Gaming Should we be afraid of July 12th?

[Anon10W1z]

@Old8Boy, ISP's can get all our personal info and actually sell it to other companies. Literally.

And I don't pirate in the first place.

 

[Originality]

Actually, that isn't what the internet is supposed to be... That's just what low morals/scruples have turned it into.

Well alright, strictly speaking the internet is supposed to be an openly accessible forum for sharing information (originally scientific, then military, then commercial and personal information). Part of being able to share information is not being restricted in what information you share. By extension, it also means you're supposed to be able to do what you want. Censorship and policing of the internet is the same as censorship and suppression of free speech and thought. Need I continue?

 

[retKHAAAN]

@Old8Boy, ISP's can get all our personal info and actually sell it to other companies. Literally.

And I don't pirate in the first place.

And so can Facebook, your local newspaper, the magazines you subscribe to... Your credit cards help to aggregate data regarding which stores you visit and how much you spend. Hell, with your name and which state you live in, ANYONE can find out; your address, everyone you're related to, phone numbers, the current value of your home and its layout, where you went to school and who with...

It really seems like everyone here is upset because ISPs want to crack down on people who abuse the services they provide. How are they in the wrong for that? If you want privacy, maybe you shouldn't do all your dirty business through an ISP that knows who you are, where you live, etc...

Actually, that isn't what the internet is supposed to be... That's just what low morals/scruples have turned it into.

Well alright, strictly speaking the internet is supposed to be an openly accessible forum for sharing information (originally scientific, then military, then commercial and personal information). Part of being able to share information is not being restricted in what information you share. By extension, it also means you're supposed to be able to do what you want. Censorship and policing of the internet is the same as censorship and suppression of free speech and thought. Need I continue?

Please do. But before you get too far into your thought...

Sharing copyrighted materials without the owner's permission =/= expressing your right of free speech

...okay, continue.

 

[Midna]

What is a comcast modem?

Comcast is an ISP based in the US. While the customer service isn't the best, their speeds are pretty darn good for the price; they even have 100mbps connections in some areas. Wish my apartment complex had them.

My ISP's packages go up to 250mbps. I'm getting the 100mbps package.

 

[_V1qY]

What is a comcast modem?

Comcast is an ISP based in the US. While the customer service isn't the best, their speeds are pretty darn good for the price; they even have 100mbps connections in some areas. Wish my apartment complex had them.

http://www.ebay.com/...#ht_1510wt_1270

^Homebrew modem. Bypasses the Gateway that Comcast has to activate, in order for it to get service. Plug your coax cable into it, and you're set. I guess it works with other ISPs too. Incredible cheap too. I could be wrong. >.< If I am correct me.

Yep, says in the description. (Works with most major US ISPs.)

So you get internet for free illegally? Will it work in the UK?

 

[DeMoN]

I know there's an ISP in Canada that has the same exploit, but not sure about the U.K.
I really advise against it though because you can get caught and possibly go to jail. Selling a hacked modem will get you 20 years, so I have no clue why there's any on eBay.
Also, I'm not sure how devin does the exploit, but sometimes it requires you to "pretend" to be an actual paying customer, so if you do anything illegal then that person gets blamed for it.

 

[Originality]

Please do. But before you get too far into your thought...

Sharing copyrighted materials without the owner's permission =/= expressing your right of free speech

...okay, continue.

Effort...
Information, copyrighted or not, is meant to be shared (debatable) as part of freedom of speech/thought (since everybody has the right to learn). With the current way the internet works, there is nothing wrong with sharing information without the owner's permission (as long as the owner is properly identified - otherwise it borders theft). Of course, the owner has the right to have that information restricted and/or removed. In the case where the sharing of information causes damage, they also have the right to pursue compensation from the person causing damage (original uploader, also debatable). ...That's about it in it's broadest sense, at least for now..

The proposed changes are to establish a proper set of laws to prevent the majority of people sharing information (see the anti-SOPA campaigns) and give increased power to authorities (by extension ISPs) to police/moderate the users to take action against violators of those rules. These changes are being drawn up by people who do not have a complete grasp over the nature of the internet, and that's why so far most of the proposed changes have been squashed. ...Meh, too much effort to continue.

 

[Codename]

Shouldn't you be scared of the 13th of July?!? It's a FRIDAY!!! but it's my birthdayyyy that dayy

 

[retKHAAAN]

Please do. But before you get too far into your thought...

Sharing copyrighted materials without the owner's permission =/= expressing your right of free speech

...okay, continue.

