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Comments on: Terrorism invoked in ISP snooping proposal

Attorney general said Internet providers must retain records of Americans' activities to help in terrorism fight, CNET News.com has learned.

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Quick Question: Which one is it?
by Tomcat Adam May 31, 2006 9:23 AM PDT
The Land of the Free, or the Land of the (permanently semi) Safe?
Reply to this comment
Quick Question: Which one is it?
by Tomcat Adam May 31, 2006 9:23 AM PDT
The Land of the Free, or the Land of the (permanently semi) Safe?
Reply to this comment
This IS a big deal
by DrFitz May 31, 2006 10:15 AM PDT
My reaction to the first Google objection to what the government was asking was that the next move by consumer activists should be to put pressure on ISPs and search engines to NOT keep the info in the first place. If this isn't fought strongly now, that option will be gone forever. Go to whatever online political organizations you belong to and urge them to get a campaign aimed at Congress going ASAP.
Reply to this comment
This IS a big deal
by DrFitz May 31, 2006 10:15 AM PDT
My reaction to the first Google objection to what the government was asking was that the next move by consumer activists should be to put pressure on ISPs and search engines to NOT keep the info in the first place. If this isn't fought strongly now, that option will be gone forever. Go to whatever online political organizations you belong to and urge them to get a campaign aimed at Congress going ASAP.
Reply to this comment
They won't stop
by komradkyle May 31, 2006 10:17 AM PDT
I swear 1984 is coming true. We all have our social security numbers to identify us as basically human beings. We each have our own number and are part of this system. This system is corrupt now. You don't just change your views and opinions on something just because someone else does different, you stay true to what you belive. BUT in fact there was a flip flop here going on because of Britain did this so now we did too just cause they did. That is retarted. Why don't we have the metric system? Individuality. Our country wants to be different and damn it let it be. We do not need to take this from our government anymore. I am not recomending violence because someone would read this message and throw me in jail and call me a terrorist. But what was the American Revolution oh thats right we were insurgents. Oh and what was the "Native Americans" It was not directly genoicde but it was really close. We are all humans, give us our rights to be. Child pornography is wrong yes, but its not that widespread, I don't know or even have heard of anyone on a personal basis that has been into that. But the problem is they government sees one problem which just leads to another. What if they go in for something like thinking your a terrorist but your not, then they find other stuff. They will go after you for that other stuff eventhough their accusaition of you being a terrorist is false. Later you would be thrown in jail O Im sorry "Correctional facility" or rehibilitation center, for something which you don't even believe is wrong. This is the conflict theory of One Group Opressing the other and forcing their values on society. We have to stop it.
Reply to this comment
1984 will happen.
by cmb99 May 31, 2006 10:35 AM PDT
Because it seems we can only learn from experience.
Welcome, my friend...
by J_Satch May 31, 2006 11:36 AM PDT
Welcome to the machine...

Sorry, just love Pink Floyd. :)
They won't stop
by komradkyle May 31, 2006 10:17 AM PDT
I swear 1984 is coming true. We all have our social security numbers to identify us as basically human beings. We each have our own number and are part of this system. This system is corrupt now. You don't just change your views and opinions on something just because someone else does different, you stay true to what you belive. BUT in fact there was a flip flop here going on because of Britain did this so now we did too just cause they did. That is retarted. Why don't we have the metric system? Individuality. Our country wants to be different and damn it let it be. We do not need to take this from our government anymore. I am not recomending violence because someone would read this message and throw me in jail and call me a terrorist. But what was the American Revolution oh thats right we were insurgents. Oh and what was the "Native Americans" It was not directly genoicde but it was really close. We are all humans, give us our rights to be. Child pornography is wrong yes, but its not that widespread, I don't know or even have heard of anyone on a personal basis that has been into that. But the problem is they government sees one problem which just leads to another. What if they go in for something like thinking your a terrorist but your not, then they find other stuff. They will go after you for that other stuff eventhough their accusaition of you being a terrorist is false. Later you would be thrown in jail O Im sorry "Correctional facility" or rehibilitation center, for something which you don't even believe is wrong. This is the conflict theory of One Group Opressing the other and forcing their values on society. We have to stop it.
Reply to this comment
1984 will happen.
by cmb99 May 31, 2006 10:35 AM PDT
Because it seems we can only learn from experience.
Welcome, my friend...
by J_Satch May 31, 2006 11:36 AM PDT
Welcome to the machine...

