Re: Shutting down the Internet

[Gary Kern <gkern@ucr.campus.mci.net>]

Roberto Calvo Macias wrote:
> 
> A request to all those well informated boys of the list. I´m writing a futurist novel, and i have a problem. Do you think it would be posible to control internet- by the USA goverment, for example- in the future.I mean, to permit only censured informations.  If posible, HOW?.And what about encriptation. I know this is a list about EJ, but you are the people well prepared to respond this I know. Sorry. Thanks in advance to all comentaries.
> 
> Best regards
> roberto
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The likely way to control the Internet, which is coming, is to raise the
costs so that ordinary people are closed out.  But they may still find a
way.  The Clinton Administration's idea of sticking a chip in every
newly sold computer (for government security!) won't pass, and if by
chance it did, people would subvert it.

The Russian government is trying to control the Internet by defining it
as part of the media and selling licenses.  Hence an individual must
fill out forms just like a TV station--very voluminous and detailed. 
It's an insidious plot.

A recent news item here in the USA pointed out that servers retain
records of your e-mail, so that it can be recovered and used against
you.  Your own computer hardly erases anything for good, unless you're
short on space, so it can be retrieved and scanned.

Still, once people begin to buy things over the Internet, I think the
forces that would close it down will keep it open.  The Titans want the
sheep to consume.  Who cares how much baa-ing they do among themselves?

GK