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RIAA Wants 'Net Neutrality' To Include Filtering

I Don't Believe in Imaginary Property writes "The RIAA is now worried about the FCC's rulemaking concerning Net Neutrality. Specifically, they're worried that the rules might make it difficult for ISPs to filter out copyright infringement and child pornography, so they want to make sure that spying on and filtering internet traffic is okay, so long as it's being done for a good reason, even if it doesn't work correctly and blocks non-infringing content. Incidentally, the RIAA has some justification to lump child pornography and copyright infringement: after all, people might infringe upon the original cover art for the album 'Virgin Killer,' which featured a naked under-aged girl in a way that some consider pornographic. The copyright on it belongs to RCA Records."

212 comments

  1. "Cause I'm the only judge of what is proper"..... by scosco62 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    It's hard for me to tell if this is a different aspect of RIAA's disconnect with reality, or if there is really a fundamental disconnect of what the First Amendment is out.

  2. Re:"Cause I'm the only judge of what is proper"... by Defenestrar · · Score: 3, Funny

    No - this is perfectly in line with the logic behind dehydrated water.

  3. RIAA said it first! by Drakkenmensch · · Score: 4, Funny

    Specifically, they're worried that the rules might make it difficult for ISPs to filter out copyright infringement and child pornography

    The RIAA wants to protect their copyrighted child porn?

    1. Re:RIAA said it first! by Moryath · · Score: 1

      What precisely did you think that Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus, the Jonas Brothers, etc... really were?

      Perhaps this will help.

    2. Re:RIAA said it first! by Kjella · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Perhaps this will help.

      "Due to copyright and other legal reasons, South Park video content cannot be viewed outside the United States."

      No, but it gives me a pretty good idea why they're in such a shithole and digging themselves deeper.

      --
      Live today, because you never know what tomorrow brings
    3. Re:RIAA said it first! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Child porn, the new Godwin's Law.

      When you can't villianize the person, over-hype the law/act by saying it stops that.

    4. Re:RIAA said it first! by mdwh2 · · Score: 2, Interesting

      It's an interesting point - in the UK, laws against possession of adult (not child) material have been used against pirates ( http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/06/16/extreme_pr0n_convictions/ ). But wait a moment, if it's true that piracy harms the producer, and production of said material is bad, surely it's doing good to pirate it...

    5. Re:RIAA said it first! by Shotgun · · Score: 1

      Wouldn't want people watching the movie "Babel" without paying, now would we?

      --
      Aah, change is good. -- Rafiki
      Yeah, but it ain't easy. -- Simba
    6. Re:RIAA said it first! by The+Wild+Norseman · · Score: 1

      Child porn, the new Godwin's Law.

      Maybe we can call it "Uncle Goddy's Law"? Or maybe "Pedo's Law".

      --
      "A government is a body of people usually -- notably -- ungoverned." -Shepherd Book
    7. Re:RIAA said it first! by toriver · · Score: 1
    8. Re:RIAA said it first! by Kjella · · Score: 1

      Gee, thanks. I never would have thought of that myself. Good that are still oldtimers around to help us newbies settle in.

      --
      Live today, because you never know what tomorrow brings
    9. Re:RIAA said it first! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Well, aren't you an asshole!

    10. Re:RIAA said it first! by rdebath · · Score: 1

      How about this link then?

      Of course that particular one shows a good reason for downloading even when you have the DVDs, twelve seasons on one little USB stick ready to plug into my DVD player...

  4. Re:"Cause I'm the only judge of what is proper"... by aurispector · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Equally rapacious and soulless - they make their own reality and expect everyone else to live it. The RIAA is a classic case study on the influence of the private sector on governance.

    --
    I have mod points. The reign of terror begins now.
  5. Ah, they're trying a Glenn Beck. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    They're trying a Glenn Beck. Now they can make the implied accusation that by supporting net neutrality, you support child pornography.

    I can hear the arguments now, "We need to prevent net neutrality, FOR THE CHILDREN!"

    1. Re:Ah, they're trying a Glenn Beck. by rockout · · Score: 0, Troll

      I can see how you might mod this troll if you hate hippies, but really, you're not supposed to mod down just because you like Glenn Beck. In all fairness, it's a pretty accurate description of most of Beck's logical fallacies.

      --
      I've learned that they're worthless, so I don't read AC comments anymore.
    2. Re:Ah, they're trying a Glenn Beck. by mikestew · · Score: 1

      Kind of curious why this got modded Troll myself, as it's certainly close, if not right on the mark. Why would a recorded music association throw child porn into the argument? Because fewer folks give two shits (or never cared in the first place) about the poor, defenseless RIAA but certainly wouldn't want to be caught defending child porn.

    3. Re:Ah, they're trying a Glenn Beck. by toriver · · Score: 1

      Counterargument: By supporting artists like Gary Glitter you support sexual child abuse. We need to prevent artists gaining so large egos that they think they can get away with anything. Er... FOR THE CHILDREN!

    4. Re:Ah, they're trying a Glenn Beck. by rockout · · Score: 1

      Hilarious. Mods take my advice and mod up the GP from Troll to Insightful.... and another mods me Troll.

      Sometimes I wonder about my fellow Slashdot readers. Then I realize that's a complete waste of time.

      --
      I've learned that they're worthless, so I don't read AC comments anymore.
  6. They forgot to include terrorism by Issarlk · · Score: 2, Funny

    People might share videos explaining how to build bombs with an RIAA copyrighted music in the backgroup :O

    1. Re:They forgot to include terrorism by bsDaemon · · Score: 2, Informative

      Like the IRA videos of kids throwing petrol bombs at RUC cops with soundtrack provided by RATM? Something tells me RATM isn't opposed, but their label might have a thing or two to say about it.

    2. Re:They forgot to include terrorism by betterunixthanunix · · Score: 1

      I am beginning to think that child pornography is overtaking terrorism as the go-to scary issue. Perhaps people have become desensitized to warnings about terrorists, especially since the racial undertones make it difficult to push the "terrorists are around every corner" angle. Child pornography, on the other hand, is a great way to get people of all skin colors, religions, and professions. If you live in the suburbs, there could be someone interested in child pornography living right next door to you. Inner city? Rural? Child pornography is everywhere, they tell us, so it is easy to scare everyone; plus, it has the word "child" in it, so you get a free "think of the children" angle.

      --
      Palm trees and 8
    3. Re:They forgot to include terrorism by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yeh, isnt it funny how the IRA collapsed after terrorism became unpopular when the US suffered from it.

      Remeber how the US Irish funded IRA terroism?

      Suddenly stopped after 11/9/2001.

      Odd huh?

  7. Jesus Christ by yt8znu35 · · Score: 5, Informative

    RIAA does not care about child pornography. They're hiding behind the issue. They want to be able to claim that those who oppose their position hate children.

    1. Re:Jesus Christ by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

      Wouldn't those that oppose their position like children?

      Think of the children! Isn't that the root cause of child pornography?

    2. Re:Jesus Christ by Nerdfest · · Score: 1

      I really can't believe that even government officials wouldn't notice how shallow this attempt is.

    3. Re:Jesus Christ by rotide · · Score: 1

      Sadly, officials can be persuaded to not notice.

    4. Re:Jesus Christ by fightinfilipino · · Score: 2, Funny

      RIAA does not care about child pornography. They're hiding behind the issue. They want to be able to claim that those who oppose their position hate children.

      considering the RIAA acts like a bunch of spoiled children, this is starting to make a lot of sense!

    5. Re:Jesus Christ by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That is why I am pushing for a worldwide ban on cameras. After all, it's those pesky cameras that enable CP. Anyone who wants to keep their cameras must have something to hide.

    6. Re:Jesus Christ by Joce640k · · Score: 1

      Why? The government does the exact same thing all the time.

      Need extra homeland-spying powers? Just invoke "terrorists" and "pedophiles" and you can pass any law.

      --
      No sig today...
    7. Re:Jesus Christ by GreatBunzinni · · Score: 1

      Even worse, the RIAA is trying to group together those who distribute copyrighted works without the owner's explicit authorization (i.e, file sharers) with paedophiles and all sorts of depraved individuals. They are trying to pull yet another set of false correlations, such as the one they managed to pull by associating the unauthorized commercial distribution of a copyrighted work with all the raping, pillaging, murder and violence perpetrated by pirates.

      --
      Slashdot, fix your code or at least hire someone who is competent at it to do it for you.
    8. Re:Jesus Christ by betterunixthanunix · · Score: 2, Informative

      Considering that it was government officials who pushed the whole "you should be terrified of child pornography" issue...

      Seriously, we have FBI officials telling the news stations that children are "re-victimized" every single time someone looks at child pornography. The executive branch is chastising judges who oppose harsher sentences for possession of child pornography, even in cases where the punishment for possession exceeds the punishment for child abuse. The government wants everyone to be afraid of child pornography; after all, gangs, satanism, drugs and terrorism are old news now.

      --
      Palm trees and 8
    9. Re:Jesus Christ by wygit · · Score: 5, Informative

      correction: The music industry LOVES child pornography.

      "Child pornography is great," the speaker at the podium declared enthusiastically. "It is great because politicians understand child pornography. By playing that card, we can get them to act, and start blocking sites. And once they have done that, we can get them to start blocking file sharing sites".

      http://www.boingboing.net/2010/04/28/music-industry-spoke.html

    10. Re:Jesus Christ by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
    11. Re:Jesus Christ by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The obvious difference is that it's at least within the realms of government to deal with these issues (or at the very least the terrorist one, protecting the nation's borders and all that), while it's got SFA to do with RIAA, they're just tacking it onto their own personal agenda so they can claim if you attack them, you attack their anti-child pr0n stance (which is ironic since they're actually exploiting people's anger about the suffering of children for their own personal greed). Seriously, when was the last time you heard of the RIAA commandeering US marshals to go bust pedos - they're more likely to be going after the kids themselves for downloading Justin Bieber (which admittedly should be a crime).

