Too many things/informations are also not put on net as an when event happen. These countries are makeing important the security issue. The same will also followed countries other than US, UK & USSR. Its not new. Its problem when people of US or UK are kept away from the information than they feel problem & raise issues of freedom. This is totally dramma by developed countries.
We, cyberutopians, wanted to make web tech/internet free; but now we want to control it. For good reasons.
Hillary Clinton, a year ago, proclaimed that - "power of the internet in the hands of people around the world will advance democracy and human rights."
But, the revolution that started in Iran in 2009 - election period - , originated from web and expected to be successful, was CURTAILED by the very same power of web/connection technologies. Iranian regime (a) identified the photos of protesters; (b) found out their private info & whereabouts; (c) distributed propagandistic videos to them through 'Facebook' ; (d) succeeded in putting people to counterrevolutionary paranoia. - all with use of web technologies. Both Iran and China's repressive regimes have exploited technologies in instances at times to quell possible rebellion.
If technology can be used to solve intractable social or other problems, the same technology in the hands of vested interests can play differently.
Evgeny Morozov in his recent book says, " Internet more often than not constricts or even abolishes FREEDOM". The backlash to 'freedom' is routine & the web's contradictions and confusions are becoming visible spasms in our culture - he avers.
Re: To Free OR To Control
by S P on Feb 07, 2011 12:56 AM
There is no Freedom on internet. Too many site ask for money when try to access. Fredom is only for rich people. Internet is a tool for earning money the means are different.
Re: To Free OR To Control
by S P on Feb 07, 2011 12:55 AM
There is no Freedom on internet. Too many site ask for money when try to access. Fredom is only for rich people. Internet is a tool for earning money the means are different.
King Abdulla II of Jordan dismissed his government (Hours prior to this posting) & asked his ex-Army Chief to constitute a new cabinet. A fall out of street protests and net driven activism for sure.
Net controls are not new. In late 2009 China ramped up net controls when social networking sites inflamed protests/outbursts and rioting in Iran & Xinjiang.(West China).
sina.com & netease.com - the biggest online portals are blocked after Egypt protests. Even key word searches of the word \"Egypt\" blocked, Also blocked is \'Weibe\' , the Chinese equivalent of twitter. Even with stringent monitoring they find that Egypt story is followed and discussed by netizens everywhere - blogs, forums, social networking services like Kaixin & Renven,
No surprise that netizens have started drawing parallels b/w Egypt & China. President Mubarak of Egypt was called Mu Xiaoping, a reference to Den Xiaoping, who quashed the 1989 protests. Tahir Square is called Tianenmen Square.
As for the positives of Open Standards proposed here: Crowd sourcing technology called \"Ushahidi\" , an open source platform developed by volunteers in 2008 was put to use widely around the world. It could track political violence in Kenya; log the effects of oil spill in Gulf Coast; election irregularities in Sudan; & crime in Atlanta. Web\'s versatile use unquesti
Re: Web freedom threatened - Yes
by Bhumika Chowdary on Feb 02, 2011 03:18 PM
To Complete:
Website's versatile use is unquestionable.
We must, however, note that technological innovations bring with them some risks. Our quest shall be to challenge them (with ingenuity) and overcome them.
