Shutting down the internet??

[TheyCallMeMom]

Originally Posted by Mahone

It isn't really possible to force people to do it though. Remembering the internet in the worldwide thing, there is no one "base" or "control room". It's extremely difficult to make changes like this and does really require worldwide cooperation.

right but they can work with domain hosting companies..instead of the domain owners.. right now you have to be an org to get .org, so its not unrealistic, but I realize you will have some who dont comply.. but the majority would

its not like we are asking them to close up shop.. we just want them to put black paint on the windows

[Dravin]

As for the video, he actually has a point. He wasn't saying the internet should be shut down, he was just highlighting some negative and valid points.

Gotta agree 100%. In fact when he actually utters the phrase, "It makes you ask the question, "Would it have been better if we'd never invented the internet?" he follows that up with a laugh at the idea and the conclusion, "And that's a stupid thing to say."

[trulykiwi]

You DO realise who this guy is though and what he stands for don't you?!

[LittleWyvern]

Originally Posted by trulykiwi

You DO realise who this guy is though and what he stands for don't you?!

Yeah, rich old people who don't understand technology.

[Dravin]

Originally Posted by trulykiwi

You DO realise who this guy is though and what he stands for don't you?!

Nope, and if he stands for something I'm supposed to object to the video linked isn't an example of it.

[Just_A_Guy]

I haven't been able to view the video, but this isn't just idle talk. There is a bill on the floor.

It actually doesn't provide for shutting down the internet (though it does allow Obama to disconnect Federal resources from the internet in the event of emergency). But more troubling is the following provision:

The Secretary of Commerce [who works for the President]

(1) shall have access to all relevant data concerning such networks [including privately maintained networks--you know, like the one maintained by your employer or your ISP] without regard to any provision of law, regulation, rule, or policy restricting such access; …

Allow me to translate:

If government wants to know what's on your computer, they will have two options:

1) get a warrant, seize your computer, bring it in and analyze it (which option they've always had);
2) hack it remotely, without getting a warrant.

Rockefeller, Nelson, and Snowe would never have let a Republican administration slip this by them.

[Mahone]

Originally Posted by TheyCallMeMom

right but they can work with domain hosting companies..instead of the domain owners.. right now you have to be an org to get .org

Not true. Anyone can register .org domain names. Each top end domain extension has a reason, though there is no rule or law requiring you to stick to these. Like the .NET extension was orignally created for technical websites. However sites like lds.net are definately not technical. I haven't had much to do with webservers and domain names for a couple of years now since my job changed, however I believe the freedom to register these domains still exists as it did.

The only people who could even attempt to enforce p0rn organisations and companies to register .XXX domain names is ICANN, the headquarters of which are in the USA. They have technical authority over route DNS servers and therefore could make the change. However, how do they regulate it? They have no-where near enough people to shut down domain names because they are of the wrong category and they would be risking a lot by just shutting them down. Then there is the fact that route DNS servers, while under the authority of ICANN, reside in 100s of countries around the globe. Most, if not all of those countries governments would have to not be opposed to the decision, or they could refuse to have any route dns servers in their country which would cause major complications globally.

[Mahone]

Originally Posted by Just_A_Guy

Allow me to translate:

If government wants to know what's on your computer, they will have two options:

1) get a warrant, seize your computer, bring it in and analyze it (which option they've always had);
2) hack it remotely, without getting a warrant.

What can I say? Use linux . Microsoft is obviously an American company. They reside by American laws in most cases. Call me paranoid if you will, but I have strong beliefs that microsoft have ties with the US government to enable this to happen at the governments will. However, linux is created by hundreds of thousands of different people around the globe and the source code is all open to everyone to view. While I'm not saying a very clever government funded hacker would never be able to find a loophole in any linux systems, I am saying they'd find it one heck of a lot more difficult.

It is well known and proven that microsoft purposely create their operating system so that it's very difficult to fully remove records of your actions on the computer short of formatting the hard drive and running an eraser program on it, so that IT forensic scientists have an easier job when searching the computer. I dread to think what else they have done to their operating system to make life easier for the American government.

[Moksha]

Is this some incidious plot against LDS.net? Have they pegged our Palerider as that kid in Latvia?

[LittleWyvern]

For those of you worried about the government taking over the internet, I think it would be good to learn about the concept of network neutrality (especially the end-to-end principle), which I think we all should support. The FCC is our friend here.