    12. Re:Jesus Christ by delinear · · Score: 1

      Definitely - the whole "pirate" angle kind of backfired on them, since Hollywood has glamourised pirates to the degree that people are more than happy to be associated with them. You can just imagine the suits at RIAA sitting around the conference table discussing how their piratcy propaganda has failed and asking who can they associate downloaders with that could possibly be worse than pirates.

    13. Re:Jesus Christ by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      Pirates > Ninjas

      That is all.

    14. Re:Jesus Christ by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Nothing new.

      During the last election in Germany politicians had tried to push through a filtering system under the guise of fighting child porn as well (once in place it wouldn't have been hard to extend it to blocking access to other undesirable content as well).
      This lead to a lot of protest and the newly competing pirate party gaining a lot of votes. Of course, after the election it wasn't treated important anymore.

      Even if it had been widely adopted the filtering would've only been on a list-based filter on a DNS level and hence pretty much ineffective anyway (after realizing this they probably would've tried to go after Tor and other solutions next).

      They still think such filtering measures would be a better use of tax money than increasing the budget for police units who hunt down the producers and distributors of child pornography and hence the source.

    15. Re:Jesus Christ by Shotgun · · Score: 1

      Have you seen the movie "Babel"? RIAA is actually a distributor of child porn.

      --
      Aah, change is good. -- Rafiki
      Yeah, but it ain't easy. -- Simba
    16. Re:Jesus Christ by rc5retro · · Score: 1

      100% agree. While child porn is wicked evil, using it as a gateway for their own ends is just as evil. For all we know, the "filters" will be some fat bastage - that actullay likes child porn - sitting in a smoke filled room with a vat of shortening and a poodle named "little jimmy".

    17. Re:Jesus Christ by Reziac · · Score: 2, Funny

      No children, no child pornography.

      It's clear that we need to ban children.

      --
      ~REZ~ #43301. Who'd fake being me anyway?
    18. Re:Jesus Christ by future+assassin · · Score: 1

      >those who oppose their position hate children.

      Who doesn't? Their fingers always get stuck in my teeth and sometimes there just isn't a tooth pick around.

      --
      by TheSpoom (715771) Uncaring Linux user here. I have nothing to add to this but please continue. *munches popcorn*
    19. Re:Jesus Christ by Falconhell · · Score: 1
    20. Re:Jesus Christ by thejynxed · · Score: 1

      Well, considering that song was written and performed in an era where many girls were married and knocked up by the time she was 16 (18 at the outset)...

      It really started getting hairy though right about the time that Jerry Lee Lewis married his 13-year old cousin.

      --
      @Mindless Drivel: 100% of Twitter posts ever Tweeted.
  8. Re:"Cause I'm the only judge of what is proper"... by Moryath · · Score: 4, Insightful

    No, the RIAA is a classic case of where government SHOULD have stepped in and squished and illegal Mafia cartel long ago.

  9. Classy by John+Betonschaar · · Score: 5, Interesting

    The RIAA knows that they won't find much sympathy anywhere if they ask for a carte-blanche on traffic spying just to catch a few illegal MP3's, so they just throw in child pornography, for good measure.

    Seriously, child pornography is the new Godwin for justifying invading privacy and getting constitutional exemptions.

    1. Re:Classy by Thanshin · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Seriously, child pornography is the new Godwin for justifying invading privacy and getting constitutional exemptions.

      The real question is: Why are people still unable to reply "don't use child porn for your benefits", and stop the argument right there?

    2. Re:Classy by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Because the brain shuts down as soon as child porn is talked about. Someone saying "don't use child porn for your benefits" could easilly be accused of being pro-child-porn and suffer the wrath of the hysterical masses.

    3. Re:Classy by QCompson · · Score: 3, Insightful

      The use of child pornography as justification to restrict other rights won't end anytime soon. Law enforcement and interested groups have successfully convinced most of the public that possession of child porn is equivalent to molesting a child. Literally, one and the same. This has inflamed any conversation about child pornography well past the point of any rationality.

    4. Re:Classy by denebeim · · Score: 5, Funny

      Hitler was against child pornography.

    5. Re:Classy by garcia · · Score: 1

      The real question is: Why are people still unable to reply "don't use child porn for your benefits", and stop the argument right there?

      People are, legislators are not. After all, if they did, the insanely deep pockets would suddenly get a lot smaller.

    6. Re:Classy by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      A better question is can you even filter that sort of thing?

      Sure there are 'whitelists' and 'blacklists' of sites. But actual images themselves? Then classify them as 'kiddy porn'? Is that even technically even possible to do? Maybe you could get the existing set of 'porn' into some sort of filter. But you would never get it all in. What sort of mega processing center would an ISP have to have to process every jpg/gif/png/tiff that flys thru its system? I would say a good 60-80% of what flys thru on most web pages is images. Thats not even including advertisements as I already blacklist filter those.

    7. Re:Classy by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Law enforcement and interested groups have successfully convinced most of the public that possession of child porn is equivalent to molesting a child.

      So, whoever (including law enforcement/interested groups) holds on to those copies of child porn until it is destroyed, they're molesting children for the duration?

    8. Re:Classy by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I am not so sure about that, Hitler did molest and rape his underage cousin until she committed suicide. Only later did he settle for Eva.

    9. Re:Classy by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'd have thought the RIAA would be *for* people sharing CP via P2P. After all, according to their logic, such a thing causes MASSIVE LOSSES to the producers of the content...

    10. Re:Classy by QCompson · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Well, most would say no, that doesn't count, and this hypocrisy is exactly why most of the rage about child porn is actually directed at what should be considered a thought crime. A cop/judge/jury can look at a picture of child pornography and no harm is done. But if an ordinary citizen looks at the same picture, many will say (NCMEC for one) that the child is being molested all over again. This is how punishments for possession of child pornography have successfully been ratcheted up to levels equal to (and in many cases greater) than the punishment for sexual abusing a child.

    11. Re:Classy by delinear · · Score: 1

      The irony is if they came up with a system which looked at the age of the subjects and cross-referenced the sexual connotations of the images/videos, they'd end up filtering out a good percentage of what the RIAA's masters peddle.

    12. Re:Classy by HBI · · Score: 2, Informative

      He eliminated almost all nude art from Germany except that which depicted adult Aryan women in clean surroundings. Berlin was a pretty wild place in the 20s - Hitler ended that.

      --
      HBI's Law: Frequency of calling others Nazis is directly correlated with the likelihood of the accuser being Communist.
    13. Re:Classy by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Ad Hominem

      Most suckers and would instantly fail when someone implies that you defend CP for your own agenda.

    14. Re:Classy by shutdown+-p+now · · Score: 1

      I am not so sure about that, Hitler did molest and rape his underage cousin until she committed suicide.

      I see you watched "The Rise of Evil" (or else has gotten this piece of misinformation from other similarly inaccurate source). To quote Wikipedia, "though he was very close to her, there are no historical documents which say that Hitler actually ever had a sexual relationship with his niece."

    15. Re:Classy by Wolfraider · · Score: 1

      Wouldn't being pro-child-porn be using child porn for your benefits?

  10. I give up. by Thanshin · · Score: 4, Insightful

    This isn't even funny anymore.

    In a letter sent today to Google CEO Eric Schmidt, the RIAA and other music trade groups expressed their concern[...]

    The only sane answer is: "To say what you just said you have to be either a lying bastard or deeply retarded. I have no interest on educating either profile on the reasons why your statement is manipulative, false and idiotic."

    Each day that passes I value education more. If this keeps going I'll end up firmly believing that educating the population is the solution to all of humanity matters.

    1. Re:I give up. by Midnight's+Shadow · · Score: 5, Funny

      If this keeps going I'll end up firmly believing that educating the population is the solution to all of humanity matters.

      Not quite. There is always the nuclear option- you know just nuke the planet until cockroaches are the highest form of life. Then it because the cockroaches' problems on what to do with the RIAA.

      --
      "God is a comedian playing to an audience too afraid to laugh. " -Voltaire
    2. Re:I give up. by mcgrew · · Score: 1

      To say what you just said you have to be either a lying bastard or deeply retarded.

      Either/or? Um, how about both?

      Some people hate freedom.

    3. Re:I give up. by Issarlk · · Score: 1

      But then members of the RIAA would survive ; they could go on with their bullshit in the post-apocaliptic cockroach society.

    4. Re:I give up. by maxwell+demon · · Score: 1

      OK, we are told that the terrorists want to bomb us because they hate freedom. Now the RIAA also hates freedom. Therefore I have to conclude the RIAA wants to bomb us. Send them to Guantanamo! :-)

      --
      The Tao of math: The numbers you can count are not the real numbers.
    5. Re:I give up. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Do you know what the sound 1000kph wind being blasted from a nuclear detonation is?

      WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSHHHHHHHHHH

      {hint: That's part of the joke. He implies that mere cockroaches are higher forms of life than RIAA members. And cockroaches don't take no shit from nobody. They survived the motherfucking nuclear holocaust.}

    6. Re:I give up. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Actually the Mythbusters found that other insects would survive a nuke better that even cockroaches.

      I think it was beetles that came out on top.

    7. Re:I give up. by HeckRuler · · Score: 1

      Education the THE long term solution to EVERY problem we face. But it doesn't pay off right now, so it's not a real hot seller.

    8. Re:I give up. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No, the only sane answer is what I'm sure Eric will do: Have a good chuckle, maybe post it on the wall outside his office for passerby to chuckle at, and ignore it like the stupidity it is. Google has it's own business to attend to, why should it exert its influence to prop up an outdated, failing business model?

  11. August 19 - VoteLikeAPirat Day - Sweden by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

    Time to vote like a Pirate in the upcoming election in Sweden.

    And for you non Swedes, blog about this madness, and support your local Pirate party.

    Pirate Party tried to have this discussion in Sweden, but it failed miserably, you can not discuss that some people always jump on the 'And for gods sake, save the children!' to stop what ever they don't like.

    A comic book translator was convicted for Anime/Hentai pictures, cause as he said him self "The girls had to small boobs".

    Pirat Party even had to add a section in its political program "about the right to posses any kind of information", to include the statement: _ not including documented child abuse _
    I can think of a lot more additions that should have to be added, if every impossible miss interpretation should be covered.

