What happened to the internet?

[Orby]

The internet is not the wild west it once was, Soon it'll be just as restrictive as television, where everythings controlled and policed. Just the way things go I am afraid. In a way there is some good in that, but all good things are never perfect.

[Slant]

Well Yes, True but then if those people don't they can find themselves with limitation on their access. It's as simple as that. Which goes for any group NRA, NAACP ETC, if you don't want to hear or listen to that shit, you can identify that shit really quickly.

However if you got someone like EGG#123 filling up your time line with the same bullshit, blocking should be one option, but if the said individual harasses you or decides to threaten you, well then they should have skin in the game if you do.

That is actually a reason for protected anonymity on the internet. The discussion about removing anonymity is not meant to enable you to go around and punch people in the face. The state has zero interest in that.

[Aeula]

Authoritarianism and Censorship became more acceptable in order to ‘protect’ children and ‘vulnerable people’.

Because god forbid someone sees or hears something they don’t like.

[zenkai]

I'm not being hypocritical. I never said I'm against internet anonymity. Is this you trying to be clever?

So you can only be anonymous as long as you feel that person is not being as asshole, right?

You did say

Put it this way... you're complaining because your anonymity is endangered so you can, basically, be an asshole without consequences. That is your right at the moment and I get where you're coming from.

The western world, the one that doesn't consist of authoritarian regimes that simply kill you or put you away if you become a nuisance, has realised that the internet is becoming a bit of a danger to democracy. Especially its anonymity is allowing hostile forces of aforementioned authoritarian regimes to attack our core democratic structures and social constructs.

Now, think about what you want, what the people of the west want and who has the power.

Balance isn't important right now. What's important is ensuring democracy still functions. That is absolutely paramount to your individual desire to be allowed to be an asshole without consequences.

I guess you also support the social credit score as well. You really should read fahrenheit 411.

[Shadowferal]

You mean like the "Anarchist's Cookbook?"

[zenkai]

Authoritarianism and Censorship became more acceptable in order to ‘protect’ children and ‘vulnerable people’.

Because god forbid someone sees or hears something they don’t like.

This offends me and you should be arrested over it.

[NoiseTank13]

A persons right to speak or express themselves should always supersede others right to not hear!!! Just block people you dont like, its so easy

We are blocking people we don't like.

You all seem to think your free speech means a right to force people to listen to your dumbass.

[Bodonius]

Sure I agree, when or if that is possible. However when you have groups of people right out the gate, who seem to feel it's needed to push their narrative or ideas on other people who have clearly fucking rejected that shit, under the guise of.

Well they need to just hear me out otherwise, they are sheep who live in a bubble.


Sometimes that can be true sometimes it isn't.

I don't need to listen to every rap artist putting music out now to determine that shit is all fucking garbage. And Yes, I used to like rap back when MC actually had lyrical content and were actually expressing something relevant. I don't give a shit about swearing or violence per say.

But guess what, I don't like it, I don't want to listen to it, because even if I didn't or don't and say some other folks at say I don't know a Golf Club, don't want to play that shit, they shouldn't have to.

Public Enemy might have something to say, but if it's a private club and they own it, and they don't want it heard, then they get to make that decision.

The Internet needs to have options like that, Blocking is a great tool, but it doesn't go far enough.

I personally don't give a flying fuck about the Kardashians AT ALL period, so I shouldn't have to be exposed to that shit, if I select not participate.

For me i think its easy, on youtube i only get recommended things i like, I know what newspapers i think is crap and so on. Sure some former friends had to go but you dont want toxic people in your life

[Has lost its way]

No it isn't dark, because it isn't difficult to figure out who's full of shit or a moron in the first place, to decide after hearing enough, you don't need to hear their bullshit anymore.

NASA or M.I.T aren't assholes because they don't honestly give a fuck what I have to say about what they should be doing, and I don't think I or even a group of people who agree with me should have the right to force them to entertain what I think is important.

Ah.. a true believer of the idea that a open mind is a fortress with its gates opened and its walls unmanned.

[Low Hanging Fruit]

I don't really think censorship helps that in anyway but rather fuels it. the culture war as you put it is more a result of the neck break speed that it has moved looking back a decade it is night in day by what was the norm.

