrated porn videos.

[Belial]

I should control the internet! In fact, I'm going to create a petition to do just that. My first order of business when I am appointed Supreme Emperor of the Intarweb will be to out law random SD&D topics.

[Kreutz]

Mike Hunt TV finally got taken off. That was the show where this creepy guy narrated porn videos.

Don't worry, MTV will probably pick it up.

[Reinas]

The internet should be free of some governement, institution control. While it is a place of free speech, some things such as death threats and hate sites should be monitored. After all, the internet is a great influence on young adults and adolescents. More screwed up kids means more screwed up future.

[Gundampilotspaz]

The internet should be free of some governement, institution control. While it is a place of free speech, some things such as death threats and hate sites should be monitored. After all, the internet is a great influence on young adults and adolescents. More screwed up kids means more screwed up future.

I think if the kid is screwed up then they are screwed up, no website is going to make them that way. It is the same with the violent video game argument.

[Kreutz]

Apparently, some Jews don't really like the internet too much.

[Poophy]

That’s just a bunch of people that believe that it’s better to hide things from children rather than expose them to the world.

[margot]

zzz why is it always non parents who are experts on parenting.

[Arcane]

The internet won't always be free. Sooner or later, one state/organization will secure the net and use it to their own needs. It's just another source of information, like the newspapers and TV. Look at how free those two are.

That's not really possible with the internet. Sure, a country could cut off all it's nations communication lines with other servers worldwide, but that would only give them their own mini internet. The rest of the internet would still be in existance as it was, except there would be a large gap cut out. The internet is a network of private and public networks worldwide, it's not very plausible that one entity could gain control of all these networks. And in the chance that it does happen, then well, we start a new internet.

[Kreutz]

That's not really possible with the internet. Sure, a country could cut off all it's nations communication lines with other servers worldwide, but that would only give them their own mini internet. The rest of the internet would still be in existance as it was, except there would be a large gap cut out. The internet is a network of private and public networks worldwide, it's not very plausible that one entity could gain control of all these networks. And in the chance that it does happen, then well, we start a new internet.

Well, the majority of the internet is still at risk of consolidation under one power, should certain leaders get their wish and institute a one-world government. Even if it's a matter of several organizations controlling large parts of the internet, the information war which would follow could destroy the web. Imagine each organization instituting their own protocols, restricting access to their networks, etc. Sure, the private nets could consolidate to create a new network, but with the corporations contolling the physical lines of communication (phone lines, satellites, so on) it would be very hard to do so.

I'm pretty sure I just sumarized the plots to several cyberpunk novels there, so I'll stop.

[Gundampilotspaz]

I'm pretty sure I just sumarized the plot to every cyberpunk novel there, so I'll stop.

fixed

Edited November 30, 2005 by Gundampilotspaz