    Madness!

  12. Let's all say things that are offensive but true by sqrt(2) · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Copyright is more harmful to society than child pornography. Yeah, I said it.

    Also, I have a feeling the RIAA doesn't give two shits if some kids get molested and photographed, as long as a song they have the copyright to isn't in the background of the video. Lumping together CP with copyright infringement is just a way to get support and alienate anyone who opposes copyright - since if you're against filtering of copyrighted files you must also be for child porn.

    --
    If you build it, nerds will come. Soylentnews.org
  13. see all this time by circletimessquare · · Score: 5, Funny

    i have tried in my life to be lucid, coherent, and persuasive in what i say

    little did i know all you have to do is say "kiddie porn", and whatever you are trying to argue for, people instantly flock to you sympathetically

    so, in that spirit, instead of making a rational argument here, i will simply say

    kiddie porn kiddie porn kiddie porn

    kiddie porn kiddie porn kiddie porn

    kiddie porn kiddie porn kiddie porn

    kiddie porn kiddie porn kiddie porn

    kiddie porn kiddie porn kiddie porn

    there!

    now i may rest assured that whatever your opinion before reading my comment, i have now inexorably swayed you to believe as i do, simply by reciting the magic words that trumps all debate, argument and rhetoric

    --
    intellectual property law is philosophically incoherent. it is your moral duty to ignore it or sabotage it
    1. Re:see all this time by Drakkenmensch · · Score: 1

      Yup, that's the entire rationale behind Maude Flanders logic. "Think of the CHILDREN! Won't someone PLEAAAAAAASE think of the CHILDREN!!!" Then again, perhaps the problem there is that some people think TOO MUCH about the children...

    2. Re:see all this time by Pteraspidomorphi · · Score: 1

      Mrs. Lovejoy, actually! Maude Flanders is a different character who died several seasons ago.

    3. Re:see all this time by Drakkenmensch · · Score: 1

      Ooops, you got me there. Yup, Helen Lovejoy! Maude Flanders isn't into hysterical screaming, she's more of a judgemental passive-aggressive type.

    4. Re:see all this time by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      To quote George Carlin: "Fuck the children!"

      While it's coarse (Heh...it's George after all...) he has quite a few profound observations about why it's probably a bad idea doing what we're doing these days on this subject. I especially like the observations about making children dress alike...and he had a good point there to think on.

    5. Re:see all this time by Chibinium · · Score: 1

      Throw in grandma and freedom with the children. Why you could put anything under these umbrellas!

    6. Re:see all this time by Jade_Wayfarer · · Score: 1

      Damn, it looked so much like some children song, that now I have theme from "Happy Tree Friends" stuck in my head, thank you very much.

      --
      Absence of proof != proof of absence.
    7. Re:see all this time by phiwum · · Score: 1

      i have tried in my life to be lucid, coherent, and persuasive in what i say

      little did i know all you have to do is say "kiddie porn", and whatever you are trying to argue for, people instantly flock to you sympathetically

      so, in that spirit, instead of making a rational argument here, i will simply say

      kiddie porn kiddie porn kiddie porn

      kiddie porn kiddie porn kiddie porn

      ...

      there!

      You're not supposed to chant it as if you're cheering kiddie porn on in a football game.

      --
      Phiwum's law: anyone that names an obvious law after himself and then puts it in his own sig is just pathetic.
    8. Re:see all this time by Archangel+Michael · · Score: 1

      kiddie porn kiddie porn kiddie porn

              kiddie porn kiddie porn kiddie porn

              kiddie porn kiddie porn kiddie porn

              kiddie porn kiddie porn kiddie porn

              kiddie porn kiddie porn kiddie porn

      I saw that, and instantly had "Badger Badger Badger" going off in my head. AGGHHHH DAMN YOU!!!

      --
      Agent K: A *person* is smart. People are dumb, stupid, panicky animals, and you know it.
    9. Re:see all this time by sabt-pestnu · · Score: 1

      And Obscure Reference Man captures my brain again... ... Next time I encounter someone hysterical ("Child porn! Child porn!"), the urge to throw a glass of water on them and quote The Producers ("Okay, now you're hysterical AND your wet") will be nearly irresistable.

  14. Typical Corporate & Government Propaganda! by mrpacmanjel · · Score: 2, Informative

    There's always a reason to curtail people's rights:

    Communist witch hunt
    The Cold war
    Terrorism
    Child Pornography

    Let's suppose they do start "filtering" content there will always be a way to circumvent it.
    It comes to a point where if you stand against it you are then branded a "sympathizer" and thus becomes politically incorrect to oppose it.

    (In the UK when anyone questioned immigration policy they were publically branded "racist" by the Labour party and prevented it from being debated. It was a legitimate concern)

    Unfortunately not nearly enough people question the motives of the Government & their commercial "bed fellows".

    1. Re:Typical Corporate & Government Propaganda! by IBBoard · · Score: 2, Interesting

      There's always a reason to curtail people's rights:

      Communist witch hunt
      The Cold war
      Terrorism
      Child Pornography

      God help us when we encounter the Communist Terrorist Paedophile who was part of the Cold War!

    2. Re:Typical Corporate & Government Propaganda! by internettoughguy · · Score: 1

      There's always a reason to curtail people's rights:

      Communist witch hunt
      The Cold war
      Terrorism
      Child Pornography

      God help us when we encounter the Communist Terrorist Paedophile who was part of the Cold War!

      Are you referring to Evilenko?

    3. Re:Typical Corporate & Government Propaganda! by jack2000 · · Score: 1

      I have bad news for you comrade. Russia has 2chan.ru. So yeah...

    4. Re:Typical Corporate & Government Propaganda! by guruevi · · Score: 1

      We tend to call them Father, Pastor, Priest, Bishop or Pope - depending on denomination other names might be used.

      --
      Custom electronics and digital signage for your business: www.evcircuits.com
    5. Re:Typical Corporate & Government Propaganda! by mdwh2 · · Score: 1

      In the UK when anyone questioned immigration policy they were publically branded "racist" by the Labour party and prevented it from being debated. It was a legitimate concern

      Citation?

      Actually I'd say that immigration is itself another example of what you list - something that the Government scaremongers about, in order to pass new laws, including the Labour Government: e.g., proposing the national biometric ID cards and database "because otherwise immigrants might get in!"

      And there are also the tightened restrictions on employment checking (passport scanning, the UK Border Agency), because oh noes, someone might "steal" a "British" job.

      As for political correctness, this is often a tool used by those supporting these things - e.g., people saying "I think we should take freedoms away from people who look different to me, because they might be terrorists - but I can't say that, because it's not politically correct!"

    6. Re:Typical Corporate & Government Propaganda! by DigiShaman · · Score: 1

      North Korea? Sure

      --
      Life is not for the lazy.
    7. Re:Typical Corporate & Government Propaganda! by delinear · · Score: 1

      God help us when we encounter the Communist Terrorist Paedophile who was part of the Cold War!

      Especially if he's infringing on someone's copyright at the time.

    8. Re:Typical Corporate & Government Propaganda! by Shotgun · · Score: 1

      (In the UK when anyone questioned immigration policy they were publically branded "racist" by the Labour party and prevented it from being debated. It was a legitimate concern)

      That's funny. In the US, all you have to do is question anything our President does and you'll get labeled a racist by the Democrats. We always have to do everyone else one better.

      --
      Aah, change is good. -- Rafiki
      Yeah, but it ain't easy. -- Simba
    9. Re:Typical Corporate & Government Propaganda! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Um, Kim Jong Il, for example?

      Or perhaps you'd prefer a Fascist Orwellian Pedophile who was part of the Cold War, Dick Cheney comes to mind.

  15. They're not worried about child pornography by bluefoxlucid · · Score: 1

    They're not making any money off it, why the hell does the RIAA care? Are they pretending to be the DA now? Is the DA pretending he's riding on the wing of justice for copyright infringement?

  16. Re:Let's all say things that are offensive but tru by sqrt(2) · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I rarely reply to my own posts, but In case my first statement requires clarification, I am serious about copyright being worse. Very few people in society will be affected by child pornography, fewer still negatively affected. Those that were victims of abuse have suffered a terrible crime at the hands of their abusers, but nearly EVERYONE in society is impacted in a negative way by copyright law. The difference is in sensationalism. It's a lot easier to get people angry about something to do with children, or sex, or both than it is to get people angry about the every day violation of their right to their own culture and freedom of expression.

    --
    If you build it, nerds will come. Soylentnews.org
  17. Re:As if that has not been known. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I don't want firewalls or spam blockers at my ISP filtering things out. I want a copper wire or fiber connection from "the Internet" into my house and I'll decide what I want to filter. If users do want these services from their ISP, I don't think there's anything that would stop them from hosting these applications and having users turn them on and configure them for themselves. As long as it is the customer deciding which content is filtered we have no problem.

  18. And why don't they just... by razwiss · · Score: 2, Insightful

    And why don't they just infiltrate the CP networks the same way someone addicted to children would do ? Internet is a gold mine of informations, and there is no way you would search a week without finding something. There is even some little boys lover web sites that their domain name is crystal clear. In Quebec, a radio station reported a website known as "La garconnière" which you can translate to as "The bachelor's pad". This website is an OPEN forum of mature guys talking about little boys they see in the park and their fantasies with them. Police dept. won't do anything as they haven't "infringed the law yet" And they say they need the ISPs to track them down ? yeah right.

    1. Re:And why don't they just... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      And what would you have police do to this website? Talking about people you find attractive is not against the law, you know.

    2. Re:And why don't they just... by Spad · · Score: 1

      Police dept. won't do anything as they haven't "infringed the law yet"

      I don't know about you, but I'm quite fond of the idea of the police not doing anything to people who haven't "infringed the law yet" unless there is clear evidence that they are going to do so.

      To clarify, me talking about hating work and having fantasies of blowing it up *is not* clear evidence that I'm going to do so. Once I start buying explosives and sending the boss death threats then it's probably a good idea to do something about me.