Sorry, just love Pink Floyd. :)
What can the average person do?
by NSWorldwide May 31, 2006 11:39 AM PDT
If afraid it doesn't matter what party is in power, those in government want absolute control. What can the average person do to keep their personal information private, but still interact in the digital world? It's very depressing. I am so sick and tired of hearing that we need to give up more and more freedoms to fight "Terrorism". I am tired of the fear tactics. We should be afraid of heart disease, car accidents and hosptial mistakes before Terrorism. The chances of dying from any of these is significantly higher than from dying in a terrorist act. Anyway, to fight for my privacy online I encrypt any of my email that I might consider private. Two great products are Taceo (www.essentialsecurity.com) and PGP (www.pgp.com) both largely P2P, so even if supoened they couldn't decrypt my messages. Does anyone have any other suggestions, for maintaining my on-line privacy?
Reply to this comment
Contact your Congressmen/Senators...
by J_Satch May 31, 2006 12:02 PM PDT
...regularly. I'll bet they care more about their jobs than they do about terrorism. The problem is, not enough people care about their elected representatives actions/inactions enough to bother with it.

Don't know who/how to contact? Please allow me to assist. Both sites have handy little links to help you determine and communicate with your particular Congressmen/Senators.

http://www.house.gov/
http://www.senate.gov/
Switch to Anoox from Google or Yahoo
by free_people May 31, 2006 12:55 PM PDT
Switch to Anoox search engine from the Big media supported Google or Yahoo.
Since Anoox is a not-for-profit search engine and one operated in an Open and De-centralized fashion, Big brother will not be able to control what you see (search for).
Well at the most the Big brother in US will be able to control what you see by searching Anoox US based, but not AnooX French based, German based,
Russian based, etc.

So don't waste your time by contacting your congressman, they are part and parcel of the Big media/brother.
Take things into your hand and find alternative sources of information to the US backed Big media/brother.
And beside switching to Anoox (btw here: www.anoox.com) also host your web site at an ISP outside of US.
Here for ISPs: www.orsn.org give you list of European ISPs.

In time freedom of information will bring even democracy to USA, which used to have the best democracy but totally lost it after WWII as Big media & Wallstreet took over the country.
View all 3 replies
What can the average person do?
by NSWorldwide May 31, 2006 11:39 AM PDT
If afraid it doesn't matter what party is in power, those in government want absolute control. What can the average person do to keep their personal information private, but still interact in the digital world? It's very depressing. I am so sick and tired of hearing that we need to give up more and more freedoms to fight "Terrorism". I am tired of the fear tactics. We should be afraid of heart disease, car accidents and hosptial mistakes before Terrorism. The chances of dying from any of these is significantly higher than from dying in a terrorist act. Anyway, to fight for my privacy online I encrypt any of my email that I might consider private. Two great products are Taceo (www.essentialsecurity.com) and PGP (www.pgp.com) both largely P2P, so even if supoened they couldn't decrypt my messages. Does anyone have any other suggestions, for maintaining my on-line privacy?
Reply to this comment
Contact your Congressmen/Senators...
by J_Satch May 31, 2006 12:02 PM PDT
...regularly. I'll bet they care more about their jobs than they do about terrorism. The problem is, not enough people care about their elected representatives actions/inactions enough to bother with it.

Don't know who/how to contact? Please allow me to assist. Both sites have handy little links to help you determine and communicate with your particular Congressmen/Senators.

http://www.house.gov/
http://www.senate.gov/
Switch to Anoox from Google or Yahoo
by free_people May 31, 2006 12:55 PM PDT
Switch to Anoox search engine from the Big media supported Google or Yahoo.
Since Anoox is a not-for-profit search engine and one operated in an Open and De-centralized fashion, Big brother will not be able to control what you see (search for).
Well at the most the Big brother in US will be able to control what you see by searching Anoox US based, but not AnooX French based, German based,
Russian based, etc.

So don't waste your time by contacting your congressman, they are part and parcel of the Big media/brother.
Take things into your hand and find alternative sources of information to the US backed Big media/brother.
And beside switching to Anoox (btw here: www.anoox.com) also host your web site at an ISP outside of US.
Here for ISPs: www.orsn.org give you list of European ISPs.

In time freedom of information will bring even democracy to USA, which used to have the best democracy but totally lost it after WWII as Big media & Wallstreet took over the country.
View all 3 replies
Wake Up: control of the Internet must be moved outside of US
by free_people May 31, 2006 12:45 PM PDT
This example of US government using the boggy man of Terrorism to get all sort of information about the people from ISPs, from Search engines Google, Yahoo, etc. is why I have been urging all to move the Key parts (Gateways) of the Internet
outside of USA. Because the US government has shown itself to be any thing but democratic.
It has shown itself to be, in bed with Big business, to control the "eye ball" minds of the people worldwide.
And it does not give a damn what people think, since it counts on Big media lying for it out of Million different outlets so that people would have no idea what the Hek the truth is, or what is going on. After just all look the example of the invasion of Iraq: US invaded a small defenseless
country which had done nothing to US at all, and has slaughtered and is slaughtering its people by the 10's of Thousands and 99% of the coverage in US Big media has been and is positive about this barbaric invasion and occupation.

