NationStates Jolt Archive

American Internet users, you must be made aware of the COPE Act of 2006, which for all intents and purposes, hands US domains over to the giants of the telecommunications industry, allowing them to restrict access to information based on payment as they see fit, and will allow them to censor information on the net.

The Internet will become like what television is today in America; restricted based on income, and censored based on the actions of the FCC.

More information:
democraticmedia.org (http://www.democraticmedia.org/)
techlawjournal.com (http://www.techlawjournal.com/topstories/2006/20060330b.asp)
commoncause.org (http://www.commoncause.org/cope)

The internet is the only thing remaining that is free, where a person can speak their mind freely without fear of reprisal, and where information is shared to all, regardless of income. It is owned by everyone, and owned by no one. Big business has no right to charge in and tell us what we can and cannot have access too. Let's show these bastards how rabid geeks can be when they are flattened against a wall...

This may be a blessing in disguise.

The number of wankers on forums will plummet once the americans dissappear.

But it won't be as interesting.

There was a thread about this a while ago. I think it affects more than just American users, it affects anyone who wants to view a .us site. Though I suppose that depends what the big telecom companies do with it.

There are times when unanimous agreement by 25 countries which speak different languages and do not trust each other, is a better way of doing things.

There are such times. :)

http://www.brokenenglish.com/dickss/travel/images/eu%20flag%20frankfurt.jpg

Long live the inability to make radical policy decisions.

There are times when unanimous agreement by 25 countries which speak different languages and do not trust each other, is a better way of doing things.

There are such times. :)

http://www.brokenenglish.com/dickss/travel/images/eu%20flag%20frankfurt.jpg

Long live the inability to make radical policy decisions.

Ha-ha...ha...

...I don't get it...Forgive the ignorant...

Ha-ha...ha...

...I don't get it...Forgive the ignorant...
EU>USA because we can't make radical policy changes like this.

This may be a blessing in disguise.

The number of wankers on forums will plummet once the americans dissappear.

But it won't be as interesting.


I think I speak for most Americans when I say "Blow me.". We invented this playground, we can take our ball and go home.

EU>USA because we can't make radical policy changes like this.

Don't say you don't have asshats of your own who are willing to make policy changes on a bet...

I think I speak for most Americans when I say "Blow me.". We invented this playground, we can take our ball and go home.

=/ Just for the American hating from WangWee, I have to agree, blow me.

There should be thought and theory on what will happen, not just "Ha Ha, you guys suck! You get what you vote for!(:rolleyes: ) "

I think I speak for most Americans when I say "Blow me.". We invented this playground, we can take our ball and go home.

I won't blow you.
And you can take your ball home. I'll still have mine.

This isn't helping...

I think I speak for most Americans when I say "Blow me.". We invented this playground, we can take our ball and go home.
what playground did you invent?

And you can take your ball home. I'll still have mine.
That's the deal, basically.

The US can take its ball back and make people pay to use it.

The EU has made its own ball, and because it can't make decisions, it will have to carry on using it for free as before.

I'm not sure who loses, to be honest. All the servers I use for my day-to-day stuff are based in the UK.

The end of the US free internet maybe. Because it's so universal, it won't be completely censored, so long as people provide proxies and others will try and get around the laws...

I guess criticisms of Chinese internet policy will ring ever more hollow.

That's the deal, basically.

The US can take its ball back and make people pay to use it.

The EU has made its own ball, and because it can't make decisions, it will have to carry on using it for free as before.

I'm not sure who loses, to be honest. All the servers I use for my day-to-day stuff are based in the UK.

I don't really feel the censorship in China. Do you?

what playground did you invent?

Don't you know anything? When he says "we", he means Al Gore.

I guess criticisms of Chinese internet policy will ring ever more hollow.

Usually irony is funny...but not this time...it makes me sad...

Don't say you don't have asshats of your own who are willing to make policy changes on a bet...
Ya, but anyone who even thinks about doing anything to hard will get the governments of 24 other countries yelling at him through everyone they have in the EU.

Don't you know anything? When he says "we", he means Al Gore.

Yeah, you're not helping much either.

Ya, but anyone who even thinks about doing anything to hard will get the governments of 24 other countries yelling at him through everyone they have in the EU.