    3. Re:And why don't they just... by Chowderbags · · Score: 1

      If a group of people are doing nothing but talking, what's the problem? Typing on a keyboard doesn't require that someone has molested a child, and assuming the people aren't actually molesting children, I'd much rather they get their jollies off by jacking it in front of their computer than actually harming a child.

  19. Re:"Cause I'm the only judge of what is proper"... by Pezbian · · Score: 0, Troll

    No, the RIAA is a classic case of where government SHOULD have stepped in and squished and illegal Mafia cartel long ago.

    The government is a babbling retard playing with its own feces. Instead, the unwashed masses are (shock and horror) voting with their wallets, taking matters securely in-hand..

    --
    In a world of the blind, the one-eyed man is king--and the two-eyed man is a heretic.
  20. Re:As if that has not been known. by rotide · · Score: 1

    Exactly, what is spam to my ISP isn't necessarily spam to me. Oh, we see this other company is soliciting you for an alternative internet service that just rolled out in your area and you may or may not have signed up for said notice.

    Marked as: SPAM
    Status: DELETED

    I'm not saying ISPs do this on a regular basis, but if it even happened once, it would be too many. We're not even scratching the surface of the potential for abuse in other areas that your ISP would rather consider spam.

  21. Re:As if that has not been known. by j0nb0y · · Score: 5, Informative

    Except everything you just said is a lie. Network neutrality has always allowed reasonable network management, including spam blocking, firewalls, etc. Why are you deliberately misrepresenting the issues involved in network neutrality? And who on /. modded you up for it?

    --
    If you had super powers, would you use them for good, or for awesome?
  22. This reminds me of "The Office" by Pezbian · · Score: 2, Interesting

    This reminds me of the episode of "The Office" where Michael Scott becomes butthurt about something and dresses up as Jesus, interrupting people and telling them they're going to hell. The only non-moron in the group tells him he can't push religion and he responds that he either has to push religion or push drugs.

    The RIAA is "The world according to Michael Scott" in a nutshell and taken to an extreme.

    --
    In a world of the blind, the one-eyed man is king--and the two-eyed man is a heretic.
  23. Re:"Cause I'm the only judge of what is proper"... by Pojut · · Score: 0

    The government is a babbling retard playing with its own feces

    Right...because NOT doing anything about it seems to have worked oh so well.

    Instead, the unwashed masses are (shock and horror) voting with their wallets, taking matters securely in-hand..

    And, like any mafia acts when denied money, they start pushing people around and generally being dicks.

    Glad you approve of the RIAA's actions. (sensationalist, I know...but so is a blanket statement referring to government as a "babbling retard". How's that lead-free paint workin' for ya?)

  24. Re:Yeshua Cottontail vs. La Cucaracha by Pezbian · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I really can't believe that even government officials wouldn't notice how shallow this attempt is.

    That's their job. A roach can fit through even the smallest of gaps.

    The difference is the roach's only agendae are spreading feces and breeding... oh wait...

    --
    In a world of the blind, the one-eyed man is king--and the two-eyed man is a heretic.
  25. Re:"Cause I'm the only judge of what is proper"... by HermMunster · · Score: 4, Insightful

    It is not net neutral if you filter. That's the point of neutrality.

    --
    You can lead a man with reason but you can't make him think.
  26. In short, bullshit by Kjella · · Score: 4, Insightful

    "An Internet predicated on order, rather than chaos, facilitates achievement of this goal."

    The Internet has always been chaotic, you never needed to lease lines to any particular point. Everybody can go everywhere at any time over any protocol, that chaos has been the core of its success. That all the users can access mylittlestartup.com just as easily and quickly as they can access megacompany.com has been a massive boom to competition and innovation for corporations and social media for individuals. That is the essence of net neutrality.

    The kind of order and regulation they want is to kill Internet as we know it, a system where ISPs get to siphon off the profits acting as the middle men that direct online sales was supposed to avoid. It's to stifle competition leaving only approved, incumbent content providers who pay their way to access the market. What they aim at, despite not saying so, is that to filter anything you must force everything into a few, known formats and protocols you know how to filter.

    Child pornography is a red herring, those that deal in that will never let themselves be forced into the confines of such filtering as there are ways like password protected files that prevent any automated filters. What they seek to prevent is to kill off the open marketplace, all those that do not go through a "legitimate" label like themselves but instead offer it up independently. They want every site of user-generated content like YouTube to drown in the cost of being their copyright enforcers. They want to return to the 80s when radio and TV ads determined what people would buy. Do not let them try to turn the clock back.

    --
    Live today, because you never know what tomorrow brings
    1. Re:In short, bullshit by orkysoft · · Score: 1

      So you're saying the RIAA member companies are anti free market? Communists! (Does that word still work?)

      --

      I suffer from attention surplus disorder.
    2. Re:In short, bullshit by Archangel+Michael · · Score: 2, Insightful

      You just made the case for "FREE MARKETS". And no, free markets isn't the current version of socialistic corporate capitalism that we currently have. Freedom isn't easy, but it is right. It is much easier to have a few elitists making rules for everyone, down to whether or not you can take your kids to McDonalds for a Happy Meal.

      We don't have free markets any more, and it is reflected in the current state of the economy where MILLIONS can be out of work while we try to save the BIG CORPS who are "too big to fail" (to save a couple hundred thousand special interest jobs).

      Where's my bailout? I don't have debt, I don't live beyond my means and I don't do stupid stuff and get myself in trouble, and yet I'm supposed to bail out people who repeatedly do those things.

      Why are we rewarding failure and punishing success??? IS that "fair"

      --
      Agent K: A *person* is smart. People are dumb, stupid, panicky animals, and you know it.
    3. Re:In short, bullshit by Kjella · · Score: 1

      You just made the case for "FREE MARKETS". And no, free markets isn't the current version of socialistic corporate capitalism that we currently have.

      This is getting way off topic, but most socialists like you find in modern day Europe would take great offense at the US bailouts being called socialism. Europe is called socialist by the US for having better social safety nets, a corporation is not a person and has no need no need of such a net. The kind of corporate welfare you see in the US today is more aligned with fascism than socialism. Obama's health care reform is quite traditional socialism though. I will admit we do try to avoid having people fall into those nets though, it's better for the people who stay employed and better for the tax burden on everyone else.

      We don't have free markets any more, and it is reflected in the current state of the economy where MILLIONS can be out of work while we try to save the BIG CORPS who are "too big to fail" (to save a couple hundred thousand special interest jobs).Where's my bailout? I don't have debt, I don't live beyond my means and I don't do stupid stuff and get myself in trouble, and yet I'm supposed to bail out people who repeatedly do those things.

      If it was so easy as to let everything fail, and people would instantly create new companies with new jobs minus the fat cats who brought the economy to its knees then sure. That's not how it really works though, when companies fall apart, the knowledge is spread to all winds, the assets liquidated and so on. Most employees in the "too big to fail" companies are regular workers just like you. and many essentially sound businesses would be sucked into the collapse too. I do in general think a free market is good, but a market crash is not good for anyone. Did GM deserve their bailouts? No, but I think Detroit would be a smoking crater today if they hadn't smoothened the fall. The jobs would not have been recreated, they'd be lost to foreign cars. The "nuke from orbit" and start over approach is not that great...

      --
      Live today, because you never know what tomorrow brings
    4. Re:In short, bullshit by Archangel+Michael · · Score: 1

      A little late:

      Why haven't the UNIONS started their OWN manufacturing facility to build cars better and cheaper, while giving employee's more per hour? They have enough cash in their pension funds to do it.

      Which would be REAL socialism (Marx style) where the WORKERS own the production.

      The reason is that the workers would have nobody else to blame when shit goes belly up.

      And socialistic safety nets are all good and nice sounding, but they don't work. All they do is create a permanent underclass while eating away the middle, till there is none left.

      What is most missed in the world today is self responsibility. There is almost none left. Why be responsible and do the right thing when government is there with the safety net?

      --
      Agent K: A *person* is smart. People are dumb, stupid, panicky animals, and you know it.
  27. This is nothing new by airfoobar · · Score: 2, Informative

    The lobbyists have made it pretty clear before that they are very much willing to exploit child porn to push through their own crap. Here's Christian Engstrom's (Pirate Party MEP) blog entry: http://christianengstrom.wordpress.com/2010/04/27/ifpis-child-porn-strategy/

  28. Re:"Cause I'm the only judge of what is proper"... by PopeRatzo · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Excerpt from the minutes of the meeting between the Internet and the RIAA:

    "We'll let you have your silly "net neutrality" as long as you agree to all of our demands, the first of which is there will be no net neutrality. Now that we've got that taken care of, the next item on the agenda is "Money: You Must Give Us All of Yours". Thoughts? Or shall we just take it directly to a vote of the board, which is us?"

    --
    You are welcome on my lawn.
  29. For We Are Many by Pezbian · · Score: 2, Funny

    *blows 4chan whistle* Anonymous! Get 'em!

    --
    In a world of the blind, the one-eyed man is king--and the two-eyed man is a heretic.
    1. Re:For We Are Many by jack2000 · · Score: 1

      He's too busy fapping.

  30. Four Horsemen of the Infocalypse by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    There's always a reason to curtail people's rights:

    Communist witch hunt
    The Cold war
    Terrorism
    Child Pornography

    See also:

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

  31. ISPs should NEVER be copyright police by jonwil · · Score: 2, Insightful

    We dont see the RIAA wanting AT&T to get involved because someone makes a phone call and plays a copyrighted piece of music through the phone. Why should AT&T need to involved when someone sends a copyrighted piece of music through the phone lines using a different protocol? (HTTP over TCP/IP over ADSL vs raw voice audio)

    Copyright law has had clear steps in it for how to go after someone who is infringing your copyright ever since it was first passed all those years ago. And the law also clearly spells out what you can do if you believe your copyright has been violated and you have some kind of link back to the person but you dont know their name.

    Of course, the real problem is that the "evidence" the RIAA (and their hired lackeys) collect is good enough to be able to send vaguely worded threatening letters but not good enough to actually stand up in court.