And don't be mistaken the Big media is from Wall Street Journal, to NY Times, to CNN, to Fox, to Yahoo, to Google to MSN, to Hollywood, etc.

So at minimum we need to make sure that the control of the Internet, our real access
to the Internet/Web, is not in their hands, this means:
1- Use ISPs outside of US & UK to host your web sites
2- Support ORSN.org which is creating alternative root server
3- Support Anoox.com which is creating an Open & de-centralized search engine
4- Support MySQL which is doing same for database (information storage)
Reply to this comment
Wake Up: control of the Internet must be moved outside of US
by free_people May 31, 2006 12:45 PM PDT
This example of US government using the boggy man of Terrorism to get all sort of information about the people from ISPs, from Search engines Google, Yahoo, etc. is why I have been urging all to move the Key parts (Gateways) of the Internet
outside of USA. Because the US government has shown itself to be any thing but democratic.
It has shown itself to be, in bed with Big business, to control the "eye ball" minds of the people worldwide.
And it does not give a damn what people think, since it counts on Big media lying for it out of Million different outlets so that people would have no idea what the Hek the truth is, or what is going on. After just all look the example of the invasion of Iraq: US invaded a small defenseless
country which had done nothing to US at all, and has slaughtered and is slaughtering its people by the 10's of Thousands and 99% of the coverage in US Big media has been and is positive about this barbaric invasion and occupation.

And don't be mistaken the Big media is from Wall Street Journal, to NY Times, to CNN, to Fox, to Yahoo, to Google to MSN, to Hollywood, etc.

So at minimum we need to make sure that the control of the Internet, our real access
to the Internet/Web, is not in their hands, this means:
1- Use ISPs outside of US & UK to host your web sites
2- Support ORSN.org which is creating alternative root server
3- Support Anoox.com which is creating an Open & de-centralized search engine
4- Support MySQL which is doing same for database (information storage)
Reply to this comment
Gonzales and master hiding behind children
by manaboulsi May 31, 2006 1:19 PM PDT
Unbelievable savage and unhuman.

When I first heard Gonzales talking about records retention to fight Child Pornography, I was very pleased. But I did find his concern out of tone and out of focus (from all the other nagging and ******** that he and this cowardly anti democratic administration is famous for) from the usual.

Now we know what he/they are really up to. The problem in the retention is not just Gonzales and his snoops. The problem is as data get compiled someone will try to make a buck out of it, wether it is a corrupt dope head / gambler / dsisgruntled employee or wether it is our Great Multi National Corporation. AT&T, COMCAST and all the low lives who think they own us because we are their customer.

Something really should be done to stop this madness. This culture of fear have never generated anything positive: Think of the Inqusition, The Holocust, The Macartheisim. Democrats are really spineless for allowing this to continue and Republican are to much of YES MEN & WOMEN to remember what this country stands for. Not the Flag, The Constitution.
Reply to this comment
Gonzales and master hiding behind children
by manaboulsi May 31, 2006 1:19 PM PDT
Unbelievable savage and unhuman.

When I first heard Gonzales talking about records retention to fight Child Pornography, I was very pleased. But I did find his concern out of tone and out of focus (from all the other nagging and ******** that he and this cowardly anti democratic administration is famous for) from the usual.

Now we know what he/they are really up to. The problem in the retention is not just Gonzales and his snoops. The problem is as data get compiled someone will try to make a buck out of it, wether it is a corrupt dope head / gambler / dsisgruntled employee or wether it is our Great Multi National Corporation. AT&T, COMCAST and all the low lives who think they own us because we are their customer.