I believe that the freedom we used to have is worth more then any false sense of security we have gained by discarding it.

Is showing people's identities censorship? Are you censored when you go to the grocery store because, purely for example (not say you do or don't), you don't go off about hating blacks or whatever? Or is it just showing civility? If anything its removing censorship of people being hidden behind walls. As for the porn thing in the UK or getting arrested in Germany, well.. thats those places. Sounds like bullshit.

[Slant]

So you can only be anonymous as long as you feel that person is not being as asshole, right?

You did say



I guess you also support the social credit score as well. You really should read fahrenheit 411.

You just can't get behind the idea that I'm explaining the reasoning behind something without being either pro nor contra that reasoning, can you? See, this is why people like you give your nation such a bad reputation.

[Bodonius]

We are blocking people we don't like.

You all seem to think your free speech means a right to force people to listen to your dumbass.

No, just block people you dont like. Free speech is the right to say stuff without going to jail or paying a fine. To bad we dont have free speech in sweden and in most countries anymore

[zenkai]

You just can't get behind the idea that I'm explaining the reasoning behind something without being either pro nor contra that reasoning, can you? See, this is why people like you give your nation such a bad reputation.

In other words you couldn't defend your words so you turn the argument on me, that's what an emotional relationship abuser does.

[aceperson]

How did we get to where we are now? A world were there is a strong push towards real-id systems where it is getting harder and harder to just have fun.

You want to banter in a video game? The company will stalk you on twitter and facebook and ban you like overwatch.
You want to share a controversial opinion? In Germany they arrest you.
You want to jerk off? Need a license for that in the UK.
You commit "hate speech" a nebulous term no two people can agree on what exactly it means? Your bank cuts you off from your accounts...

Just what the hell happened? Is this just a case of thousand cuts over a long period of time that no one really noticed? Is there anyway to reverse this trend especially since it seems major finical institutions seem to pull services from sights that allow things they find offensive.

How did we get here and more importantly is there anyway to return the internet to its glory days?

it's actually really simple. when you give greedy people or idiots (they aren't mutually exclusive) too much freedom, there are people who will take advantage of it and use it for negative reasons. one group will use twitter and facebook as a means of organizing a peaceful protest, another will use it to send threats and recruit for terrorist groups. one group would use the internet as a means of expanding research on medicines to help speed up the process to help people, another group would use it to trick people into giving a nigerian prince $1,000,000 dollars.

people need to understand that freedom isn't that great. when you have true freedom, you have people screwing others over just so they can get a quick buck. if you have too little freedom, you end up with a tyrant like hitler. while thanos is a bit out there with his idealogy, his saying is true. there must be balance in all things. people want freedom, but they can't be given too much otherwise a few will ruin the system for the many.

[Slant]

Is showing people's identities censorship? Are you censored when you go to the grocery store because, purely for example (not say you do or don't), you don't go off about hating blacks or whatever? Or is it just showing civility? If anything its removing censorship of people being hidden behind walls. As for the porn thing in the UK or getting arrested in Germany, well.. thats those places. Sounds like bullshit.

You know, there are laws protecting the youth. Why do you think your movies have ratings and 14 year olds can't see a slasher movie in the cinemas? But somehow along the way, someone figured out... oh, it's the internet. We'll stop anyone selling porn magazines to 14 year olds but we don't give a fuck what they do on the internet. How's that compute for you? The UK has decided to put a stop to that and pull internet porn corporations into the same umbrella they have porn mag publishers. I don't think that's unreasonable, per se. It's just unusual because somehow people got used to the idea that the internet must be unregulated and practically anarchy.

- - - Updated - - -

In other words you couldn't defend your words so you turn the argument on me, that's what an emotional relationship abuser does.

You haven't actually attacked the argument. You've gone ad hominem and haven't stopped ever since.

[zenkai]

Fuck me, can't we have *one* topic without the political holier than thou, know-all-nothings coming in and spouting shit all the time? -_-

Hey, at least some evil orange man wasn't brought up (yet) to me that's progression.

