General Discussions

**freki** · 10:09 AM

Me and a co-worker at my day job are having a discussion about whether or not the internet should be regulated. She argues that regulation is needed in all things in order to keep the extremists in check. My argument is that the internet has been one of the greatest successes of our time because of its limited regulation and has thus grown and improved at a phenomenal rate.

What are your thoughts on this? I'm interested in hearing both sides.

**A Monkey Typing** · 04-17-2008, 01:53 PM

That's a pretty vague question, can you be more specific?

**Learning Newbie** · 04-17-2008, 02:32 PM

Yeah, I have to go with the monkey who's typing the works of Shakespeare. A little more specificity would help. What kind of extremists does the internet need to be regulated from, and what danger do they pose?

I'll give it a try, tho, and say the internet already is regulated, just like real life. Say I went over to the Other Offers marketplace forum and posted a thread, offering a job paying $10,000 to anybody who murders my wife. Even though that might happen on the internet, the police would still show up at my front door. The same if I try to sell drugs or anything else.

**bakerc** · 11:53 PM

Yep, I would have to agree that the net is already regulated...in the uk Finance firms have finance regulatory regime (which applies to advertising on the net via the financial services authority regulations), the consumer credit licence covers the net also and data protection licencing etc... every industry has their own governing body and if they're governing body doesn't cover the net then you also have the advertising standards agency which covers promotions on the net as well as TV (to name just a few of the watchdogs for general internet marketiers)

...This forum will conform to the guidlines and rules of various advertising regulations- in a manner of speaking it is also regulated by the monitors and administrators.

**Dairyman** · 04-18-2008, 02:22 AM

I feel there should not be any excessive regulation on the part of the government over the internet. It should be let free and there are some states which impose ban on some sites...

**freki** · 04-18-2008, 05:30 AM

Okay, more specifically I don't think the internet should be regulated in general. I think the regulation should come from the jurisdiction in which you live. Some areas prohibit adult material, and if you access adult material in your area you can be prosecuted for it. But that is up to the jurisdiction where you live.

**NaughtyGirl** · 04-19-2008, 12:19 PM

Its already happening actually. Once we thought we could be annonomous here, and then we found out that's not true. Any computer can be traced.

So what regulating would really do any 'good'?

We can already see places like China and their regulating their country.

One thing that is great about the internet is that people from different places, different religions, and different cultures can communicate. This brings us closer together and makes us learn that our opinions are not always the best ones. Communication will end wars, putting up walls and blockages will not.

It starts small, one person at a time, but if those people never meet.. then there is no chance for the 'greatness' of the iternet to be realized.

**ForrestCroce** · 04-20-2008, 01:28 PM

What kind of regulation are you asking about? Regulate what?

**peter_anderson** · 04-20-2008, 01:33 PM

I think it could be monitored in the way of stopping child porn, and terrorism sites. But, who's gonna do it? No-one.....

**serandfae** · 04-20-2008, 01:37 PM

In the cases you just mentioned, tell that to the FBI....

tim

**Moelman** · 04-20-2008, 01:49 PM

I just wrote an article on this for my writing class, and I firmly believe that it should not be any more regulated than it is today.

**wisdomtool** · 04-20-2008, 02:01 PM

High time it should first of all spams needed to be banned or having email addresses is a nightmare of clearing such junk.

**cbwm** · 04-21-2008, 12:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NaughtyGirl

Its already happening actually. Once we thought we could be annonomous here, and then we found out that's not true. Any computer can be traced.

Actually, thats really not true. I've had my laptop on a few times while rolling through some suburbs in California, and you would be amazed at how many unsecured, or WEP encrypted (same as unsecured) wireless networks you can connect to. For the extremely paranoid, buy yourself a USB or PCMCIA 802.11 card and assign yourself a bogus MAC address, and you're clear to send anything from kiddie porn to terrorist threats without concern for being caught.

The number of internet related financial crimes is growing exponentially every year, and most never get solved. The governments quite simply don't have the resources to chase down people in Spain with accounts in London for fraudulently selling something something that cost $485 to someone in the U.S..

I'd love to see more "Policing" of the internet for violation of existing laws, but "Regulation" is something that should be kept as low as possible. For those who live in California, did you notice the question asking about untaxed online purchases on your tax form? Apparently E-Bay may be forced into collecting state sales taxes from all online transactions with a destination in states having a sales tax. I know its the law, but something seems so obscene about paying sales tax on something that equates to an online yard sale.

**jabo** · 04-22-2008, 04:21 AM

without regulation in the internet, important informations will be available for access just about to anyone who knows how to use the S.E, people can say anything without causing an infliction... internet has regulations and needs them