Sounds like a pretty good system. But don't you worry about stagnation?

Sounds like a pretty good system. But don't you worry about stagnation?
Don't you worry about fascism?

Sounds like a pretty good system. But don't you worry about stagnation?
Stagnation is the whole point. We have had a thousand years of gradual change, pausing every century for most of the century, to decide whether it's worth doing anything new. Every now and then we do get the odd nutcase deciding that there is too much stagnation and we need to restore ethnic purity, but the moment quickly passes. :)

Don't you worry about fascism?

a-DUR!

Stagnation is the whole point. We have had a thousand years of gradual change, pausing every century for most of the century, to decide whether it's worth doing anything new. Every now and then we do get the odd nutcase deciding that there is too much stagnation and we need to restore ethnic purity, but the moment quickly passes. :)
Ya. It'll take years before the possibility of this gets mentioned within an ass' roar of Belgium.

This act is not enforceable. The internet is a damned sight easier to gain access to and use than T.V. or radio networks are. It will remain that way too. I also suspect it'll get voted into nonexistence eventually. Perhaps if the Dems--or, to be ridiculously hopeful, Libertarians--take back/just plain take Congress in November it'll get repealed.

Yes, what does Al Gore have to say about this use of his internet? And if you disagree, he will take the internet away from you and give you global warming.

This act is not enforceable. The internet is a damned sight easier to gain access to and use than T.V. or radio networks are. It will remain that way too. I also suspect it'll get voted into nonexistence eventually. Perhaps if the Dems--or, to be ridiculously hopeful, Libertarians--take back/just plain take Congress in November it'll get repealed.

That's what I am hoping. The act itself seems so absurd. What's scary is that the Telecommunications Subcomitee has already struck down a Net Neutrality Act, which is a stepping stone towards COPE.

And to be honest, Congress has passed bigger acts without even looking at the paperwork (ahem...Patriot Act).

Big business has no right to charge in and tell us what we can and cannot have access too. Let's show these bastards how rabid geeks can be when they are flattened against a wall...
A few things:

First, the mechanics of 'policing' the internet to $CONGLOMERATE's liking--not to mention the man hours needed--are definately prohibitive. THere's simply too many sites, too much information, and all in all too much shit to do for any one organization [be it Big Government or Big Business] to possibly make heads or tails of it. The chances that the content of the internet will be meaningfully altered at all are slim to none.

Secondly, I find it amusing that you claim "Big business has no right to charge in and tell us what we can and cannot have access to" when the government has been doing just that to us for decades. The government's record of censorship and the suppression of ideas is far longer and frightening than its corporate counterparts could even dream of. For all the "OOGA BOOGA!" people put into stories [or threats] of corporate oppression, most don't seem to have the slightest compunction with allowing the government the same abilities.

Those of you who know me might be surprised to discover that I've actually thought the government's done a pretty good job of handling internet domains. Somehow [and I wish this would happen occasionally within other agencies] domain management didn't get swamped in a sea of red tape; and I honestly can't tell you now how much better [or worse] the same management will end up being in the hands of the private sector; if that ends up being the case. However, it is nothing short of ridiculous to charge in with this alarmist bullshit and start in with stories about how oppressive the internet is going to become. Granted, the internet domain management agency wouldn't exactly be first on my chopping block if [i]I were in office, but I think you're probably overreacting. I doubt there's going to be very much in the way of meaningful changees to the internet and how we use it. All this will mean is that a different group of people is doing the paperwork.

That's what I am hoping. The act itself seems so absurd. What's scary is that the Telecommunications Subcomitee has already struck down a Net Neutrality Act, which is a stepping stone towards COPE.

And to be honest, Congress has passed bigger acts without even looking at the paperwork (ahem...Patriot Act).
Pfft, the internet is a much bigger issue than the privacy of innocent people.

Yes, what does Al Gore have to say about this use of his internet? And if you disagree, he will take the internet away from you and give you global warming.

I'm not sure, all i've heard are "rumors on teh internets".

I would say that the internet is AS important as individual privacy.

