NationStates Jolt Archive

Yes, apparently congress has passed a resolution whose sole purpose is to remind us of how the internet will kill us all.

Here's the resolution (It's a PDF, just FYI)

http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=110_cong_bills&docid=f:sr205ats.txt.pdf

Here's a blog on it, which was linked to from Slashdot.

Does Joe Lieberman hate the internet? Is Barack Obama trying to scare you? Welcome to National Internet Safety Month. Its sole purpose? Reminding America how dangerous the internet is.

I’m not kidding. That’s the gist of an official resolution, quietly signed by 18 U.S. Senators in both parties at the end of May (including Senators Obama and Lieberman). Senate Resolution 207 specified that the month of June provides Americans an opportunity to “learn more about the dangers of the Internet.” Got anything positive to say about the net? Save it for July, pal. June is for commending organizations which “promote awareness of the dangers of the Internet.”

They might as well call it internet-is-dangerous month. But let’s look at some of their examples. What constitutes a danger? If someone puts a filter on your computer to censor it — it’s dangerous to disable it! You can say this about America’s youth — more than 3 out of 10 can de-activate censor-ware, according to the Senators’ own statistics. Congratulations, kids! Whoops, I’m sorry — I mean…danger!!

They’re actually talking about 18-year-olds here, at least in some cases. The Senators cite an age range from 5th grade through high school seniors. I guess we wouldn’t want any of those 18-year-olds thinking for themselves.

Another “danger” is online bullying — although apparently 77% of the students surveyed said that hadn’t happened to them, and that they didn’t even know anyone that it had happened to. And what’s dangerous about your mom knocking on your door asking what you’re doing? Not telling her. Danger! Danger! This calls for a Senate resolution….

Less than a quarter of the teenagers in their sample are even bothering to hide what they’re doing online, according to the Resolution. But that’s good enough for the Senators. And another “dangerous” behavior cited in the anti-internet resolution? Daring to meet someone in real life — ever — after having first met them online. Your virtual friends should never, ever be met. Until you’re 18.

But it’s not just a resolution. A few corporations are actually trying to cash in on this misguided disinformation campaign, including BSafe Online, a Tennessee company which markets a PC filtering software. (I wonder if it’s one of the ones that can be disabled by 31% of America’s teenagers…) Their CEO has an encouraging message for parents about safety on the internet. “This is a battle they must fight everyday with their children in order to keep pornographers, sexual predators and cyber-bullies at bay.” And keeping those pornographers and sexual predators away will cost you a mere $70 a year…

The co-founder of another filter company promised parents “a spike in persistence of online predators” this summer. And as an added bonus, PC Pandora has also added the ability to spy on your partner (in case you’ve accidentally married a sexual predator.) If you want to start worrying right away, they’ve even published a web page with 29 possible possible signs that your partner might be cheating on you. (Which include working late, avoiding you, not avoiding you….) Maybe they’re just getting a jump on National Internet Marital Fidelity Month.

So now you know. Your tax dollars paid for a bunch of techno-phobes to pass congratulatory resolutions about mom, Apple Pie, and the need to keep teenagers off MySpace. (BSafe’s press release specifically touts their ability to squelch all social networking sites.) Here’s a list of the Senators that co-sponsored this resolution.

But if you think your Senator is more enlightened about the internet, remember — those are just the co-sponsors.

This internet-is-dangerous resolution was passed…unanimously.

Here's the list of cosponsors, which was in the blog but in such a format it would look weird to quote it by themselves.

Lisa Murkowski (R - AK)
Joe Lieberman (I - CT)
Sheldon Whitehouse (D - RI)
Barack Obama (D - IL)
Ted Stevens (R - AK)
Mary Landrieu (D - LA)
David Vitter (R - LA)
Norm Coleman (R - MN)
Larry Craig (R - ID)
Evan Bayh (D - IN)
Kay Hutchison (R - TX)
Blanche Lincoln (D - AR)
Mike Crapo (R - ID)
Charles Schumer (D - NY)
Max Baucus (D - MT)
John Thune (R - SD)
Patrick Leahy (D - VT)
Pete Domenici (R - NM)

Well, no surprises with Lieberman. I also like the guy who's last name is "Crapo". Heh heh...

Link to the blog:

http://tech.blorge.com/Structure:%20/2007/06/06/do-obama-and-lieberman-think-the-internet-is-dangerous/

I'm scared. Specifically, that these technology-fearing imbeciles ever got elected.

