Down with the internet!

I just wanted to spread the word about our awesome president! He's trying to help us out by forcing internet providers to open up the lines and not restrict speeds.
Hooray right???
Well what's the down side? Well all he wants to do is monitor all traffic in times of disaster. So that means he would know every bit of data, legal and maybe not, that leaves your house via a network cable.
This is really scary stuff guys. Soon we'll be like China where even Google is censored due to the site you could go to learn about the truth that's going on in our government!

I know it's not a Political site, but since this has to do with our passion (Gaming and the internet) I figured it might be worth a post


motherjones.com/politics/2009/04/should-obama-control-internet

If you think that any data that is transmitted between your pc and any other system outside of your network is not already monitored, archived, and logged.. youre kidding yourself. Every click, word typed, and image viewed is logged and archived for future use by advertisers, google, facebook, etc. And yes. the government. So, if theyre going to just move from doing this "anonymously" and be open about it.. Awesome. and if we get something out of it.. awesome.

Dont think that your free email, social site, game, search engine does not profit from every single thing you do. Because it does!!

Oh and i suggest that you not start encrypting your communications in anyting stronger than 128bit or else youll draw more attention to yourself..

Exactly.

I agree that everything is being logged, but from what i understand about the bill, the government can actually block certian sites if they feel that it doesn't go with the agenda the government has. I have no problem with someone monitoring what i do on the internet, having a problem with it is like going to the mall and expecting no-one to look at you. The problem i have is that they shouldn't be able to censor where i get my informtion from. The patriot act already gave the government too much power with wire taps without needing a warrant, now they want to have the internet too with no warrants!

This was my reply on FWG's site:

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A FWG Member wrote:

Do you really expect any privacy in unencrypted communications over a network you do not own?

I don't expect total privacy while online, but I do expect our Federal, State, & Local governments to be restrained by this:

The Fourth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

Perhaps this doesn't apply literally, but I believe it applies in intent. Government entities compiling data on my particular activities, IRL or online, constitutes an investigation at the very least. Many of my online activities result in the creation of "papers" & I believe I should be secure in them against unreasonable search or seizure without a warrant.

A few examples (IMO):

Government gathering data about which websites I visit = having me followed IRL & logging where I go. (Legal, but still overreaching IMO)

Government gathering data about my online conversations (forums & chat) = tapping my phones & using remote listening devices to record my RL conversations. (Illegal w/out warrant)

Government reading my emails = reading my snail mail. (Illegal w/out warrant)

Government stealing documents I've stored online (unshared Google Docs, for example) = breaking into my home & rifling through my filing cabinets and/or reading my journals. (Illegal w/out warrant)

Now, I'm not sure where recent case law stands, but these are my beliefs as I've interpreted the 4th Amendment, using my patented Common Sense Filtration System®.

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Now, while I agree to permit private entities to record such information when I sign up for online services, at no point have I knowingly given permission to my Federal, State, or Local governments to record any of it.

I don't really care if Google keeps track of my online ammo purchases in order to deliver targeted marketing. If our governmental entities begin tracking such purchases, my liberties can only be harmed, not helped. It's not one of the powers given to our governments in their charters & I believe the 4A plainly denies them such powers. They're clearly overstepping their limits.

And again, not to get too political with this since it's a PC Forum not a Political Forum, but if we do nothing, this bill might pass and open the door to allow the government to take more power to keep an eye on us to "protect" us. I don't have a problem with Verizon charging more money for faster internet speeds. they took the time and resources to get those cables run all over the country to allow me to connect. It's like buying a car and expecting a HEMI engine in it because they are the fasted. You get what you pay for, dont let the government trick you into thinking they are helping you, there is no such thing as a free lunch!

Twodavez wrote:

Well all he wants to do is monitor all traffic in times of disaster. So that means he would know every bit of data, legal and maybe not, that leaves your house via a network cable.

Phew, thank god I have a wireless network.

Lersar wrote:

Twodavez wrote:

Well all he wants to do is monitor all traffic in times of disaster. So that means he would know every bit of data, legal and maybe not, that leaves your house via a network cable.

Phew, thank god I have a wireless network.

and you dont think theyre ALREADY doign this?

he just wants our permission to .... after the fact...

Even if they are, which i don't doubt. In order to use it against me, technically they have to get a judge to authorize the collection of data to be used against me.
I know wheni got a nice letter from Verizon concering a questionable file that i may or may not have downloaded, they stated that they would never release my personal information without a subpoena. At least there is currently a check and balance...

Well, I'm done trying to make jokes in this thread.

lol no i was just replying to what you quoted. lol

Lersar wrote:

Well, I'm done trying to make jokes in this thread.

I got the joke, i was going to comment back something smart a** to be funny also, but didn't as humor has been hard to get across on thr forums. Everyone gets offisive because they can't hear the inflexion of your voice that it's a joke. People think you really are being stupid... That's why i use smiley faces when i post, to try to keep things light when they should be light.

If/when this country finally decides to adopt IPv6, it is thought that most, if not all traffic will be encrypted. As for the gov't limiting which sites you can visit, God created proxies and avoiding DNS for a reason.

(Sorry for bringing up such an old-ass topic. I hold anything network related near-and-dear to my heart).

I'm not concerned about the gov't monitoring, they already do pretty much, and as long as I'm not spouting jihad or something, I'm not concerned. I AM concerned about Comcast becoming a huge force that can censor competing broadcast companies (TV and online) by pulling some tricks.
With IPv6, it's long overdue, and it shows that our nation and corporations are hesitant to change, while other nations have already done so. It's a pretty big deal.

As for humor, I assume most everything is lighthearted anymore. So for everyone else, (fittingly old for old forum)...
Why so serious?

I only have a three word response to this...



Fuck the Government!

They have more important things to pay attention to than the kinds of prawn we watch and the files we download. It's more often the industries (MPAA, RIAA) that monitor us.

I just noticed that the post numbers went from 5652 to 13853... *tries to keep this from becoming a rage thread*