"New York Senate bill seeks to end anonymous internet posting": thoughts?

[Gaze]

Thoughts?

New York Senate bill seeks to end anonymous internet posting
http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/technol...end-anonymous-internet-posting-162549128.html
By Tecca

If the bill passes, get ready to hand over your full name and home address

Anonymity is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, the United States was founded, in part, thanks to Thomas Paine's anonymously written, pro-revolution pamphlet Common Sense. On the other hand, 12-year-olds who post anonymously on the internet can be rather unpleasant and cause real problems by cyberbullying. Whether you think the good outweighs the bad, this news is troubling indeed: A far-reaching bill introduced in the New York State Senate could end the practice of posting online once and for all.

Sen. Thomas F. O'Mara / NY SenateIntroduced by New York State Sen. Thomas F. O'Mara (R–Big Flats), S6779 would require that any anonymous post online is subject to removal if the poster refuses to post – and verify – their legal name, their IP address, and their home address. From the (likely well intentioned) bill (from a senator who clearly does not "get" the internet):

"A web site administrator upon request shall remove any comments posted on his or her web site by an anonymous poster unless such anonymous poster agrees to attach his or her name to the post and confirms that his or her IP address, legal name, and home address are accurate. All web site administrators shall have a contact number or e-mail address posted for such removal requests, clearly visible in any sections where comments are posted."

Critics are quick to point out how dangerous and ineffective the anti-privacy bill would be in the off chance that it somehow passes. After all, IP addresses do nothing to verify a person's identity, and including your home address on a controversial internet post could open you up to real-life threats.

In effect, the bill is an online stalker's dream. Of course, the most likely result of the bill's passage would just be the full-scale elimination of all comment systems everywhere, because the system is an unworkable burden on both the poster and the "web site administrators" who would need to respond to ludicrous take down requests at all times of the day.

[via Geekosystem]
This article was written by Fox Van Allen and originally appeared on Tecca

 

[Billy]

Would be impossible to enforce.

 

[MindYourHead]

I see he is up for re-election.
This is just an election year ploy so he can go around saying he is against bullying, and has a bill that would address an area of it. Online bullying. "Which my opponent voted against!"
Also (IMHO) appears to be yet another Republican that has forgotten that limited government involvement in our lives is a core principal of the party. So he is a RINO.
I doubt it will go anywhere.
And I agree with the writer, he doesn't understand the "internets".

 

[This]

I don't think it matters, it will never pass.

 

[the]

There are much bigger problems happening right now. The problem of hurt feelings on the internet and trolling are pretty insignificant in comparison.

 

[DimensionX]

Would be impossible to enforce.

You say that but it's becoming less and less impossible as the years go by, reading these kind of things makes me feel quite ill.

I don't think it matters, it will never pass.

That's what they said about the Patriots act.

 

[Deathjam]

lol america

 

[muir]

This has got nothing to do with cyber bullying. Politicians don't give a rats ass that some kids are getting bullied online, they're too busy filling their pockets with taxpayers money.

This is about CONTROL

The left brained control freaks running the country want to control everyone and everything and they hate that they don't have total control over the internet.

They are deeply concerned that there are commentators online exposing what they are doing and that revolutions can kick off at a single keystroke.

They don't want people discussing things anonymously because it allows people to speak out truthfully against them.

The article even mentions how Thomas Paine's anonymous pamphlet helped people in the American colonies tackle the tyranny of the British Crown, but now the American elites have become the tyrants and they don't want people now pulling the same shit that Paine pulled in the past

As the lawmakers they can pass laws which can incriminate anyone. For example they could pass a law that permits the indefinate detention of terrorists (eg NDAA) and then they could widen the definition of 'terrorist' to fit anyone they liked. So lets say you posted a comment online saying that you felt the bankers were a bunch of blood sucking vampires who are draining the economy dry causing untold unemployment, home repossessions, failed businesses and distress and they could brand you a 'terrorist' and a threat to the state security.......because what they define 'state security' to be is their own security (because they are protected by the policymakers who they bribe) and they could lock you up and throw away the key

 

[Billy]

You say that but it's becoming less and less impossible as the years go by, reading these kind of things makes me feel quite ill.



That's what they said about the Patriots act.