All that porn...we never saw it coming...:(

OH NOEZ!!! :rolleyes:

OH NOEZ!!! :rolleyes:

Your modem will eat you while your back's turned. Happened to this guy this guy I know knows.

they need to get off what ever they smoking or taking :rolleyes:

tell me whats next? cyber-smoking! cyber-homosexuality! saying bad things about are glorious leader Bush!!! :eek::p

sucks to be American I suppose *waits for parliament to announce a ban on technology*

All that porn...we never saw it coming...:(

>_<

*Snort, chortle*

Winner :D

The sad thing is, I fear a large portion of the American populace will gladly eat this up as if it's something remarkably fantastic. I just discussed this a few minutes ago with my parents and my siblings--in detail, plus giving accounts of my extensive 13-year experience with the internet(and I am only twenty)--and yet they looked at me as if I was insane for disliking it.

Look, I'm all for promoting sensibility when it comes to the Internet. It can be dangerous if you do the wrong thing, like reveal all the details of your identity, or wander onto sites full of spyware without protection in the form of scanning and removal programs and/or the correct browser, preferably both. But all of those problems are easily preventable if you just act sensibly!


Don't give out your identity in full detail. At most, reveal your name, and then only your first name.

Don't be stupid and refuse to use scanning programs like Spybot Search and Destroy or Adware, or Avira Antivir. And for fuck's sake, use a firewall!

Don't use Internet Explorer or another browser that is chock-full of security holes. There are plenty of freeware browsers available that will aid you greatly, such as Netscape, Mozilla, Firefox, Opera, Konqueror(does that work on Windows?) and so on.

Avoid sites full of warez and obvious spam, as they will usually be full of spyware, adware, malware, and all sorts of nasty badies. Instead, go for file-sharing websites if you want to obtain something illegally. :D

Ignore pornography sites. Unless you have the cash to shell out and you refuse to acknowledge the much easier methods of obtaining such pornography--again, through file-sharing methods--then you are wasting your time.

What the Senate has unanimously passed, however, is something far more like fear-mongering and insanity than sensible caution. It's technophobia coming at you from your Congresspeople, and it pisses me off.

Your modem will eat you while your back's turned. Happened to this guy this guy I know knows.

My cousin Fred's sister's boyfriend's best friend was raped by a porn model who came out of the computer while he visited a porn site. It's all true! Just ask Fred, his sister, her boyfriend, and the man himself.

Kryozerkia - Ain't that the truth.

There are only 4 websites on the internets: Google, Porn, NS and CNN. I find them all appropriate.

There are only 4 websites on the internets: Google, Porn, NS and CNN. I find them all appropriate.

You win the thread.

I'm scared. Specifically, that these technology-fearing imbeciles ever got elected.

FACT: The internet, overall, has revolutionized the way we communicate.

OPINION: This is a good thing.

FACT: If one is not careful however, the internet can be dangerous.

SUGGESTION: Exercise "common sense.exe" online. Don't give away personal information, and, if you are underage, respect the rules that your parents dictate concerning internet usage.

OPINION: This resolution is "bullshit".

CONCLUSION: I'm not too worried. It's just an everyday reminder that the people we elected are fucktarded.

Does this mean I shouldn't have eatin all of my tasty MREs after the Y2K bug turned out to be nothing?

course we all know what happens when people are disconnected form the internets (http://gprime.net/video.php/connectionlost)

course we all know what happens when people are disconnected form the internets (http://gprime.net/video.php/connectionlost)
video won't load.

video won't load.

try me (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIxvpjREwyI)

:headbang:

I have no more to say on the issue.

It's OK, I keep a big stick next to my desk. If anything jumps through my monitor, I'm safe.

Does anyone else despair of the way that governments continue to fail to understand the Internet?

I guess we shouldn't be too surprised. In a way, it's no different to the way that the 50s establishment failed to understand 'rock'n roll', the 60s establishment failed to understand free love, the 70s establishment failed to understand punk and the early 90s establishment was baffled by 'rave culture'.

One way that I suppose this is different is that, unlike the transient fads of those decades, the Internet is not likely to just fade away.

It does make me wonder (yet again) why we always seem to have people in charge who seem to be at least a generation behind... is it because our bureaucracies are just too slow to react/adapt? Whatever the reason, it gives the lie to the whole notion of 'representative' democracy... you can't represent someone that you don't understand.

Argh! The Tubes are eating me!

It does make me wonder (yet again) why we always seem to have people in charge who seem to be at least a generation behind... is it because our bureaucracies are just too slow to react/adapt? Whatever the reason, it gives the lie to the whole notion of 'representative' democracy... you can't represent someone that you don't understand.