Secondly, I find it amusing that you claim "Big business has no right to charge in and tell us what we can and cannot have access to" when the government has been doing just that to us for decades. The government's record of censorship and the suppression of ideas is far longer and frightening than its corporate counterparts could even dream of. For all the "OOGA BOOGA!" people put into stories [or threats] of corporate oppression, most don't seem to have the slightest compunction with allowing the government the same abilities.

I know what abilities the government has over censorship, and I know it's history. World War I for instance: suppression by Woodrow Wilson of any dissenting viewpoint on the war. The Alien and Sedition Acts: a disgraceful law that was nullified the second Adams left office.

What I am concerned about is that things WILL change. The internet that we have now is free and unregulated. It WORKS. If it ain't broke don't fix it, and please don't hand it off to the money-grabbers.

Wasn't the EU trying to take control over the Internet away from ICANN not to long ago?

Wasn't the EU trying to take control over the Internet away from ICANN not to long ago?
I don't know, I never heard that. I hope not. The internet is fine the way it is, more or less.

I know what abilities the government has over censorship, and I know it's history. World War I for instance: suppression by Woodrow Wilson of any dissenting viewpoint on the war. The Alien and Sedition Acts: a disgraceful law that was nullified the second Adams left office.

What I am concerned about is that things WILL change. The internet that we have now is free and unregulated. It WORKS. If it ain't broke don't fix it, and please don't hand it off to the money-grabbers.

Umm.... the Internet isn't free and probably never has been. If you want on it you have to pay your ISP. Someone has to pay for the lines connecting $MAINFRAME to your computer, and so on. The infrastructure that the internet relies on must be regularly maintained and updated. Nothing is free, and the internet is no exception.

If (and I'll admit the wording is a bit ambiguous, so the above may be a misrepresentation) by "free" you mean "unrestricted" I've already pointed out that the manpower necessary to make drastic content changes would probably be way too hefty for even the telecommunications industry to deal with. Regardless of who actually owns the hardware, the government will still bind them to certain regulations like "no child porn" and "no credit card fraud"-- shit that's already covered under federal legislation. So no, we're not going to see any more smut or theivery than we already permit, and the economics of censoring certain things are probably a bit more restrictive than you think.

Also, I'd like to point out that "money grabbers" [not government agencies] are responsible for the creation and sale of the very machine you're using to browse the internet as we speak. Before damning them all with ignorant crap like this, you might want to rethink their role in your life. They've done a lot more for you than you're likely ever going to be prepared to admit. Hell, money grabbing parents probably fed you for the first 18 years of your life, in all probability.

Did Europe ever have the sort of legal protections on the internet that this thing is going to take away in America?

I know Canadians didn't. Canadian ISPs have been allowed to do this all along. They mostly don't do it.

There are a few examples, though. Shaw Communications (the primary cable TV provider in western Canada) has restricted access to highly objectionable content, especially within usenet. Telus Communications (the biggest phone company in Canada) prevented their users from viewing a web site created by the Telus Workers Union during a labour dispute.

Oh, and here's an entertaining video about Net Neutrality:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H69eCYcDcuQ&eurl

Umm.... the Internet isn't free and probably never has been. If you want on it you have to pay your ISP. Someone has to pay for the lines connecting $MAINFRAME to your computer, and so on. The infrastructure that the internet relies on must be regularly maintained and updated. Nothing is free, and the internet is no exception.

If (and I'll admit the wording is a bit ambiguous, so the above may be a misrepresentation) by "free" you mean "unrestricted" I've already pointed out that the manpower necessary to make drastic content changes would probably be way too hefty for even the telecommunications industry to deal with. Regardless of who actually owns the hardware, the government will still bind them to certain regulations like "no child porn" and "no credit card fraud"-- shit that's already covered under federal legislation. So no, we're not going to see any more smut or theivery than we already permit, and the economics of censoring certain things are probably a bit more restrictive than you think.

Also, I'd like to point out that "money grabbers" [not government agencies] are responsible for the creation and sale of the very machine you're using to browse the internet as we speak. Before damning them all with ignorant crap like this, you might want to rethink their role in your life. They've done a lot more for you than you're likely ever going to be prepared to admit. Hell, money grabbing parents probably fed you for the first 18 years of your life, in all probability.

I was actually refering to "free" in the sense of it being "free from regulation".