  32. Flip the logic... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It Will make it a LOT harder for the RIAA to take people to court for any allegedly infringing copyright downloading, because there would be a quite reasonable argument to presume your internet connection is being protected by such a filter from infringing content.

  33. Re:"Cause I'm the only judge of what is proper"... by isopossu · · Score: 2, Interesting

    RIAA and the industry behind it are bound to vanish soon, so they have nothing to lose anymore and they can use any means they wish to gain small wins before the destruction. The problem is that the stupid laws they push will bug people for decades after the nowadays media industry has been buried and forgotten.

    Almost every dying meme or institution works in a same aggressive and self-destructing way. Look at the news.

  34. Child porn, racism, communism by hessian · · Score: 2, Insightful

    People love "reasons" that are really justifications, like calling someone a pedophile or a racist. It doesn't matter if it's true. The herd's so afraid of being associated with child porn or racism that they freak out and ostracize the person. That way, you don't have to censor them or jail them. You can just socially isolate them, which in turn bankrupts them as their business or job prospects collapse. It's 100% effective.

    You think Virgin Killers is bad? Try that Blind Faith album they don't stock in stores anymore even though it has Eric Clapton on it:

    http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51F4qeGnsXL._SS500_.jpg [NSFW!]

    1. Re:Child porn, racism, communism by russotto · · Score: 1

      You think Virgin Killers is bad? Try that Blind Faith album they don't stock in stores anymore even though it has Eric Clapton on it:

      Needs to be a gun rather than a model plane to really offend the maximum number of people. Also, I don't think that's Eric Clapton.

    2. Re:Child porn, racism, communism by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What about that Nirvana album cover with the little kid swimming underwater? You can totally see his wiener.

    3. Re:Child porn, racism, communism by Shotgun · · Score: 1

      How about the movie "Babel"? A little boy masturbating? A teenage girl showing her "hairy monster"? A full frontal nudity of a teenage girl, and depictions of her having sex with an adult?

      Their excuse being that the girl was of age. But how does that jive with people being arrested for cartoon depictions of child sex?

      --
      Aah, change is good. -- Rafiki
      Yeah, but it ain't easy. -- Simba
  35. Lovejoy? Am I the only one who... by Pezbian · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    Am I the only one who thinks she looks like a Praying Mantis? It's as though that character has mantis wide-screen eyes to afford greater ability to find things to bitch about.

    --
    In a world of the blind, the one-eyed man is king--and the two-eyed man is a heretic.
  36. Marching Hammers by Pezbian · · Score: 1

    If they catch you in the backseat, trying to pick her locks, they're going to send you home to mother in a cardboard box. You better RUN! RUN! RUN!

    --
    In a world of the blind, the one-eyed man is king--and the two-eyed man is a heretic.
  37. We've seen this before. by Pezbian · · Score: 1

    Mutually-Assured Destruction. Or "If I can't have it, neither can you."

    --
    In a world of the blind, the one-eyed man is king--and the two-eyed man is a heretic.
  38. Re:"Cause I'm the only judge of what is proper"... by Batmunk2000 · · Score: 1, Insightful

    NN sounds great on paper but if the plan is to have the Feds to it fairly - dream on. I'll take my changes with corporations over the FCC any day. A corporation can't raid my house or put me in jail.

  39. Re:"Cause I'm the only judge of what is proper"... by Pezbian · · Score: 0, Troll

    Dear Troll,

    Re-read my post minus the stick up your ass, if at all possible.

    Guess I have to spell it out: "Shock and horror" was located within parentheses to convey the comically effeminate "well I never!" attitude of both the RIAA and government toward the fact that people would decide against being pushed around.

    Why would you assume I'm _not_ on your side? You just got gored by Occam's Razor.

    Fond of kicking goals for the other team, are you?

    --
    In a world of the blind, the one-eyed man is king--and the two-eyed man is a heretic.
  40. Shocking. by Freddybear · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I am shocked. Truly, deeply shocked.
    Not that the RIAA would try this, but that anybody here is surprised.

  41. Re:"Cause I'm the only judge of what is proper"... by Kilrah_il · · Score: 4, Interesting

    You know what would be funny? Suppose Google wanted the congress to finally enact laws to help protect Net Neutrality (NN, from now on). They knew the government isn't doing anything and after the Comcast case, NN was in jeopardy.
    So what to do? They team up with one of the big wireless carriers (AKA Verizon) and make up a not-so-bad-but-also-not-so-great deal and that way they have a force major backing up NN. Now there are two options:
    1) People will like the deal and it will be pushed forward -> A good option.
    2) People will be enraged by the compromises and demand the congress enact stronger NN rules (ones that will include wireless traffic)! The congress, being voter-minded will jump on the bandwagon (and having a big company like Verizon supporting NN doesn't hurt also) and push to enact said laws -> A great option!

    So now you have Google, which (for the sake of this post) really does want complete NN as it always said, making a move that is a win-win situation for the NN group. Brilliant!

    I know, to convoluted, but a nice scenario neverthelss.

    --
    Whenever in an argument, remember this.
  42. Re:"Cause I'm the only judge of what is proper"... by GiveBenADollar · · Score: 1

    This goes hand in hand with the new freedom of speech law I've introduced which makes you free to say anything that doesn't disagree with me.

  43. Said it better than I. by Pezbian · · Score: 1

    Golf claps to you, good sir.

    --
    In a world of the blind, the one-eyed man is king--and the two-eyed man is a heretic.
  44. Re:As if that has not been known. by maxwell+demon · · Score: 1

    I actually like my mail provider to mark what he considers spam. However I wouldn't want him to delete the message without my consent.

    --
    The Tao of math: The numbers you can count are not the real numbers.
  45. so block all jpegs? why not just kill the net whie by Joe+The+Dragon · · Score: 1

    so block all jpegs? why not just kill the net while your at it?

  46. Re:"Cause I'm the only judge of what is proper"... by Pojut · · Score: 1

    Re-read my post minus the stick up your ass, if at all possible.

    ::removes stick, rereads post::

    Guess I have to spell it out: "Shock and horror" was located within parentheses to convey the comically effeminate "well I never!" attitude of both the RIAA and government toward the fact that people would decide against being pushed around.

    Retcon. Your post clearly implied that government intervention would be a waste of time and that only the will of the people could do things to improve the situation.

    The widespread piracy rates and lawsuits thrown around by the RIAA prove your point wrong.

    Why would you assume I'm _not_ on your side?

    The government is a babbling retard playing with its own feces

    I believe that's called "answering your own question".

    You just got gored by Occam's Razor.

    Don't you mean sliced? Or maybe cut?

  47. RIAA's statement contains an excellent example of by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
  48. Re:Yeshua Cottontail vs. La Cucaracha by Andrewkov · · Score: 1

    In fairness to roaches, that's pretty much my entire agenda also.

  49. Re:Let's all say things that are offensive but tru by maxwell+demon · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Bad way to argue. Better say: "Copyright protects child porn!" It's of course a bull shit argument, but it links copyright to child porn, instead of contrasting it to child porn, as your argument does. And most people will not think any further anyway if they hear "child porn".

    --
    The Tao of math: The numbers you can count are not the real numbers.
  50. Re:As if that has not been known. by will_die · · Score: 1

    Please educate yourself on the issue. The various bills that groups have been pushing provide just as I described.
    Net neutrality has not been about preventing the ISP from making a special deal with company A where they slow down the Company B site for a long time.

  51. Re:Yeshua Cottontail vs. La Cucaracha by Jade_Wayfarer · · Score: 1

    That's their job. A roach can fit through even the smallest of gaps.

    The difference is the roach's only agendae are spreading feces and breeding... oh wait...

    You, sir, now just deeply offended all roaches in the world by comparing them to RIAA!

    --
    Absence of proof != proof of absence.
  52. Re:As if that has not been known. by js_sebastian · · Score: 1

    This has been one of the problem with net neutrality since the various groups started pushing for a law. It would prevent network operators,ISPs, from blocking spam, setting up firewalls to prevents outside attacks, or even from having an e-mail virus scanner.

    I have no problem with any of the above being done to my connection, so long as I can switch all of them off depending on my needs. If I can't switch it off, it's not a service to me, it's a restriction.

  53. Re:Let's all say things that are offensive but tru by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    They do care, they have a history of collecting royalties for works they have not rights to, cp is just another venue to exploit...

  54. Re:"Cause I'm the only judge of what is proper"... by B1oodAnge1 · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I'd just like to point out that without the government's help the RIAA couldn't exist.
    If copyright regulation were not being grossly warped by the government then there would be no way that the RIAA could wield the power that it does.
    This isn't an issue of a free market run amuck, rather it's a perfect example of a badly regulated market favoring the establishment and being unable to change with the rest of the world.

    In an actual free market all it would take is consumers voting with their wallets to change the market.

    --
    RUGBYRUGBYRUGBY
  55. Re:"Cause I'm the only judge of what is proper"... by MrShaggy · · Score: 1

    Stay away from my water.

    --
    I have mod points and I am not afraid to use them.
  56. Re:"Cause I'm the only judge of what is proper"... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    If the lost iphone case was any indication, yes, they can.

  57. Re:"Cause I'm the only judge of what is proper"... by timeOday · · Score: 1

    The RIAA is arguing that net neutrality, if adopted, must not go so far as removing all means to enforce intellectual property rights. Go ahead and disagree. But if you were hoping to net neutrality to be passed in a form that abolishes the DMCA, get ready for a disappointment because the balance of power hasn't changed much, if at all, since it was passed.

  58. Re:As if that has not been known. by Dorkmaster+Flek · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Then said bills have not been about Net Neutrality.

    --
    I like to think of online DRM as something akin to a college -- you pay for lessons until you learn something.
  59. Re:"Cause I'm the only judge of what is proper"... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    A corporation can't raid my house or put me in jail.

    Orly?