Observe the average age of the decision makers. Look at what they call the youngest senator or congressman. There's your answer.

OMG! Run! The porn is out to kill you!!! :rolleyes:

Anyway, as any promotion of censorship, this idea just sickens me. Censorship is always wrong, and the internet is no more dangerous any other place.

i am surprised at everyone's complacency.

the internet is extremely dangerous for children.

children are smaller than adults. what if a 7 year old should crawl into one of the tubes that carry email and get STUCK? then what happens to our email, especially that of important alaskan senators? and what happens when it all gets backed up so powerfully that the clog is broken like a dam on a rain swollen river and the 7 year old ends up in romania in some pedophillic brothel?

THEN youll all regret this doubt and sarcasm.

The sad thing is, I fear a large portion of the American populace will gladly eat this up as if it's something remarkably fantastic. I just discussed this a few minutes ago with my parents and my siblings--in detail, plus giving accounts of my extensive 13-year experience with the internet(and I am only twenty)--and yet they looked at me as if I was insane for disliking it.

Look, I'm all for promoting sensibility when it comes to the Internet. It can be dangerous if you do the wrong thing, like reveal all the details of your identity, or wander onto sites full of spyware without protection in the form of scanning and removal programs and/or the correct browser, preferably both. But all of those problems are easily preventable if you just act sensibly!



Don't give out your identity in full detail. At most, reveal your name, and then only your first name.

Don't be stupid and refuse to use scanning programs like Spybot Search and Destroy or Adware, or Avira Antivir. And for fuck's sake, use a firewall!

Don't use Internet Explorer or another browser that is chock-full of security holes. There are plenty of freeware browsers available that will aid you greatly, such as Netscape, Mozilla, Firefox, Opera, Konqueror(does that work on Windows?) and so on.

Avoid sites full of warez and obvious spam, as they will usually be full of spyware, adware, malware, and all sorts of nasty badies. Instead, go for file-sharing websites if you want to obtain something illegally. :D

Ignore pornography sites. Unless you have the cash to shell out and you refuse to acknowledge the much easier methods of obtaining such pornography--again, through file-sharing methods--then you are wasting your time.

What the Senate has unanimously passed, however, is something far more like fear-mongering and insanity than sensible caution. It's technophobia coming at you from your Congresspeople, and it pisses me off.

Or install Linux as your operating system:p

But then that makes you an evil cyber-hacker who deprives microsoft of money, and thats FAR worse than any on-line pervert/phisher/spammer

i am surprised at everyone's complacency.

the internet is extremely dangerous for children.

children are smaller than adults. what if a 7 year old should crawl into one of the tubes that carry email and get STUCK? then what happens to our email, especially that of important alaskan senators? and what happens when it all gets backed up so powerfully that the clog is broken like a dam on a rain swollen river and the 7 year old ends up in romania in some pedophillic brothel?

THEN youll all regret this doubt and sarcasm.
One problem: The internet is not a series of tubes.

Wrong. It is a series of tubes, it isn't a big truck.

One problem: The internet is not a series of tubes.

if youre not going to educate yourself about the internet you have no business commenting on its safety.

Wrong. It is a series of tubes, it isn't a big truck.

it's neither.

it's neither.

Then how do all the little people that live in the internet get to and from our computers? Someone has to carry all the letters and put them in the right order on my screen.

Then how do all the little people that live in the internet get to and from our computers? Someone has to carry all the letters and put them in the right order on my screen.

QFT. Gawd bless those little guys.

And I hope you all have the courtesy to shout: 'Thanks' into the air vents on top of the monitor from time to time.

it's neither.

Actually, it's both. It's a dump truck that transports PVC pipe and other things needed to install plumbing in a house.

Then how do all the little people that live in the internet get to and from our computers? Someone has to carry all the letters and put them in the right order on my screen.

Actually, it's both. It's a dump truck that transports PVC pipe and other things needed to install plumbing in a house.

its sad that we keep having to state the obvious. why dont people read up on this stuff?

Or install Linux as your operating system:p

But then that makes you an evil cyber-hacker who deprives microsoft of money, and thats FAR worse than any on-line pervert/phisher/spammer

Well, the average computer users aren't going to be able to handle something like Linux, while my methods are easy to understand for even a five year-old and are more than enough to make, again, the average computer user secure. It's only those who indulge in more high-risk activities, such as, say, conducting bank business from home who need more security and more flexibility.