Also, please don't mistake me for one of those wanabee Communists. I have no problem with capitalism or aquiring wealth, and I will admit wholeheartedly that without some greed in the world alot of medical advances would never have been created.

And I AM hoping that the internet is impervious as you say it is. The only argument I am trying to make is: do not restrict access on the web based on payment or one's morality (although I will agree with you on the Child Porn and Fraud issues).

This is not a condemnation of capitalism or the telecommunications as a whole; only those companies who push it too far.

Umm.... the Internet isn't free and probably never has been. If you want on it you have to pay your ISP. Someone has to pay for the lines connecting $MAINFRAME to your computer, and so on. The infrastructure that the internet relies on must be regularly maintained and updated. Nothing is free, and the internet is no exception.

If (and I'll admit the wording is a bit ambiguous, so the above may be a misrepresentation) by "free" you mean "unrestricted" I've already pointed out that the manpower necessary to make drastic content changes would probably be way too hefty for even the telecommunications industry to deal with. Regardless of who actually owns the hardware, the government will still bind them to certain regulations like "no child porn" and "no credit card fraud"-- shit that's already covered under federal legislation. So no, we're not going to see any more smut or theivery than we already permit, and the economics of censoring certain things are probably a bit more restrictive than you think.

Also, I'd like to point out that "money grabbers" [not government agencies] are responsible for the creation and sale of the very machine you're using to browse the internet as we speak. Before damning them all with ignorant crap like this, you might want to rethink their role in your life. They've done a lot more for you than you're likely ever going to be prepared to admit. Hell, money grabbing parents probably fed you for the first 18 years of your life, in all probability.

It's just as I suspected, Bill Gates IS my father!

Oh, and here's an entertaining video about Net Neutrality:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H69eCYcDcuQ&eurl

Above: Wicked awesome.

I don't know, I never heard that. I hope not. The internet is fine the way it is, more or less.

I remember there being something in the local papers, (Seattle Post-Intelligencer) about it. When I have a chance, I may try to go through their morgue and see if I can find it.

This may be a blessing in disguise.

The number of wankers on forums will plummet once the americans dissappear.

But it won't be as interesting.

Well, all us easy American girls will be gone, too. Sorry!

Well, all us easy American girls will be gone, too. Sorry!
There are no women on the interweb. :rolleyes:

There are no women on the interweb. :rolleyes:

Oh, right.

The answer is simple. The US government needs to be destroyed. Every week theyre pulling off a new law to restrict our freedoms and destroying the constitution. If our fore-fathers saw the government today they'd be appalled and start a second revolution. We must do the same.

There are no women on the interweb. :rolleyes:
Ah the interwebs, where the men are men, the women are men, and the children are police officers.

Ah the interwebs, where the men are men, the women are men, and the children are police officers.
Very true.

American Internet users, you must be made aware of the COPE Act of 2006, which for all intents and purposes, hands US domains over to the giants of the telecommunications industry, allowing them to restrict access to information based on payment as they see fit, and will allow them to censor information on the net.

The Internet will become like what television is today in America; restricted based on income, and censored based on the actions of the FCC.

More information:
democraticmedia.org (http://www.democraticmedia.org/)
techlawjournal.com (http://www.techlawjournal.com/topstories/2006/20060330b.asp)
commoncause.org (http://www.commoncause.org/cope)

The internet is the only thing remaining that is free, where a person can speak their mind freely without fear of reprisal, and where information is shared to all, regardless of income. It is owned by everyone, and owned by no one. Big business has no right to charge in and tell us what we can and cannot have access too. Let's show these bastards how rabid geeks can be when they are flattened against a wall...
God damn it! Who the Hell do these God damn politicians think they are? The internet is, and cannot be, owned by a single person or company, and it sure as Hell should stay that way. This is ridicolous. If this bill passes it, I will be calling my local senator and protesting this decision.

The answer is simple. The US government needs to be destroyed. Every week theyre pulling off a new law to restrict our freedoms and destroying the constitution. If our fore-fathers saw the government today they'd be appalled and start a second revolution. We must do the same.
The next day, he was hustled into a black van, and never heard from again.

I remember there being something in the local papers, (Seattle Post-Intelligencer) about it. When I have a chance, I may try to go through their morgue and see if I can find it.