  60. Re:"Cause I'm the only judge of what is proper"... by Runaway1956 · · Score: 1

    Perhaps you should do some googling, before claiming that RIAA can't raid your house, or put you in jail.

    http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20070117/163531.shtml

    http://www.allbusiness.com/retail-trade/miscellaneous-retail-retail-stores-not/4385453-1.html

    http://www.wired.com/listening_post/2007/11/albumbase-down/

    http://features.rr.com/article/0bAa6maaGCexM?q=North+Carolina

    http://www.riaa.net/newsitem.php?news_month_filter=5&news_year_filter=2004&resultpage=&id=482BFD6A-C0C6-71B2-F544-6E181B92A80A

    Personally, I would just LOVE to have RIAA invade my home, my place of business, or even to just shake me down at a flea market or some such thing. I'm armed. SOMEONE will die. Hey, it could be me. But, the day that a RIAA rent-a-cop kills a US citizen over a civil matter, all hell will break loose.

    Come on, RIAA - try to take me down. I can't lose.

    --
    "Windows is like the faint smell of piss in a subway: it's there, and there's nothing you can do about it." - Charlie Br
  61. What else is there to expect? by Aphoxema · · Score: 3, Insightful

    It's just like lobbyists to jump on legislation and corrupt it completely.

    --
    "Most people, I think, don't even know what a rootkit is, so why should they care about it?"
  62. Endless amount of possibilities by Dalzhim · · Score: 1

    As any media can be encoded, encrypted and compressed in an unlimited amount of different ways, there's an infinite amount of bit combinations that should be filtered out of our internet connections.
    As an unlimited amount of bit combinations should be filtered out of our internet connections, data shouldn't be allowed through our internet connections.
    As data shouldn't be allowed through our internet connections, we shouldn't be allowed to have internet connections in the first place.
    As we shouldn't be allowed to have internet connections in the first place, we should just go to the fucking movies and pay them their fucking due.

  63. Re:"Cause I'm the only judge of what is proper"... by morari · · Score: 1

    Just wait until all of Nirvana's songs are filtered out as well... they had naked babies on their album covers, after all. Pirating pedophiles, the lot of you!

    --
    "He who can destroy a thing, controls a thing." --Paul Atreides, Dune
  64. How to get Republican support of any issue.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Just toss in the words "Child Pornography" & "Baby Killers" and we have instant vote approval for limiting constitutional rights. I guess "domestic terrorism" has lost it's shine, so it's back to protecting the helpless fetuses and children of America.

  65. Re:"Cause I'm the only judge of what is proper"... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I can't see how NN impedes the RIAA from filing civil suits against IP infringers?

  66. Blind Faith by S-4'N3 · · Score: 1

    Does this mean I won't be able to buy the Blind Faith album from iTunes?

  67. Re:Let's all say things that are offensive but tru by haploc · · Score: 1

    Yes. Let's just add "terrorism" in the mix while we're at it.

  68. Re:"Cause I'm the only judge of what is proper"... by JM78 · · Score: 1

    No...

    Yes. You are both correct.

    --
    I am Jack's smirking revenge.
  69. Re:"Cause I'm the only judge of what is proper"... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Who put DVD John in jail? I pretty much chalk that one up to the MPAA.

  70. Re:"Cause I'm the only judge of what is proper"... by commodore64_love · · Score: 1

    You're both wrong.

    RIAA and their proposed "net neutrality" that blocks sites I want to see, is precisely why we need to put power into the hands of the citizens to make their OWN choices. (i.e. Verizon sucks, I'm switching to Virgin Mobile or ATT or Cricket or Clear or Sprint or AppleISP or.....) We need to stop treating citizens as too stupid to make their own decisions, and stop giving politicians the role of surrogate parents. Neither they nor their corporate bosses can be trusted.

    We can only trust ourselves. That's where the power should lie.

    --
    "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." - historian Evelyn Beatrice Hall
  71. Re:"Cause I'm the only judge of what is proper"... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    No problemo, lets just redefine Net Neutrality. Tada..

    From now on, Net Neutral shall describe Communications where
    Harmful Content (Terrorism, Child Pornography) is Neutralised.

  72. They can't tell the difference by Shotgun · · Score: 1

    they're worried that the rules might make it difficult for ISPs to filter out copyright infringement and child pornography

    Why are they emphasizing the child porn? After the scenes of incestuous child masturbation, full-frontal nudity of a teenage girl, and the close-up of a girl's "hairy monster" that came from the movie "Babel", they could have just left out the "and" statement.

    --
    Aah, change is good. -- Rafiki
    Yeah, but it ain't easy. -- Simba
  73. Re:As if that has not been known. by HeckRuler · · Score: 1

    Well now, those bills probably did come about under the guise of network neutrality. Network Neutrality is about a lot of things, and it's tempting to simplify it to "don't do anything to my connection (other then, you know, actually deliver stuff to me)". But it's not that simple. UDP is not TCP, and there are a lot of good technical reasons why an ISP would influence their traffic. But it's ripe for abuse. And doing so in selective ways where the motive is only profits and doesn't benefit the customer is blatantly wrong.

    By the way, who wrote those bills, where can I read them, and did they ever have any real traction? Cause any loon can submit junk to his rep. Seriously, will_die, gimme a link showing a proposed bill that prevents an ISP from blocking spam. Otherwise you're just spouting general fears that have no real basis in reality. It's good to mention those sort of fears, least we stumble into them, but "Net neutrality has not been about preventing the ISP from making a special deal with company A where they slow down the Company B site for a long time." is just plain wrong. That's one specific sort of a breakdown of NN that everyone in the know wants to prevent. Yeah, even now.

  74. Re:"Cause I'm the only judge of what is proper"... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    No, it so only the government can filter, NN is big because the Obama gang of thugs want to keep those that love liberty, freedom, and America to be controlled, while their communist propaganda is spread to all the uneducated drones that live in the 19 states he won.

  75. Re:"Cause I'm the only judge of what is proper"... by robot256 · · Score: 1

    You forgot the last one:

    3) People will be enraged by the compromises and demand the congress enact stronger NN rules (ones that will include wireless traffic)! The congress, being contributor-minded, will give the plan lip service but dawdle around until after the election, at which point they will gut it to the liking of their favorite lobbies and declare mission accomplished.

    Google's idea was to hand Congress a ready-made compromise with industry support on a silver platter, and hope like hell they will do something with it, because whenever Congress tries to make compromises by themselves they always cave to the biggest elephant in the room.

  76. Re:Let's all say things that are offensive but tru by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Copyright is more harmful to society than child pornography. Yeah, I said it.

    You're being irrational.

  77. Well why not? It's what regulation enables by SuperKendall · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Regulation enables groups with lots of money impose whatever controls they like over a market through lobbying.

    That's why the whole concept of "Net Neutrality" is such a farce. The only neutral net is the one without external controls. Introducing a control overlay and then thinking no powers with vested interests are going to take over the controls, is just madness.

    "Net Neutrality" is all about imposing a definition of neutral crafted by a small panel of people in Washington. Is that really neutral?

    --
    "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
  78. Re:As if that has not been known. by Culture20 · · Score: 1

    I actually like my mail provider to mark what he considers spam. However I wouldn't want him to delete the message without my consent.

    They do it all the time. End users think Google is great because they never see any SPAM. They're bound to be missing some HAM or HAMMY-SPAM, but what they don't know apparently doesn't hurt.

  79. A question for the RIAA by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The question we need to ask the RIAA is: 'Should child pornographers pay the RIAA if they use RIAA music in their productions?'

    If the answer is no, then why the fuck should the evil ones get a free ride while the rest of us have to pay.

    If the answer is yes, then ask 'So how much of a revenue stream would the RIAA like to see from kiddie porn royalties?'

  80. Re:As if that has not been known. by Myopic · · Score: 1

    Really? Is that true?

    To me, no. Not at all. My ISP should not be blocking spam or providing a firewall. Perhaps if I select and pay for those services, yes; but it is my email provider who should be blocking spam, and it should be my router which runs a firewall. I expect my ISP to deliver 100% of the packets addressed to my IP, even if they carry hack attempts or spam. I can, of course, pay for the additional services of filtering out certain content if I want, but that isn't Net Neutrality that's just buying a service. Another service I could select would be protection from DDOS attacks

    Net Neutrality is the notion that the ISP should be delivering all of my packets by default, with no filtering by default.

    Perhaps I'm not using the phrase in the way most people use it. Would others care to weigh in with what you think NN means?

  81. Re:"Cause I'm the only judge of what is proper"... by Kilrah_il · · Score: 1

    Well, if in the end we get option 3, we're no worse than where we started.

    P.S.
    And a small correction: In option 2 I should have said "vote-minded", not "voter-minded". Politicians worry about votes before anything else. They try to please contributers because they bring money that can help them get votes. They don't really care one way or the other about voters or contributers, only votes.

    --
    Whenever in an argument, remember this.
  82. Re:"Cause I'm the only judge of what is proper"... by commodore64_love · · Score: 1

    >>>>>The government is a babbling retard playing with its own feces
    >>
    >>Right...because NOT doing anything about it seems to have worked oh so well.

    You're right. The government should do something - namely revoke the monopoly they gave Comcast* in the first place. That way other companies could come in and compete with alternative internet services (like FiOS). - You decry the problem without seeming to realize that government Caused the problem themselves (by giving comcast a monopoly).

    *
    * Replace comcast with whatever monopoly serves your area
    * Cox, cablevision, time-warner, et cetera.

    --
    "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." - historian Evelyn Beatrice Hall
  83. Re:"Cause I'm the only judge of what is proper"... by commodore64_love · · Score: 1

    >>>The congress, being voter-minded will jump on the bandwagon

    Congress didn't listen to the voters when polls showed over 80% were against the Bush Bailout Bill and nearly 80% were against passage of PelosiCare, so what makes you think they'll start listening to voters now?

    --
    "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." - historian Evelyn Beatrice Hall
  84. Re:As if that has not been known. by will_die · · Score: 1

    The "Internet Freedom Preservation Act" has been around for a while, or the FCC recommendation from earlier this year or even the Verizon plan from earlier this month. They all contain a statement dealing with "any lawful content, any lawful application, any lawful device, any provider". SPAM, viruses and all those things mentioned are lawful content in situations and for an ISP or network operator to block would be illegal.