Apples and oranges comparing patriot act to this. The patriot act is rather specific in use for the government, This bill would be literally impossible to enforce, how many people use the internet and post on it in the US? Or the State of NY? Do you think they have the manpower to comb through the BILLIONS of things written every month on the internet? Even with filters and programming, its going to have to go to some guy sitting in a desk with a rubber stamp. There isnt enough men, desks, or stamps to even remotely accomplish this, not to mention, all it takes is 1 clever person to find a work around. I believe that ultimately the internet like human imagination is unfathomable and un-controllable. you cannot control ideas.

This is nothing more than an election cycle gimmick as said to cash in on the rash of "anti bullying" hysteria people are going on about. As though bullying can end... lol.

 

[muir]

They don't use manpower to comb the internet they use computer algorithms

 

[Peppermint]

Apples and oranges comparing patriot act to this. The patriot act is rather specific in use for the government, This bill would be literally impossible to enforce, how many people use the internet and post on it in the US? Or the State of NY? Do you think they have the manpower to comb through the BILLIONS of things written every month on the internet? Even with filters and programming, its going to have to go to some guy sitting in a desk with a rubber stamp. There isnt enough men, desks, or stamps to even remotely accomplish this, not to mention, all it takes is 1 clever person to find a work around. I believe that ultimately the internet like human imagination is unfathomable and un-controllable. you cannot control ideas.

This is nothing more than an election cycle gimmick as said to cash in on the rash of "anti bullying" hysteria people are going on about. As though bullying can end... lol.

North Korea and China can do it. It can be done. But I agree it's not going to get implemented due to various reasons, not on the global internet anyways. A "walled garden" network would be a different matter.

 

[tfg345i4u5lw]

Apples and oranges comparing patriot act to this. The patriot act is rather specific in use for the government, This bill would be literally impossible to enforce, how many people use the internet and post on it in the US? Or the State of NY? Do you think they have the manpower to comb through the BILLIONS of things written every month on the internet? Even with filters and programming, its going to have to go to some guy sitting in a desk with a rubber stamp. There isnt enough men, desks, or stamps to even remotely accomplish this, not to mention, all it takes is 1 clever person to find a work around. I believe that ultimately the internet like human imagination is unfathomable and un-controllable. you cannot control ideas.

This is nothing more than an election cycle gimmick as said to cash in on the rash of "anti bullying" hysteria people are going on about. As though bullying can end... lol.

With our current infrastructure it would be really difficult to pull off. But as we move towards "the Cloud" more data will be consolidated and managed by fewer people on fewer servers. "The Cloud" is good because it's efficient and environmentally friendly but it also has a big brother element to it. I don't think we need to worry about our free internet being taken away any time soon. If it happens we can just revolt or something and rebuild our own internet. But I also don't think the government should be our biggest fear when it comes to internet freedom. I think huge multinational corporations are scarier.

As for the OP, yeah that politician is stupid. I would never vote for him. The internet should have no rules, that's where all it's value comes from.

 

[tfg345i4u5lw]

"The Cloud" is changing the internet and presents a whole new list of things to worry about. For those who don't understand it quite yet... the cloud project was initiated by the government. They claim energy savings, efficiency, and the environment are their motives. All which are true because the cloud does make data storage much more efficient. With virtualization servers are running at 90% capacity which is HUGE cost and energy savings. But there are freedom issues to consider.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cloud_computing

 

[Billy]

North Korea and China can do it. It can be done. But I agree it's not going to get implemented due to various reasons, not on the global internet anyways. A "walled garden" network would be a different matter.

I've been to china, trust me, there is a way around it. Black market news is a HUGE business there.

 

[Apone]

I've been to china, trust me, there is a way around it. Black market news is a HUGE business there.

It's sort of like the war on drugs or any kind of prohibition.
All that it will probably do is make the underworld more powerful.

 

[muir]

With our current infrastructure it would be really difficult to pull off. But as we move towards "the Cloud" more data will be consolidated and managed by fewer people on fewer servers. "The Cloud" is good because it's efficient and environmentally friendly but it also has a big brother element to it. I don't think we need to worry about our free internet being taken away any time soon. If it happens we can just revolt or something and rebuild our own internet. But I also don't think the government should be our biggest fear when it comes to internet freedom. I think huge multinational corporations are scarier.