Heres the link:

http://www.nationalreview.com/comment/ramosmrosovsky_barillari200509280810.asp

However, it was the UN not the EU.

The next day, he was hustled into a black van, and never heard from again.

*laughs* right dude, I wouldnt be suprised. They'd have a hell of a fight getting me though.

*laughs* right dude, I wouldnt be suprised. They'd have a hell of a fight getting me though.
Oh, we have our ways...
I mean THEY have their ways. Not me.

I'm confused...I looked around the linked sites, read a bit of info on the bill, and I'm not sure how this particular bill will "end the internet as we know it."

The only thing I hate worse than censorship is....nope, can't think of anything.

God damn it! Who the Hell do these God damn politicians think they are? The internet is, and cannot be, owned by a single person or company, and it sure as Hell should stay that way. This is ridicolous. If this bill passes it, I will be calling my local senator and protesting this decision.

Dude, do something BEFORE they pass it!

And if you can't, join the 104th Geek Regiment. Head for the 357 Building in Brooklyn, ask for "Josef".

The only thing I hate worse than censorship is....nope, can't think of anything.Then you need to get out more.

IT was passed? *dies* *Comes to life and starts a revolution*

All Internet-laws except against pornography, gambling, and spam should be repealed, namely COPPA which is a load of bull and doesn't do anything except restrict children from doing perfectly appropriate things. Ex: On Neopets, those under 13 cannot submit any information at all that can be publicly displayed.

We really do need a revolution...starts making me rethink my old plans.

There was a thread about this a while ago. I think it affects more than just American users, it affects anyone who wants to view a .us site. Though I suppose that depends what the big telecom companies do with it.

Europeans Corporations are usually quick to adopt American practices, so it's not so unlikely they'll exert pressure on governments to go the same way. I do believe they will have a much tougher job in Europe, since they need to gain a majority rule with several parties and not just one like Mr. Bush.

If this new act is used to censor information, then it certainly amounts to the beginning of a new Corporate+State dictatorship, disguised as pay-per-view. There is no justification to say that the internet is not profitable, without using a pay-per-view system.

I don't know... First private phone records are being handed to the government without a court order, by those companies your are paying to serve you, now digital censorship... When will Americans realise that their freedoms and benefits of their wealth are being slowly stripped from them, so that corporations can disgracefully sell them back?

I think I speak for most Americans when I say "Blow me.". We invented this playground, we can take our ball and go home.

Al Gore, is that you?

When will Americans realise that their freedoms and benefits of their wealth are being slowly stripped from them, so that corporations can disgracefully sell them back?
Never. Most of my countrymen aren't very smart. After all, they voted in Bush.

Never. Most of my countrymen aren't very smart. After all, they voted in Bush.
51% of the ~50% that actually voted.

Could be hope yet if this was more publicized. I haven't heard about this at all before.

51% of the ~50% that actually voted.

Could be hope yet if this was more publicized. I haven't heard about this at all before.
Publicized? By what, the state-run media?

Dude, do something BEFORE they pass it!

And if you can't, join the 104th Geek Regiment. Head for the 357 Building in Brooklyn, ask for "Josef".
and that is a dead giveaway that is a trap for no true Geek would call himself Josef...

the true leader of the Geek Regiment only known as "Neo Goku".

what playground did you invent?

Certainly wasn't the web.

Let's flood forums with several threads of this kind and report it to the media... I also suggest rating them 5 stars when possible.

and that is a dead giveaway that is a trap for no true Geek would call himself Josef...

the true leader of the Geek Regiment only known as "Neo Goku".

Don't you know a codename when you see one? A geek who commands the Geek Regiment wouldn't call himself "Neo Goku" because THAT would be a dead giveaway of his identity, and would make it all that much easier for the MAN to find him.

51% of the ~50% that actually voted.

Could be hope yet if this was more publicized. I haven't heard about this at all before.

That's the problem. This bill has been intentionally designed to be "on the low-down". This is the kind of bill they DON'T want the media to know about. Everything has been very quiet...

Let's flood forums with several threads of this kind and report it to the media... I also suggest rating them 5 stars when possible.
Lets not forget emailing your reps. after all, most of them probably won't be looking at the forums.

OK, I'm still waiting for someone to show me where in this bill we lose our rights to the internet?