  85. ISP-level filtering by davidwr · · Score: 1

    The only ISP-level filtering that should be "okay" is that which the customer specifically asked for and that which is mandated by law.

    The first is a no-brainer, if I want to pay my ISP to filter out porn before it reaches my kid's computers, or I want to pay it to filter out spam or viruses before they reach my network, no law should prevent it.

    The "legally required" filters should be on a datum-by-datum basis and require a court to determine that the particular piece of data to be filtered is illegal per se. For example, if there was a particular kiddie porn making the rounds via torrent, a court order to specifically block those bits would be reasonable. Blanket rules that would require the ISPs to decide what is and is not kiddie porn, a virus, or a terroristic threat are un-American and an unreasonable burden on ISPs. They also interfere with the rights of customers who will be victims of false positives. Worse, they introduce a chilling effect on people who don't want to be watched.

    Besides, filtering based on what data looks like simply won't work on well-encrypted traffic or sufficiently-modified traffic. A court order blocking badkiddieporn.jpg would be useless if two computers were exchanging it over a secure end-to-end encrypted link. I'm assuming the link itself is not compromised of course. If it is, then it's not a secure end-to-end encrypted link.

    Off-topic:
    Hello to the FBI agents who keyed in on a certain word in this message. Move along now, nothing for you to see here. I was very very tempted to "link" that jpeg to a random police agency or a random worldwide church whose headquarters are near Rome but I decided I didn't want to risk arrest or excommunication.

    --
    Knowledge is how to play a game, intelligence is how to win, wisdom is knowing what game to play.
  86. Re:"Cause I'm the only judge of what is proper"... by icannotthinkofaname · · Score: 2, Funny

    Come on, RIAA - try to take me down. I can't lose.

    Too bad that's only true from a certain point of view. It only works like that because if they strike you down, you will become more powerful than they can possibly imagine.

    --
    Let q be a radix > 1. I am in ur base-q, killing 10 d00ds.
  87. Re:"Cause I'm the only judge of what is proper"... by Nahor · · Score: 1

    They wanted to say "I reject your reality and substitute my own" but they were afraid it would result in a public explosion (plus it's copyrighted by the TVAA but I think it's a minor detail they would be willing to ignore).

  88. The really sad thing is... by Lead+Butthead · · Score: 1

    No matter how transparent their intend are, or how wrong it is, they'll get what they want. I can't find any congress critters that aren't already bought and paid for.

    --
    ELOI, ELOI, LAMA SABACHTHANI!?
  89. Particularly by Sycraft-fu · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Because of statutory damages. Their lawsuits absolutely depend on those. That is how they get their monkey-fuck retarded large awards. In the event those didn't exist, well then their lawsuits would amount to fines, as they should. The max actual damages you can possibly argue is $1/song, since that's what they sell for. You can argue the damages are less, but you can't argue they are more (and courts have already found this). Now in civil court, tripling of damages is pretty common when they are trying to punish one party, like they believe you willfully and knowingly downloaded the songs without permissions. So in that case you have 100 songs, you'd be on the hook for $300.

    Sounds fairly reasonable, kinda like a traffic ticket: Enough to sting and make you think twice, but a reasonable amount. Well that would work for the RIAA because it isn't scary, and because it wouldn't be worth their money to pursue the cases. Fortunately for them, there are unconstitutionally high statutory damages specified by law. Means you don't have to even prove any actual damage, and you can still get up to $250,000 per incident because congress passed a law saying you can.

    1. Re:Particularly by GrumblyStuff · · Score: 1

      Sounds fairly reasonable, kinda like a traffic ticket: Enough to sting and make you think twice, but a reasonable amount.

      Only depending on the country. What does a CEO care about a $100, $250, or even a $1000 ticket?

      I like the Euro style tickets. More you make, more it'll cost you. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38660951/ns/world_news-europe/

  90. Vocabulary Nazi strikes again! by sabt-pestnu · · Score: 3, Funny

    You probably meant "Force majeure". Sure, it's French for "force major", but if it's written in French, it has that certain Je ne sais quoi...

    1. Re:Vocabulary Nazi strikes again! by Kilrah_il · · Score: 1

      Well, that's what you get when you are too lazy use Google. Thanks for the correction!

      P.S.
      Can a vocabulary Nazi correct typos in French?

      --
      Whenever in an argument, remember this.
    2. Re:Vocabulary Nazi strikes again! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You probably meant "Force majeure".

      And I thought all along that meant having shit force down your throat.

  91. Re:"Cause I'm the only judge of what is proper"... by sabt-pestnu · · Score: 1

    Hey, it worked for ISO/microsoft, it should work for the RIAA.

  92. How is it neutral by nurb432 · · Score: 1

    if they include filtering of ANY kind?

    --
    ---- Booth was a patriot ----
  93. wherever there is evil, you find the RIAA by swschrad · · Score: 1

    the law should SPECIFICALLY exclude deep testing of media streams, just to piss them off and cause them all to die of heart attacks and strokes. because we can't send silver spikes to the heart through our present data packet systems.

    --
    if this is supposed to be a new economy, how come they still want my old fashioned money?
  94. Re:"Cause I'm the only judge of what is proper"... by harl · · Score: 1

    The phone system is government NN. Please give an example of a problem with the NN on the phone system? How did the government cause this problem? How would the private sector have done it better?

    --
    I find being offended by me offensive.
  95. Re:"Cause I'm the only judge of what is proper"... by TooMuchToDo · · Score: 1

    Isn't this somewhat similar to how Google demanded open access provisions for the 700mhz spectrum as long as they were a bidder, and they made their first token bid before letting carriers buy it up with said provision in place? Them Google folks don't employ a bunch of smart people for the hell of it.

  96. Re:As if that has not been known. by HeckRuler · · Score: 1

    Viruses are lawful content? In what situations?

  97. Re:"Cause I'm the only judge of what is proper"... by Jane+Q.+Public · · Score: 1

    This is a chicken-and-egg issue. The government would not have warped the copyright laws in the first place, if it hadn't been for industry lobbying. So it's really "the market" influencing government in its own self-interest, not government influencing the market. At least that's how it started out.

  98. Re:"Cause I'm the only judge of what is proper"... by robot256 · · Score: 1

    True, but donors have a longer memory than voters, and that money can go places other than just the campaign, if you get what I mean ;)

  99. Starting with what I stated... by Red_Chaos1 · · Score: 1

    ...here, all I can say is that it makes the RIAA look incredibly dumb to try to speak of "neutrality" while at the same time asking for provisions that limit the use of the internet in any way. A quick look at the definition of neutrality on M-W Online shows that basically means taking a hands-off approach. What the RIAA asks is not a hands-off approach at all. And quite frankly, they should know better than to even pretend to speak about things in terms of "good intentions" as nothing they do has anyone's intentions in mind but their own and their shareholders.

  100. Re:Well why not? It's what regulation enables by Red_Chaos1 · · Score: 1

    Okay smart guy, what do you propose then? Because we all know that without some kind of intervention, all ISPs will begin to make alliances of their own and filter this and that, and don't you dare say anything about the customer "choice" because we all know how little choice there really is among ISPs. If you want cable internet, you're stuck with whoever rules your service area. DSL is only slightly more open to choice, and is much slower than cable in almost all aspects. Fiber is limited to FiOS and Uverse. Not many wifi only ISPs to choose from either.

    So again I ask, what's your brilliant plan here? Do we all just tuck our heads between our legs and kiss our internet goodbye? Spend more money buying from different ISPs so we can switch connections based on whoever provides the fastest service to the sites we want to see?

    Here's an idea, how about naysayers such as yourself STFU until you've got a sound solution, instead of just decrying the evils of regulation? If you aren't part of the solution, then you're clearly just part of the problem.

  101. Re:"Cause I'm the only judge of what is proper"... by Kilrah_il · · Score: 1

    You mean charity, welfare, helping poor countries, etc. right?

    --
    Whenever in an argument, remember this.
  102. Re:"Cause I'm the only judge of what is proper"... by robot256 · · Score: 1

    Eeeeexactly...

  103. RIAA bullshit by Dan541 · · Score: 1

    I'm sure the RIAA really cares about Child Pornography.

    --
    An SQL query goes to a bar, walks up to a table and asks, "Mind if I join you?"
  104. I propose letting the market work as it HAS by SuperKendall · · Score: 1

    Okay smart guy, what do you propose then? Because we all know that without some kind of intervention, all ISPs will begin to make alliances of their own and filter this and that

    How do you KNOW that will happen, since it has not? The reality is that if it DID happen people wouldn't use those services, they would use other services. Even though the choice of ISP's in America sucks there IS still some degree of choice for most people, especially now that using a cell connection for internet is feasible.

    You are all trying to prevent against a mythical monster that would have and should have come upon us by now. Until you can explain why it has not, you have no business screwing over the internet that until now has worked just fine, thank you very much. Otherwise you add WAY more potential for greta harm to befall the internet in your rush to put reigns over it and hand them off to Washington.

    If something like Net Neutrality comes to pass, I am going to work my ass off to insure that every single controlling interest does in fact get the controls they desire over your network traffic, so that you can feel as early and as much as possible the full impact of the choice you have made. RIAA filtering? I'm first in line to write comments in support of same. Blocking all torrent traffic? I'll stand outside picketing for the cameras in response. ISP's required to do deep packet inspection and forward right to whoever wants to examine them for infringement or illegal uses? Hell, I'll deliver those packets by hand.

    Only by revealing at once the full amount of pain you are about to impose on every internet user in the U.S., can we all avoid the boiled frog syndrome and get over this phase of ignorance that regulation is in any way helpful to customers.

    Here's an idea, how about naysayers such as yourself STFU until you've got a sound solution

    Why is having the way things work as they do today is not sound? What is the ACTUAL (not potential) problem with the way things are?

    I imagine you very much would like me to "shut the F*ck Up" since you have no rational argument against this otherwise, and must resort to crude verbal assaults.