Effort...
Information, copyrighted or not, is meant to be shared (debatable) as part of freedom of speech/thought (since everybody has the right to learn). With the current way the internet works, there is nothing wrong with sharing information without the owner's permission (as long as the owner is properly identified - otherwise it borders theft). Of course, the owner has the right to have that information restricted and/or removed. In the case where the sharing of information causes damage, they also have the right to pursue compensation from the person causing damage (original uploader, also debatable). ...That's about it in it's broadest sense, at least for now..

The proposed changes are to establish a proper set of laws to prevent the majority of people sharing information (see the anti-SOPA campaigns) and give increased power to authorities (by extension ISPs) to police/moderate the users to take action against violators of those rules. These changes are being drawn up by people who do not have a complete grasp over the nature of the internet, and that's why so far most of the proposed changes have been squashed. ...Meh, too much effort to continue.

Parenthesizing (debatable) next to the items you're not sure on does nothing to help your argument... "Information is meant to be shared..." Really? So words like "classified", "confidential", "copyrighted", "patented"...are merely colorful adjectives? Everything I tell my wife/therapist/doctor/priest should be accessible by anyone? This is just getting silly now.

As far as your second paragraph, I agree with everything except "...laws to prevent the majority of people sharing information..."

Your poor approach here seems to come from the fact that you consider everything on the internet to be "information" and don't distinguish between:
- Tools for learning
- News/articles
- Social networks
- INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY (as in; things people have created, copyrighted, and intend to share in any way THEY see fit)
- etc...

All bytes are not created equal.

 

[Originality]

Properly identifying classified, confidential, copyrighted and patented ideas/information can get very sticky because the entire system is a mess. In a closed system (e.g. Medical database) then access and spread of information is minimal and can be controlled. The Internet is not a closed system. Trying to fully explain it in every possible nuance and allowing for national, international and "universal" variations of laws and legislature is impossible (too many contradictions and loopholes). That's why I tried to keep it broad.

Also, every variant of "information" you listed is regulated and moderated and subject to various restrictions (and, to some extent, censorship). Except intellectual property which is largely fallible due to lack of originality (I'm not going to explain that one further). For examples of that, see the Apple vs Samsung lawsuits (who designed the black rectangle with-a-button design?)

As for adding debatable to my argument, it's because I'm obviously playing devil's advocate in presenting an argument that I think is stupid (because the rules of society are stupid) but needs to be pointed out for your consideration. Its really too much effort to nit-pick every single detail when it won't help the reality of what is happening to the internet.

 

[the_randomizer]

My ISP's packages go up to 250mbps. I'm getting the 100mbps package.

250mbps?! How I envy those speeds. My university has 100mbps but where I live, I'm lucky to hit 2mbps because so many tenants erroneously purchase their own routers, and with several people with several routers can't be good. You're talking interference, throttling, you name it. If we had FTTP, that wouldn't be an issue. My parents get around 40-50mbps and even that is something I miss about living at home.

 

[Hakoda]

I guess since we're on the topic, now wouldn't be a bad time to purchase a VPN, huh? I know I probably won't get a notice but I am going to off to college and considering purchasing one. My home ISP is Comcast, I have used some P2P in the past couple years but not recently except for the occasional movie and linux distro. Better to be on the safe side, you know?

I did a quick Temp search and I came across Costello recommending Astrill.com. Can anyone recommend it or recommend a better one/what they use?

Astrill offers unlimited bandwidth, 120 servers in 46 countries, port forwarding, dedicated IP's, OpenVPN access, and P2P protocol. Hell, if Costello uses it, then it should be able to get past China's firewall right? That's all for $70 a year, that's pretty cool.

EDIT: I don't mean the above to be advertising, I was just listing the service's features, sorry if it seems that way.

 

[triassic911]

What is a comcast modem?

Comcast is an ISP based in the US. While the customer service isn't the best, their speeds are pretty darn good for the price; they even have 100mbps connections in some areas. Wish my apartment complex had them.

http://www.ebay.com/...#ht_1510wt_1270

^Homebrew modem. Bypasses the Gateway that Comcast has to activate, in order for it to get service. Plug your coax cable into it, and you're set. I guess it works with other ISPs too. Incredible cheap too. I could be wrong. >.< If I am correct me.

Yep, says in the description. (Works with most major US ISPs.)

Does this actually work? I have Time Warner Cable and I'm in NY. I get horrible speeds from TWC....

 

[the_randomizer]

Sounds like someone's stealing bandwidth

 

[Alex221]

so should we be afraid?