The coming end of internet freedom

[Falcon Horus]

Highways are off-limits to cyclists over here.

[Ian-S]

Paths are off limits here, but the Police tend not to enforce the law if you're riding sensibly because the roads are so dangerous,the cyclists in London are all one breath away from a Darwin award though, diving up the left side of cars/lorries that are turning left etc. and then wondering why they get flattened.

There were so many people killed last year that something had to be done, so what did the authorities do? Educate people? Nah don't be silly! They spent millions on changing the junctions to give cyclists their own lane and lights so they know when it's safe to ride, of course this has breed complacency and the cyclists just get themselves killed at junctions that haven't been upgraded now (oh and they bought in new laws basically changing the design of lorries so they could see down the front left side where the cyclists like to hide).

All this instead of just saying stop sitting in the drivers blind spot while trying to beat the lorry away from the lights you morons!

[Annoyed]

I've got a better idea. Since they are basically assisted suicide devices in any collision with a car, how about just keeping them off the roads altogether?

[Ian-S]

Can't do that, they have as much right to be on the road as said lorry, which is where a lot of agro stems from.

Calm down, I know what you're thinking and agree lol (and in many peoples eyes, cyclists, and horse riders, don't have any rights when it comes to roads since they don't contribute anything to their upkeep like drivers do).

[Annoyed]

Rights, schmights. Try exercising those rights from your slab in the morgue.

Yes, they should contribute to the costs of highways they use, but for me, the primary concern is the risk of death these things present to their riders.

The risk of death (or severe injury if they're lucky) is simply too high to accept.

[Falcon Horus]

Calm down, I know what you're thinking and agree lol (and in many peoples eyes, cyclists, and horse riders, don't have any rights when it comes to roads since they don't contribute anything to their upkeep like drivers do).

Except they don't need much, and there's less wear and tear with cyclists.
They are much cleaner for the environment and keep people fit (healthier depends where you're driving -- inhaling car exhaust fumes isn't exactly healthier).

People who don't own a car or have a license are more likely to take public transport, go by bike or on foot.

There are extra benefits given to people who use bike as a means of transportation to work, and parking space is no issue.

[Ian-S]

That's not the kind of rights I'm talking about, you have to have experienced the abuse from one just for having the audacity to be on the same section of road they are to understand. London cyclists are a special breed. (This comes from someone who likes to ride as much as the next cyclist, but respects the laws of physics).

[Falcon Horus]

That's not the kind of rights I'm talking about, you have to have experienced the abuse from one just for having the audacity to be on the same section of road they are to understand. London cyclists are a special breed. (This comes from someone who likes to ride as much as the next cyclist, but respects the laws of physics).

I may not live in a city the size of London, but I do live in a university city so plenty of students, both sober and drunk to compete with on the road.

[Annoyed]

Who the hell governs the EU anyway?

EU Exploring Idea of Using Government ID Cards as Mandatory Online Logins

Fears that fake online reviews might ruin the consumer market and damage legitimate businesses are making the European Commission consider the idea of forcing all EU citizens to log into online accounts using their government-issued ID cards.

That's nuts. Put your real info on the 'net for every wack job to see so that businesses can harass people who post unflattering reviews of their products?

[Gatefan1976]

As long as you keep your server out of the bathroom, you will be fine.

[Womble]

Who the hell governs the EU anyway?

EU Exploring Idea of Using Government ID Cards as Mandatory Online Logins



That's nuts. Put your real info on the 'net for every wack job to see so that businesses can harass people who post unflattering reviews of their products?

Russia has been contemplating a law like that for a while. I am less concerned about businesses harassing people than governments like Russia and Iran monitoring the Internet to suppress signs of budding opposition.

I do believe, however, that we are moving towards some kind of universal ID.

[Falcon Horus]

It's a theoretical idea but for the record, we are already using e-ID to fill out our taxes online, to check invoices we receive through a system called Doccle from the utility companies such as water, phone, internet, ...

