The president gets to... what now?
Well, for those that don't know it already, (I've not exactly indicated it past my friends and random forums), I play World of Warcraft. Today's the evil day that we players call "Matinence Tuesday" or "Patch Day". On days like this, I either find something else to do with my time or I haunt on the WoW forums, which is always resulting in hillarity on the forums from trolls or the whiners about how "IN MY DAY, WE DI'INT HAVE DEM FANCY THINGS YOU NOOBS HAVE NOW!". Always a treat. But today, instead of haunting on my realm and Cataclysm sections, I decided to go and venture into the Off-Topic section, where I found this.
http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.html?topicId=25626574385&sid=1
-- It passed. The Internet is Doomed. -- Korja, Gorefiend
I thought this was going to be something where there were trolls to laugh at, so I clicked on it. Instead I get the above; Obama has an internet kill-switch.
June 28, 2010 Obama has power over the Internet as of today a US senate committee just approved granting the President power to kill the Internet in a cyber attack with a switch of a button. These sweeping powers were initiated by Senator Joe Lieberman who in 2008 supported John McCain’s Presidential nomination and worked for Republicans.
Now, this seems like a good idea, don't get me wrong, at least at first glance. The ability to turn off the ability to pirate practically? Maybe. However this seems like extremes for something like pirating the latest Eclipse release, which I believe released today. Not that I'm not shuddering internally.
No, this looks a lot like a blocking off of the biggest exchange of information since the newspaper. With the minds of the public being able to express their opinion through the power of their keyboards and a Wi-Fi connection, this can also look like nothing more then a silencing method. Things get too hot? No worries, just cut off the internet, no one will figure out until it's all over. What is the purpose of this bill? In all actuality, what are they planning to do with it?
Well, after reading Korja's concerns, I decided to do more research into it myself. I first looked at one of his links.
http://www.politicolnews.com/obama-power-over-internet/
Politicol News
Personally speaking, it doesn't look like a news feed but rather a political commentary blog. Kind of like this place. I give my links, then my opinions... this place... seems to just give opinion. But no matter. Some of the comments within this piece are rather... over the top but still informative on what other people seem to think of this.
"This will bring us one step closer to complete censorship rights for the next phase of those who wish to shut down the internet because it has immense power to relay information and news."
"This gives Obama power over the internet and effectively will shut down commercial business, money transactions, and daily business done on the internet is into the trillions of dollars that will be stopped by one stupid guy with a kill switch. The true purpose of this law is to shut down critical comments by the individual not a terrorist act."
Extreme words, but the writer has a point; this can be used as a form of censorship. "You don't agree with my policies? Well, don't pass your views to anyone else."
It's amazing the amount of changes happening as of late. Let's just see what happens when this bill goes to the senate's floor.
http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.html?topicId=25626574385&sid=1
-- It passed. The Internet is Doomed. -- Korja, Gorefiend
I thought this was going to be something where there were trolls to laugh at, so I clicked on it. Instead I get the above; Obama has an internet kill-switch.
June 28, 2010 Obama has power over the Internet as of today a US senate committee just approved granting the President power to kill the Internet in a cyber attack with a switch of a button. These sweeping powers were initiated by Senator Joe Lieberman who in 2008 supported John McCain’s Presidential nomination and worked for Republicans.
Now, this seems like a good idea, don't get me wrong, at least at first glance. The ability to turn off the ability to pirate practically? Maybe. However this seems like extremes for something like pirating the latest Eclipse release, which I believe released today. Not that I'm not shuddering internally.
No, this looks a lot like a blocking off of the biggest exchange of information since the newspaper. With the minds of the public being able to express their opinion through the power of their keyboards and a Wi-Fi connection, this can also look like nothing more then a silencing method. Things get too hot? No worries, just cut off the internet, no one will figure out until it's all over. What is the purpose of this bill? In all actuality, what are they planning to do with it?
Well, after reading Korja's concerns, I decided to do more research into it myself. I first looked at one of his links.
http://www.politicolnews.com/obama-power-over-internet/
Politicol News
Personally speaking, it doesn't look like a news feed but rather a political commentary blog. Kind of like this place. I give my links, then my opinions... this place... seems to just give opinion. But no matter. Some of the comments within this piece are rather... over the top but still informative on what other people seem to think of this.
"This will bring us one step closer to complete censorship rights for the next phase of those who wish to shut down the internet because it has immense power to relay information and news."
"This gives Obama power over the internet and effectively will shut down commercial business, money transactions, and daily business done on the internet is into the trillions of dollars that will be stopped by one stupid guy with a kill switch. The true purpose of this law is to shut down critical comments by the individual not a terrorist act."
Extreme words, but the writer has a point; this can be used as a form of censorship. "You don't agree with my policies? Well, don't pass your views to anyone else."
It's amazing the amount of changes happening as of late. Let's just see what happens when this bill goes to the senate's floor.