    --
    "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
    1. Re:I propose letting the market work as it HAS by Red_Chaos1 · · Score: 1

      How do you KNOW that will happen, since it has not? The reality is that if it DID happen people wouldn't use those services, they would use other services. Even though the choice of ISP's in America sucks there IS still some degree of choice for most people, especially now that using a cell connection for internet is feasible.

      What rock have you been under? The idea of NN has come about due to the fact that ISPs and other parties deeply interested in controlling our the net have shown great interest in doing just that. And no, there are not enough choices that people would "just switch". It will end with people dropping use of the net completely, or having to choose the lesser of evils, or as I mentioned, spend more money on multiple ISP accounts. None of those options is really acceptable. And cell connection for internet? Please. Most of the "data" connections that have been available for ages have been capable of much greater speeds, but hey, guess what? The tech and capability was sat upon, and has remained pretty slow by comparison.

      You are all trying to prevent against a mythical monster that would have and should have come upon us by now. Until you can explain why it has not, you have no business screwing over the internet that until now has worked just fine, thank you very much. Otherwise you add WAY more potential for greta harm to befall the internet in your rush to put reigns over it and hand them off to Washington.

      Mythical? There you go showing us that you live under a rock somewhere far away from reality. And I like how you simply assert that enforcing a simple law stating that the internet is to be left the hell alone is somehow "screwing it over". (Redundant) Newsflash! Plenty of large companies and other groups have shown great interest in bilking Joe Internet User for more money in order to keep his connection or access to any and all sites from being screwed with in one way or another. Take a look at the comment I made here in that "NN - Threat or Menace" piece: http://tech.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=1760092&cid=33310282

      If something like Net Neutrality comes to pass, I am going to work my ass off to insure that every single controlling interest does in fact get the controls they desire over your network traffic, so that you can feel as early and as much as possible the full impact of the choice you have made. RIAA filtering? I'm first in line to write comments in support of same. Blocking all torrent traffic? I'll stand outside picketing for the cameras in response. ISP's required to do deep packet inspection and forward right to whoever wants to examine them for infringement or illegal uses? Hell, I'll deliver those packets by hand. Only by revealing at once the full amount of pain you are about to impose on every internet user in the U.S., can we all avoid the boiled frog syndrome and get over this phase of ignorance that regulation is in any way helpful to customers.

      And here you show yourself to be a complete moron, *and* a sensationalist. Bravo. Also, take a moment to think how everything you said in that last block of nonsense would apply in reverse to being a world of pain heaped upon yourself, when folks like you just keep your heads in the sand pretending everything is all hunky dory, until the hammer comes down and suddenly your internet is being filtered and throttled and pretty much destroyed from how it is now. Clearly you do not see the writing on the wall, and haven't learned from every other pooch screw that has come from not at least creating some regulation against large companies which have only themselves and their shareholders at interest from bleeding Joe Consumer as much as they can without killing him.

      Why is having the way things work as they do today is not sound? What is the ACTUAL (not potential) problem with the way thi

    2. Re:I propose letting the market work as it HAS by SuperKendall · · Score: 1

      What rock have you been under? The idea of NN has come about due to the fact that ISPs and other parties deeply interested in controlling our the net have shown great interest in doing just that.

      Doing just WHAT? WHAT EXACTLY? What is it they are "thinking of doing" (note that it has not been done yet) that scares you so.

      Nothing, that's what. Nothing even close to as bad as what is coming down the pike if you over-regulate the internet.

      Glad to see you agree with me that an unregulated internet is key:

      Absolutely zero regulation of the internet, or what is sent over it. No blocking, no filtering, no slowing down of traffic, no pandering to higher paying customers. Data is made up of packets, and all packets are equal.

      Yet now you seem to be begging for sweet, sweet regulation to impose RIAA filters or whatever other crap the FCC would be lobbied to require for ISP's.

      But the other part of that is, you got the last part wrong. Companies should be allowed to BOOST some traffic, as long as the base traffic is not artificially lowered at any other time. Do you seriously think companies should not be allowed to prioritize VOIP traffic for example? Your definition is overly simplistic as it does not take into account real valid technical uses for traffic shaping. Your "all packets are equal" would set networking back about 20 years. I want no part of your crappy ancient internet thanks, I'd like an internet where I can use skype with decent levels of quality because the network helps it out.

      And here you show yourself to be a complete moron, *and* a sensationalist.

      You can't argue with me, only at me - I've already shown you simply lack the technical experience to even speak on this issue so I see no reason to continue further until you learn more about networking, I'll let you have the last response that the ignorant so crave in an attempt to prove they know something.

      Good day and enjoy the nightmare you impose on yourself. I'll be here forever, laughing at every prediction I made coming to pass and knowing you are further screwed by it.

      A bittersweet revenge though, as I too will have to live in the same screwed up world you brought upon us all. At least I have the technical knowhow to work around some of it though.

      --
      "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
  105. Re:"Cause I'm the only judge of what is proper"... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I think net surfers should form an association and demand that the FCC allow the surfers to filter out advertising and SENMACE (senmace.com) propaganda targeted at the surfer.

  106. Re:As if that has not been known. by will_die · · Score: 1

    research at the least

  107. Re:As if that has not been known. by HeckRuler · · Score: 1

    You're arguing that an ISP should get charged when they block a virus from spilling over into the internet... when it's a researcher's pet?

    Dude. wtf? No. That's a meaningless distinction. ISPs can block viruses and spam. (well, some do what they can). Even with the "Internet Freedom Preservation Act", they'll still be able to legally do what they're doing now. What you're arguing against, does not exist. It is a strawman. If you think otherwise, then your bias has spun your comprehension into oblivion.

  108. Re:"Cause I'm the only judge of what is proper"... by Thuktun · · Score: 1

    I'd just like to point out that without the government's help the RIAA couldn't exist. If copyright regulation were not being grossly warped by the government then there would be no way that the RIAA could wield the power that it does.

    The RIAA existed long before they got this kind of power through the DMCA. Copyright laws were warped because the RIAA already had power. The DMCA being passed at all demonstrates the power that lobbyists have in Congress.

  109. So now I am 'Endangering Chillun' WTF! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    So RIAA/save the children assholes are Retarded (pretty much the nicest term I can use here) enough to think that Possessing/downloading/watching on youtube/etc 'Illegal' Music/content in any form =
    Posessing/Downloading Child Porn now? So Every time I go to youtube to listen to a song I lost the CD to, I am now being flagged as a 'child endangerer'..... I thought Jack Thompson was Bad.... At least his ilk never linked violent video games to child porn....

                    - Damian Ichabod ('Psychotic Fury' Song Writer) - www.reverbnation.com/#/psychoticfury

  110. Re:"Cause I'm the only judge of what is proper"... by Batmunk2000 · · Score: 1

    It's impossible to say "what would have been better". Has it improved? Very little. Is it overpriced and in many locations technically antiquated? Yep. (Which makes it not so neutral) Does the Government abuse the phone system to monitor its citizens? You bet. How about radio? Television? The FCC has a scary history of censorship and fines in the name of a moral majority. The content of the web isn't the Government's business but NN will be interpreted as an open invite for old guys in suits to make it their biz. Also, the FCC's track record on confronting the Federal Government on corporations or spy agencies violating rules isn't very good. A great theory handed over to a bad organization isn't going to benefit anyone.

    The point is I think we should be very prudent before allowing the Government the power to force NN. I'm not saying it sounds bad or would be bad, I just think it is something to be considered with an objective and skeptical mind because there is no "undo" button on Government. Plus it is hard to argue that proper activism and awareness have been fully exercised before making this drastic step. Government is a crude club that should be used as a last resort.
    I think we can combat this via our dollars instead of giving these giant corporations a single government entity to lobby they should be lobbying us. ISPs are in business to deliver information, not doing so is bad press, bad business and narrow thinking.

  111. Re:"Cause I'm the only judge of what is proper"... by harl · · Score: 1

    None of that addresses your point that I responded to.

    How has the government fucked up NN with the phone system?

    --
    I find being offended by me offensive.
  112. Re:"Cause I'm the only judge of what is proper"... by Batmunk2000 · · Score: 1

    I believe the FCC not enforcing its own policies addresses how NN is/will not working with the phone system. A law is only as good as who polices it.
    One example: AT&T and Verizon and others were implicated in aiding the NSA wire tap in 2006 illegally but the FCC ignored it.

    http://markey.house.gov/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=1610&Itemid=125

    If the FCC can't be trusted protecting their own phone system policies, getting them to police NN and not be swayed by politics and special interests is a dream. A great idea being handed over to a bad heavily lobbied and corrupt organization isn't going to help.

    Besides the FCC simply being a bad cop to rely on - innovation will suffer. Land line phone companies have invested very little in innovation and their networks. Reduced demand and income (from people that WOULD pay more for tailored access) and loss of people that think they pay too much for minimum access and just canceled the service - means less money for re-investment in the network. Our phone system has little flexibility to adapt itself price-wise.

    Imagine if ISPs were required to support only one dial-up speed initially; Or had no flexibility to price points of entry and no ability to have ISPs tailor non-neutral (paid) content to offset their costs to lower entry-level prices. (AOL, Compuserve, etc.)
    One could attribute the radical Internet growth a decade ago to the lack of NN, not the need for it.

  113. Re:"Cause I'm the only judge of what is proper"... by harl · · Score: 1

    That's not NN. That's 4th amendment.

    Do you have any example of how the government fucked up NN with the phone system?

    --
    I find being offended by me offensive.
  114. Re:"Cause I'm the only judge of what is proper"... by Batmunk2000 · · Score: 1

    That is like asking what books censorship stopped from being written. It's not what they made wrong it is what they made impossible or unlikely. You want to apply NN as a concept without looking at practical application of it. (And who applies "neutral")

    The phone system has built in the ability to regulate traffic that the Internet simply doesn't have. (i.e. Erlang model) NN is a physical practicality in the phone system and a near-term impossibility on the Internet.(At this time) And ignore the FCC abuses all you want - that is who you are inviting into this mess.