Plenty of issues however with the proposed idea which will have to be studied before it goes into practice, if it ever does.

[Annoyed]

Russia has been contemplating a law like that for a while. I am less concerned about businesses harassing people than governments like Russia and Iran monitoring the Internet to suppress signs of budding opposition.

I do believe, however, that we are moving towards some kind of universal ID.

It's a theoretical idea but for the record, we are already using e-ID to fill out our taxes online, to check invoices we receive through a system called Doccle from the utility companies such as water, phone, internet, ...

Plenty of issues however with the proposed idea which will have to be studied before it goes into practice, if it ever does.

You have to use your real ID for utilities, various online billing operations, purchases and such anyway, but these are accounts created within these companies. This I have no problem with.

But as Womble points out, this is very easy for governments to misuse. And I wouldn't only be concerned with authoritarian regimes, either. If you recall, under the current sorry excuse for a US president, the IRS specifically targeted and harassed groups that identify themselves as conservative for tax policy abuses. I wouldn't put it past our government to harass individuals for political reasons either.

And while it's just an idea now, you can be sure it will move forward. And spread to other parts of the world, too.

[garhkal]

Also, to the copyright thing -- everything is copyrighted. Everything has an owner, but people simply forget that -- negligence or they simply don't know.

Or in many cases they don't CARE. look at how many people pirate movies/music, or search teh web to get "cracks" for games..

Age brings a lack of tolerance to bull****.

Too true Ian..

Reminds me of a line from a Linkin Park lyric:

When the rich wage war, it's the poor who die.

Ahh, Hands held high, one of my fave LP songs.. Next to 'in the end and Crawling....

It's always the students who start the big mess. Wealthy, educated, cynical and ruthless in the way that only the children of privilege can be. Think back to any revolution of the past 200 years; that's the crowd that usually doesn't mind drowning their country in blood for the vision of a glorious future.

I agree with you on the Police State bit but don't think the same applies to the youth, try having a conversation with a secondary school kid about something that goes against the grain of comventional teaching (such as the aforementioned Police State) a vast majority of them are so indoctrinated that they would cut off their hand if told to by someone in authority.

But is that more Cause the students are that way, or more cause of the indoctrinational teachings they are getting??

The internet is increasingly being used for social interaction, but no real growth in global awareness. It's a perfect tool to control the population with. Spread lies through it, and block the truth through a variety of legal, social, and economic barriers. Gather data on citizens through their social media. Not just a tool for governments, but for large companies too. At least a government can be overthrown, but companies have the power of the purse over individuals and they aren't your traditional targets for rebellions...especially if the government always comes to their aid or is impotent (Or favors this due to the power they get).[/COLOR]

More interaction/getting the word out, but in many cases unlike how earlier media was, its NOT checked and balanced. I see lots of stories about lies being spread and someone getting ruined cause of people using social media, with no real chance to make comebacks on those accusers.. We see it a lot in school bullying..

Because some people seem to think that if you yell "think of the children" loud enough that will get the law to change in whatever shape you want.

Very true. I have heard quite a few people use that argument to try and foist all sorts of laws on everyone, thinking that pulling on the strings of family folk will get it passed, without people actually LOOKING into what the law would do..

True but that assumes the youth are open to the opinion that something is wrong, if they don't think it's wrong, they won't be open to revolution, especially if they don't know any different. That sounds double dutch, what I mean is for example if a child is bought up to believe in one ideology, and they genuinely believe that ideology then it's very hard to change their mind.

For example take biometrics in schools, it's being slowly pushed into mainstream society (here in UK anyway), but at the moment it's not mandatory, most kids haven't got a clue and hapilly go along with it, for now it's the parents who are going nuts and saying no, but eventually the long term plan is to make it mandatory for all students, and they're going to start this at infant school level, and then as the kids progress through the system, they'll be fingerprinted at every level, by the time they've left school, they'll be so used to it they'll hand over their fingerprints to whoever asks without question, by that time it'll be too late for 98% of them, they'll never understand why someone might not want to give their fingerprint to take a book out the library, they'll just do it without question.

