[CS-FSLUG] End of the Net (again)?

[Ed Hurst]

Fred A. Miller wrote:

> This nonsense WILL be attempted - count on it!! If the big companies get 
> away with it, then it will spread like wildfire and consume the Net. 
> Once "Obamamama" is in the White House, it'll be a done deal because he 
> is a would-be totalitarian.

Permit me to steer this in another direction.

First of all, as described in the IPower article, this is currently
illegal in the US under FCC regs. However, supposing the plans as
described include plans to buy a change in regulation. I don't doubt the
big telecoms are capable and willing; it's just a matter of will they dare.

Second, we would have a factor of mass resistance from customers, but
such resistance hasn't so far prevented default eavesdropping by the NSA
through "secret" agreements on all our unencrypted traffic. I'm not too
sure the average user would really notice if the package was big enough,
and I'm sure the article is hyperbole on that point.

However, let me suggest something more devious here. Perhaps list
members are aware plenty of agencies in this world have planted false
stories to either steer popular thinking -- "All Muslims are
terrorists!" -- or to simply gauge the popular response for future
calculations in implementing yet-one-more control over the consumer's
pocketbook. If governments do it, why not corporations?

I'm thinking a plausible future scenario is, at least temporarily,
serious Net geeks will be reduced mostly to dialup Net access again,
maybe even as far back as the old BBS network. However, we are a moving
target in both hardware and software, and will work around it again.
Will we be so eager to make it easy for the whole world to run like a
bull through a china shop on our "new Net" again?

Seems to me that might please a lot of folks, both in geek side, and on
the government side.

Now you have a new target painted on my chest. Fire away!

-- 
Ed Hurst
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