something political
I don't honestly think the freedom of the internet is under threat from authoritarian regimes or corporations.
There's been a resurgence of talk about regulations of the internet since Windows Vista was revealed to use Digital Rights Managment technology. It's the same rhetoric from the Net Neutrality argument, that systems are being put in place that, although they currently do nothing to curtail the freedom of expression available to web users, the possibilities are mounting. The basic jist of it is, the network is currently nothing more than a vessel for moving bytes around, regardless of what data they contain, and thus tends toward liberal values. It has even been the catalyst for a shift in power toward the general public. Large corporations are now paying attention to how people use the web in order to better advertise their products, and as we saw last summer, the entertainment industry is pandering to internet culture as well.
Do you really think people are going to give up that power? Does anyone with power readily give it up, even if the takeover is subtle, benign, devious or covert? If all the blogosphere hype about Net Neutrality shows anything, it's that people with the inclination to cry injustice will jump all over any opportuinity to be heard. The second that a sizeable threat to the freedom of the internet surfaces, the media, the government, and industry will be inundated with so much protest it will make their heads spin. If history shows anything, it's that people are willing to fight to claim and retain freedom. The trend of the last two centuries has been toward a more liberal democratic world, and I really don't think that's going to stop.
There's been a resurgence of talk about regulations of the internet since Windows Vista was revealed to use Digital Rights Managment technology. It's the same rhetoric from the Net Neutrality argument, that systems are being put in place that, although they currently do nothing to curtail the freedom of expression available to web users, the possibilities are mounting. The basic jist of it is, the network is currently nothing more than a vessel for moving bytes around, regardless of what data they contain, and thus tends toward liberal values. It has even been the catalyst for a shift in power toward the general public. Large corporations are now paying attention to how people use the web in order to better advertise their products, and as we saw last summer, the entertainment industry is pandering to internet culture as well.
Do you really think people are going to give up that power? Does anyone with power readily give it up, even if the takeover is subtle, benign, devious or covert? If all the blogosphere hype about Net Neutrality shows anything, it's that people with the inclination to cry injustice will jump all over any opportuinity to be heard. The second that a sizeable threat to the freedom of the internet surfaces, the media, the government, and industry will be inundated with so much protest it will make their heads spin. If history shows anything, it's that people are willing to fight to claim and retain freedom. The trend of the last two centuries has been toward a more liberal democratic world, and I really don't think that's going to stop.