Something really should be done to stop this madness. This culture of fear have never generated anything positive: Think of the Inqusition, The Holocust, The Macartheisim. Democrats are really spineless for allowing this to continue and Republican are to much of YES MEN & WOMEN to remember what this country stands for. Not the Flag, The Constitution.
Reply to this comment
Beware and Be Aware! Big Brother is Lurking!
by croupier01 May 31, 2006 1:22 PM PDT
This is the latest in a ploy by the Bush Administration to keep tabs on all Americans. When their excuse to spy on Americans via ISP's for child porn didn't fly, they use their favorite excuse, "terrorism". This excuse has been used by them for everything to spying on peace activists to holding citizens without rights to habeous corpus and legal representation. Just another attempt to scare Americans into submission, silence dissent and maintain control of everyone's lives. Fascism is the end game for this crooked Adminstration. Beware and Be Aware. Fascism happens when the citizenry sleeps!
Reply to this comment
"citizens held without rights"? REALLY?!?!
by clamberto June 2, 2006 1:48 PM PDT
Name one (just one) citizen held without rights?
View reply
Beware and Be Aware! Big Brother is Lurking!
by croupier01 May 31, 2006 1:22 PM PDT
This is the latest in a ploy by the Bush Administration to keep tabs on all Americans. When their excuse to spy on Americans via ISP's for child porn didn't fly, they use their favorite excuse, "terrorism". This excuse has been used by them for everything to spying on peace activists to holding citizens without rights to habeous corpus and legal representation. Just another attempt to scare Americans into submission, silence dissent and maintain control of everyone's lives. Fascism is the end game for this crooked Adminstration. Beware and Be Aware. Fascism happens when the citizenry sleeps!
Reply to this comment
"citizens held without rights"? REALLY?!?!
by clamberto June 2, 2006 1:48 PM PDT
Name one (just one) citizen held without rights?
View reply
Big Brother or Big Terror
by ArtDowns May 31, 2006 6:51 PM PDT
So called 'snooping' is no threat to our privacy. The public telecommunications network is a true 'dual use' technology that provides a command and control network for an amorphous terror apparatus that was active before that 11th day of a certain September.

Given the huge number of messages exchanged each day, the communications volume precludes any widespread eavesdropping. However, histograms could lead to links used by potential mass murderers.

We need to ignore the paranoid and the 'selective civil libertarians' who seem to believe that our rights are protected when we provide new loopholes to would-be mass murderers.

Note that during WW II, mail to and from military personnel was opened and censored and first class mail was often intercepted. Our trans-oceanic telephone calls were handled by a small number of HF SSB links that were easily monitored. Communications intelligence typically involved government links.
Reply to this comment
Um... no there is ONLY Big Brother... terror is a red herring...
by MisterFlibble May 31, 2006 8:48 PM PDT
Uh... it is now 5 years since 9/11 and you act like it just happened yesterday. If this is so important to you and all Bush apologists, then when weren't you advocating for it years ago?!?! C|NET has done many news topics on this subject, and I've never seen you post on those ones shouting "yes, we need big governemnt to run our lives for us!!!"

I have no idea what you are, but you are no true conservative. Conservatives have always been about less government in people's lives. So have the true left of the liberal side.

But the neolibelas and neoconservatives... man, you just don't get it, you don't get America and you really should move to a nation that better reflects your admmiration for fascism like china.

You want to catch mass murderers? Fine. Do it within the law. Period. Point. Set. Match.

And don't think about setting up NEW laws to catch said murderers., our justice system works just fine, thank you. BTW, what person mass murderers then brags about it online? I've never heard of a case like this, and you're just pulling that from your backside.

Civil libertarians aren't being paranoid, you are. By supporting this meausre, you are basically saying that everyone living in america is a suspected criminal for something, and you don't call that paranoia?

What we need is ALOT less people like you, so if you aren't happy if the freedoms we have here in the USA, we don't you move to somewhere where the gov't watches you like a hawk? I'll by waiting for your answer.

Would-be mass murderers? Now you can predict who will kill and how many? This is thought crime. You don't go after anyone for a crime unless they commited one. No crime, no investigation, What the hell, are you one of those people who watched Tom Cruise's Minority Report and thought,"Hey, what a good idea!"

Too bad you don't see this behavious you are excusing is in of itself, criminal.

And I don't see where any of your comments on WWII fit in.

But with other people like you, I'm still awaiting your phone number, e-mail, credit histroy, physical address, even though I know you are too much a coward to give it.
View reply
Big Brother or Big Terror
by ArtDowns May 31, 2006 6:51 PM PDT
So called 'snooping' is no threat to our privacy. The public telecommunications network is a true 'dual use' technology that provides a command and control network for an amorphous terror apparatus that was active before that 11th day of a certain September.

Given the huge number of messages exchanged each day, the communications volume precludes any widespread eavesdropping. However, histograms could lead to links used by potential mass murderers.

We need to ignore the paranoid and the 'selective civil libertarians' who seem to believe that our rights are protected when we provide new loopholes to would-be mass murderers.

