A little Irony - Internet Privatization

[Anser]

Not to breed dissention in the ranks here on DU, but here's a little Irony I'd like to share.

I am currently in law school, and there was some discussion today about the internet as a final bastion for free speech, but how even it is being slowly censored by the powers of privatization and corporate and government intervention. I remembered a story about the US seizing a bunch of servers of independent media sites a while back. (I think this is the link to one story about one such incident: http://technology.guardian.co.uk/online/news/0,12597,1324419,00.html )

Others in my class spoke of being happy with the amount of freedom of spech in the US. Many thought the internet is a limitless public forum to be used by all. I posted on my class site a discussion about the above site and I recalled; "Ah yes, there was just a great post on DU about internet privatization, complete with links that I could point my fellow future lawyers to!"

So I linked on over to DU and clicked the forum link. More thoughts; "Oh, its another fund drive. Its too bad that I'm a struggling student, originally from a single disabled parent household who is only able to go to school thanks to scholarships; I really appreciate DU and would help out if I had the means. Ah well." So I click continue to forum. "Hmm, no longer logged in, wonder why, must be something to do with the fund drive." (10 minutes of searching for my password later, I sign up to have a new pass mailed to me)

There we go, I'm in... now for the internet privatization post. It was a few days ago, let me run a search. *Click* Oh, for donors only. That’s a shame, let me see what the minimum donation is, maybe I'll pay it so that I can find this information on the internet about how the internet is becoming privatized... wait a minute!

So can I afford $10 to be able to spread the word how the internet is being privatized? Maybe, though things are very tight. So I guess in sum, if anyone wants to be kind enough to link me to the post (or a couple of such posts if talked about a few times) I'd appreciate it.

Thanks,
Anser

[pitohui]

1. well i just did a search

the only post i got was yours just now, sorry

i guess i am no good at the mysteries of the search function

key words i used were "internet privatization"

any other suggestions?

[LiberalAndProud]

2. Try these.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=109&topic_id=23999&mesg_id=23999

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=109&topic_id=18717&mesg_id=18717

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=109&topic_id=19545&mesg_id=19545

[Anser]

4. Thanks

These links were helpful to me. Hopefully my use of them will promote some much needed discussion in this area at my lawschool.

Also thanks for the other replies, I realize google can be useful, but isn't that just another irony what with such current happenings as google helping the Chinese gov't censor the internet? (And of course with Google's role generally in infringing on people's electronic rights.)

Anyway, I just thought the situation was somewhat funny in a somewhat sad, ironic way. It's too bad that even a site such as DU doesn't open up its features to if not the general public, at least to its general democratic audience. The situation doesn't give much hope for how many features will be open to people without means in the future as corporate interests eat the internet alive, and regurgitate out a pre-packaged, pre-censored turd of its old self, all for one low low price.

[newyawker99]

5. Hi Anser!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[Karmakaze]

3. Google is your friend...

Just put:

"privatization" "internet" site:www.democraticunderground.com

into google and you will get a link to every post that contains those two words.