- - - Updated - - -

You know, there are laws protecting the youth. Why do you think your movies have ratings and 14 year olds can't see a slasher movie in the cinemas? But somehow along the way, someone figured out... oh, it's the internet. We'll stop anyone selling porn magazines to 14 year olds but we don't give a fuck what they do on the internet. How's that compute for you?

- - - Updated - - -



You haven't actually attacked the argument. You've gone ad hominem and haven't stopped ever since.

I thought the other posters made valid points, I feel no reason to echo them.

[Aggrophobic]

How did we get to where we are now? A world were there is a strong push towards real-id systems where it is getting harder and harder to just have fun.

You want to banter in a video game? The company will stalk you on twitter and facebook and ban you like overwatch.
You want to share a controversial opinion? In Germany they arrest you.
You want to jerk off? Need a license for that in the UK.
You commit "hate speech" a nebulous term no two people can agree on what exactly it means? Your bank cuts you off from your accounts...

Just what the hell happened? Is this just a case of thousand cuts over a long period of time that no one really noticed? Is there anyway to reverse this trend especially since it seems major finical institutions seem to pull services from sights that allow things they find offensive.

How did we get here and more importantly is there anyway to return the internet to its glory days?

Well, if you want to live around other people then you just have to deal with the fact that what you find "fun", others might not. If you're just by yourself then it won't matter but when what you do and say affects others then it's another matter.
When your "controversial opinion" is about genocide then others have good reasons to se you as a threat for instance or when your "banter" ruins other peoples fun then Blizzard has good reasons to remove your from their platform and so on.

Run off and create your own society if you want but as long as you're here, don't expect others to accept your bullshit. Anarchy doesn't work for long in the real world and the same thing happened to the internet once people actually started using it.

Deal with it.

[Doctor Amadeus]

That is actually a reason for protected anonymity on the internet. The discussion about removing anonymity is not meant to enable you to go around and punch people in the face. The state has zero interest in that.

Meh maybe, that certainly is the other way to go about it. Everyone being anonymous is one way to go, but the problem is Yahoo Chat years years back did that kind of thing, and it turned into the cluster fuck we are seeing on social media now.

Basic Anonymity creates the kind of stupid shit and environments nobody really feels safe or wants to be a part of, and those that do, there should be places for them like 4chan or Yahoo, Chat, which still exist.

But guess what, these people there don't want that there, they want to bring that bullshit over to everywhere else. There is a reason the internet is developing the way it is. People don't want to deal with that shit.

Sure some people do some of the time, well guess what, they know where 4chan, reddit and all the rest are at.

[roboscorcher]

How did we get to where we are now? A world were there is a strong push towards real-id systems where it is getting harder and harder to just have fun.

You want to banter in a video game? The company will stalk you on twitter and facebook and ban you like overwatch.
You want to share a controversial opinion? In Germany they arrest you.
You want to jerk off? Need a license for that in the UK.
You commit "hate speech" a nebulous term no two people can agree on what exactly it means? Your bank cuts you off from your accounts...

Just what the hell happened? Is this just a case of thousand cuts over a long period of time that no one really noticed? Is there anyway to reverse this trend especially since it seems major finical institutions seem to pull services from sights that allow things they find offensive.

How did we get here and more importantly is there anyway to return the internet to its glory days?

The "glory days" were bound to go, as people abused the lax rules. It's the same reason we have a ton of laws in the real world: bad people abuse the system. And with the internet of things, there is even more power to abuse online.

Especially in the case of toxic gamers: good riddance. It's nice to have a gaming community that doesn't constantly belittle and creep on women.

[PC2]

Well, if you want to live around other people then you just have to deal with the fact that what you find "fun", others might not. If you're just by yourself then it won't matter but when what you do and say affects others then it's another matter.
When your "controversial opinion" is about genocide then others have good reasons to se you as a threat for instance or when your "banter" ruins other peoples fun then Blizzard has good reasons to remove your from their platform and so on.

Run off and create your own society if you want but as long as you're here, don't expect others to accept your bullshit. Anarchy doesn't work for long in the real world and the same thing happened to the internet once people actually started using it.

Deal with it.

Private organizations aren't going to release private information to the public though, too much liability.