As for the OP, yeah that politician is stupid. I would never vote for him. The internet should have no rules, that's where all it's value comes from.

In theory government is meant to be accountable to us, the people, however the system has got so corrupt that politicians are basically bought by the corporations

What we have seen is a blurring of the boundaries between government and big business. Wallstreet representatives now 'advise' the government! Billionaire oligarchs blackmail government by threatening to take their investment elsewhere and can keep their money in off shore accounts out of the reach of the government. The federal reserve is owned by private banks so it i not 'federal' at all! This central bank controls the money supply.

So big business owns the mainstream media, it owns the central bank, it owns the corporations and it controls the politicians through lobbying and threats

I think now its not really possible to distinguish government much from big business and when those two merge it is fascism

We desperately need to get big business out of the corridors of power

So if the media is saying the 'government' is trying to pass laws to control the internet, what it really means is that big business is trying to control the internet because the two are (at the moment) synonymous......that's why the 1% are getting richer while the 99% are getting poorer....because we now have little to no representation in government whilst the 1% are pretty much in total control

.....hence all the protest movements

 

[muir]

"The Cloud" is changing the internet and presents a whole new list of things to worry about. For those who don't understand it quite yet... the cloud project was initiated by the government. They claim energy savings, efficiency, and the environment are their motives. All which are true because the cloud does make data storage much more efficient. With virtualization servers are running at 90% capacity which is HUGE cost and energy savings. But there are freedom issues to consider.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cloud_computing

I think that we are currently creating a silicon based consciousness

We are wrapping the earth with optic fibres and radio masts creating the neural pathways of a giant electrical brain. Scientists are currently working on creating Artificial Intelligence. So what happens when the AI is plugged into the internet and suddenly it knows everything about eveyone and can control anything globally controlled by computer and can see out of every camera hooked to the web and listen through every microphone and has the mental capacity to process vast amounts of information?

Some people believe that the destiny of mankind is to merge with machine. Man would provide the intuitive, emotional, compassionate right hemisphere of the new evolved fusion brain whilst machine would provide the cold, logical, rational left side of the brain. Man/machinekind could then launch into space!

Here's a very thought provoking film of Terrence Mckenna talking about the coming fusion of man and machine. To enhance the viewing experience i recommend the use of a power plant such as marijuana: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5yOaTgWu6Y

Another new age guru is Ken Wilber. The home page of his website also seems to point to a fusion of man and machine: http://www.kenwilber.com/home/landing/index.html

There are now laws in the UK proposing that all dogs must be implanted with a microchip and humans can also use microchip wristbands at music festivals instead of carrying physical money....are these just baby steps towards the fusion?

Here's theoretical physicist Kaku describing an evolutionary step forward that he envisions for planet earth and he brands anyone who does not agree with this step as a 'terrorist':

[video=youtube;eBQO1S3OSBo]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBQO1S3OSBo[/video]

So if silicon consciousness is becoming a reality then what form will it take and how will humanity retain its humanity in the process of fusion. Will we all become the borg or be used as battery fuel cells like in the matrix?

Who knows.....but change is occuring fast

I think if the silicon consciousness is to develop intelligence then we must ensure that it is compassionate. That means allowing the input of regualr folks into it so that they can put their emotion and personality into it and counter balance the left brained input of the seemingly heartless people who run the commerce of the world

 

[this is only temporary]

Meh, re-election ploy. I do not see how New York State can legally or technically enforce it -- a state law is not enforceable in all the other 49 states, Puerto Rico and Guam. Not to mention the entire rest of the world. The patriot act is a federal law and covers all states. If this passes and proves to be something more than political hot air I would be amazed.

 

[Trifoilum]

*facepalm*

It doesn't sound exactly effective. :|

Consider the issue of shared accounts. Or; what can be said if as opposed to Anonymous, now we have one shared account to talk instead?
Consider also the issue of people using another person's account to put slanders.

*sigh*
But yes, it is possible, like [MENTION=751]Peppermint[/MENTION] said. [MENTION=1451]Billy[/MENTION] is also true; there will be workaround, but consider the position; at that point, those people -will- be criminals.