Note that during WW II, mail to and from military personnel was opened and censored and first class mail was often intercepted. Our trans-oceanic telephone calls were handled by a small number of HF SSB links that were easily monitored. Communications intelligence typically involved government links.
Reply to this comment
Um... no there is ONLY Big Brother... terror is a red herring...
by MisterFlibble May 31, 2006 8:48 PM PDT
Uh... it is now 5 years since 9/11 and you act like it just happened yesterday. If this is so important to you and all Bush apologists, then when weren't you advocating for it years ago?!?! C|NET has done many news topics on this subject, and I've never seen you post on those ones shouting "yes, we need big governemnt to run our lives for us!!!"

I have no idea what you are, but you are no true conservative. Conservatives have always been about less government in people's lives. So have the true left of the liberal side.

But the neolibelas and neoconservatives... man, you just don't get it, you don't get America and you really should move to a nation that better reflects your admmiration for fascism like china.

You want to catch mass murderers? Fine. Do it within the law. Period. Point. Set. Match.

And don't think about setting up NEW laws to catch said murderers., our justice system works just fine, thank you. BTW, what person mass murderers then brags about it online? I've never heard of a case like this, and you're just pulling that from your backside.

Civil libertarians aren't being paranoid, you are. By supporting this meausre, you are basically saying that everyone living in america is a suspected criminal for something, and you don't call that paranoia?

What we need is ALOT less people like you, so if you aren't happy if the freedoms we have here in the USA, we don't you move to somewhere where the gov't watches you like a hawk? I'll by waiting for your answer.

Would-be mass murderers? Now you can predict who will kill and how many? This is thought crime. You don't go after anyone for a crime unless they commited one. No crime, no investigation, What the hell, are you one of those people who watched Tom Cruise's Minority Report and thought,"Hey, what a good idea!"

Too bad you don't see this behavious you are excusing is in of itself, criminal.

And I don't see where any of your comments on WWII fit in.

But with other people like you, I'm still awaiting your phone number, e-mail, credit histroy, physical address, even though I know you are too much a coward to give it.
View reply
For those who advocate for this, it's time to put up or shut up.
by MisterFlibble May 31, 2006 8:53 PM PDT
Since you all think that giving up your privacy and civil rights are just hunkey-doorey for Bush to protect you from the Big Bad boogeymen (and 9/11 did happen on his watch, was he protecting you then?), then put your money where your mouth is and give us your info on your physical address, your phone number, SS#, credit history, purchases you've made in the last year, etc. If you don't, you don't have a leg to stand on, you're not willing to put yourself through what you want the rest of us to go through. You are the very essence of hypocrisy.
Reply to this comment
For those who advocate for this, it's time to put up or shut up.
by MisterFlibble May 31, 2006 8:53 PM PDT
Since you all think that giving up your privacy and civil rights are just hunkey-doorey for Bush to protect you from the Big Bad boogeymen (and 9/11 did happen on his watch, was he protecting you then?), then put your money where your mouth is and give us your info on your physical address, your phone number, SS#, credit history, purchases you've made in the last year, etc. If you don't, you don't have a leg to stand on, you're not willing to put yourself through what you want the rest of us to go through. You are the very essence of hypocrisy.
Reply to this comment
For mthose that advocate for retention, it's time to put up or shut up
by MisterFlibble May 31, 2006 8:56 PM PDT
Since you all think that giving up your privacy and civil rights are just hunkey-doorey for Bush to protect you from the Big Bad boogeymen (and 9/11 did happen on his watch, was he protecting you then?), then put your money where your mouth is and give us your info on your physical address, your phone number, SS#, credit history, purchases you've made in the last year, etc. If you don't, you don't have a leg to stand on, you're not willing to put yourself through what you want the rest of us to go through. You are the very essence of hypocrisy.
Reply to this comment
re: For mthose that advocate for retention, it's time to put up or shut up
by clamberto June 2, 2006 1:43 PM PDT
Ummm, the people pushing for this kind of data retention are not asking to be exempt. Where/when did anybody indicate that they were?
View reply
For mthose that advocate for retention, it's time to put up or shut up
by MisterFlibble May 31, 2006 8:56 PM PDT
Since you all think that giving up your privacy and civil rights are just hunkey-doorey for Bush to protect you from the Big Bad boogeymen (and 9/11 did happen on his watch, was he protecting you then?), then put your money where your mouth is and give us your info on your physical address, your phone number, SS#, credit history, purchases you've made in the last year, etc. If you don't, you don't have a leg to stand on, you're not willing to put yourself through what you want the rest of us to go through. You are the very essence of hypocrisy.
Reply to this comment
re: For mthose that advocate for retention, it's time to put up or shut up
by clamberto June 2, 2006 1:43 PM PDT
Ummm, the people pushing for this kind of data retention are not asking to be exempt. Where/when did anybody indicate that they were?
View reply
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