July 18, 2000

9:17 AM

Internet may need new cyber-borders-U.S. legal body By Richard Meares
The internet's only use is for commerce. That's it. The only reason anyone uses the internet is to purchase books and rugs. The internet can not be defined as anything else, thus, there are no users, they're CONSUMERS. That's all they are. Consumers.
Too bad, We "Enthusiasts" "may love the Internet's scant regard for authority and borders?" What? "Scant regard for authority"? What authority? This is just sick.
posted by tiaka (3 comments total)

I'm not too worried about this. You'll never get everyone in the international community to agree on this (note the last three paragraphs of the article). Have governments been able to stop spam? software piracy? online porn? 'dangerous' speech? etc.? Centralised authority will never be able to control the internet because it is a distributed system. Chaos rules, for good or evil. That's why I love it so!
posted by Mr. skullhead at 11:04 AM on July 18, 2000

It's good to know that these governing bodies care about us enough to make sure we don't get screwed from buying shoddy turkish rugs.

What?


posted by Doug at 11:44 AM on July 18, 2000

I GOT IT!

When the world of the flesh hammers out its own rules and learns how to live with others in peace and harmony and all that crap, THEN it can enforce one set of laws on this virtual cyber community. Until it can straighten out its own tail though it should stop treading on ours! I am so sick and tired of the flesh gov'ts thinking they know what's best for this place. They can't clean up their own act yet they insist it's their jurisdiction to clean this place up too. It's like watching a bunch of children who were out in the mud show up at YOUR house and pretend to clean up after you.

There ARE NO BORDERS here. Commercial interests or not, that's how it should remain. They don't like it? They can get the heck off the 'Net and go back to telemarketing. At least back then I could hang up on them.
posted by ZachsMind at 3:37 PM on July 18, 2000