Exactly. Get them used to it at a young age, even if its being done against the wishes of the kid(s) parents, and by the time those kids are now the voters, they will be more than willing to push for it to be for everyone.
Standard indoctrination theory..

The attitude of "not having to think about privacy" is dominant among the younger folks today.

Maybe that is cause they spend so much of their lives ON the social media networks, that they don't think there IS such a thing as privacy??

correction: the government doesn't want to tax them properly
all this makes sense within the context of a merger of state & corporate power

IMO its more that cause many of those in the 'state' are also in corporations (or getting kick backs) they make laws to help their 'financial butt buddies'..

Cont next post!!

[garhkal]

just goes to show that no software program or computer is 100% hacker-proof

The only real way to make them hack proof is to STOP making all damn computers connected!! If they are not online, its going to be practically impossible for hackers to break in, unless they have PHYSICALLY broken in...

There is a darker side to the #OpIsrael, however, as the Anonymous have essentually set up a network for giving away basic malware and cybercrime training to anyone who cares to show up. If you want to try your hand at extorting small businesses (who can't afford proper website security) through threats of DDOS attacks, the Anonymous are the ones who will teach you and arm you free of charge if you hold up the right slogans.

That's in case anyone wonders why I consider a digital police state inevitable.

Combine that with some countries practice it (CHINA!!!), to where any US (or other country) which makes new products get hacked so they can steal stuff, its inevitable, that many governments would want to control it, just for safety of their people...
Then you add in the Multitudes of hacks we have had on various governmental systems, where MILLIONS of people's private data is stolen, i can certainly understand why people feel we need more internet security..
BUT that all goes back to my above point.. STOP having all these systems accessible to the OUTSIDE world..

Meanwhile, in the People's Republic of New York....

What a crock. If they really wanted to just check for usage, they can get a warrant and get the carriers' records.

So, the idea is, if you get in an accident, they want to be able to search your phone.

Well, with more and more states pushing laws such as "no texting and driving", i can certainly see them wanting to see if someone was texting (or chatting on the phone) right at the time they crashed...

Such laws are already in place over here... so if you don't want to be nominated for a Darwin Award do not text and drive. Or check twitter/facebook/instagram... or use the phone.

Hands' free or bluetooth enabled. Eyes should be on the road.

Better yet, start having cars made to where when the Car is in operation/moving, it shuts down incoming calls/texts.. Only emergency #s are allowed for outgoing..

But in town? You can pass every imaginable law you want, but at the end of the day, 2000 Lbs (low end of automobile weight) knocks 200Lbs into the next life every time.

Additionally, you can have all the laws you want. IF people ignore those laws, they ain't gonna do squat to stop accidents!!
Case and point. Helmet laws are iirc in practically ALL states for both Bikes and Motor cycles, but i RARELY if ever see any cops ever citing people they pass who are NOT wearing them...

If you cyclists want priority then you need to start contributing to the road upkeep like us pesky car drivers have to (this is only relevant to the UK where car owners pay road tax but cyclists don't).

Car users all over pay for road taxes, via registration, license plate renewals, gas taxes, tolls..

I have a feeling Annoyed doesn't even own a bike to begin with....

I am surprised we have not had a poll ON that.. Who owns a bike? Who owns a motor cycle?? Who USES them regularly vs sporadically??

What turned you off?
Idiots in cars who think that they own the road because they are in cars?

Well if they are the one's paying for it, doesn't that intail they have more 'right' to it??

I can occasionally curse the living daylights out of them, especially when they think traffic rules don't apply to them

And imo that is WHY a lot of car users don't like sharing the road with bikers.. They flout the law then moan when THEY get hit..

I do believe, however, that we are moving towards some kind of universal ID.

All will be chipped!!