Civil Simian - Virtually Free

Virtually Free
Stewardship of the Internet and the Future of our Personal Freedom
By Shawn Rohrbach

If at one time in our history the pen was truly mightier than the sword, can we now declare the keyboard to be more powerful than a nuclear bomb? The internet is the most revolutionary communication tool ever invented. So much so, every dictator in fear for their power does what ever is possible to control or eliminate unfiltered and uncensored use of it. Instead of their canned State news, citizens ruled by these despots usually have unlimited avenues for sharing information about what is really happening. Members of the United States armed forces give us the real news from Iraq, good or bad, no matter our political convictions. I saw images of the rioting in Myanmar that were captured on a cell phone and uploaded to several sites where images and video are freely shared. These images differed dramatically from the official images given by that military regime to the press. The internet can convey the truth wider and faster than any other medium.
I am often puzzled, however, when free people use this amazing invention to abuse their fellow citizens in any way they can imagine. They steal from banks accounts, spread lies about private individuals, harass and stalk people, distribute child pornography, inspire hate based on race, religion, and sexual orientation and attempt at will to access computer systems for the sole purpose of stealing or destroying data. And that is the short list on a good day. Essentially this abuse renders us partially captive and we must pro actively harden the virtual perimeter around our computers and be ever vigilant. These people will do whatever they want if we let them.
We have also learned how easy it is to disseminate false information as truth. Wiki sites allow people to add whatever information they like about any topic in their index. Corporations have been caught adding positive information to their own Wiki entries and even modifying negative information. Truly, we can say whatever we like, even if it is a lie. And because it appears on a well designed web site with links to known trusted information, these lies are somehow validated. In some corners this is referred to as creating a different reality.
Slowly, existing laws were used to govern the new kind of nefarious activity so easily accomplished in a virtual world. These proved useless and the judicial system was hardly ready for this. The system has responded sometimes effectively but more often not.
As we attempt to comprehend the magnitude of the good and evil so easily experienced on the internet, powerful interests are seeking to control access to it. They are motivated by profits, but often cite the abuses noted here as justification for tighter control in fewer hands. This is the heart of a heated debate over who should own and control internet access and content. At the very core of this magnificent good and evil is the question of how we can harness the internet to further strengthen our intellectual power and personal freedoms.