This is nothing to do with DMT or entheogens, so this may not be the right place for it... but since I feel somewhat close to this community this is where I shall post it.

Recently the legal courts in the UK made a decision to attempt to "ban" The Pirate Bay via the means of DNS level filtering. Now anyone who knows anything about computers (including *anyone* who knows how to google) can easily overcome this particular method of censorship. Some people will use a proxy server to get passed the ban, others who have more in depth knowledge of the systems will just switch their DNS server. Anyone who understands the protocols involved can see that what they are doing is attempting to, by law, remove a certain website (phone number) from DNS servers (phone books), so they will just switch to a different phone book... the actual method is silly. BUT... anyone who pays attention to these types of things will be able to see that this, unfortunately, is just a step forward in a much larger plan.

So lets say, for example, that the internet causes a massive problem for the "social order" in the world. We now have a whole generation (almost two generations) who pay no attention to mass media, they get their facts via research online. They do not accept, without question, the dogmas that are handed down by the people who (in history) have always controlled the media. When they see a news article claiming "this is this" they then search to find out if the claims are valid. This poses a problem for the power systems of the world... because there is nothing they can do about it.

So we now, in the UK, have DNS level filtering of ThePirateBay... but it didn't stop there, after this came a court injunction to block people from linking directly to TPB proxies by legitimate political parties. So now, in result of this weak DNS level ban, we have a further injunction limiting what a website is allowed to link to... based on very weak grounds.

I would say, personally, that these companies (the people lobbying for these laws and rulings) are secondarily interested in copyright and firstly interested in gaining control of the only source of free information left in the world... the internet. I won't even go into why copyright is immoral, I just want to point out the bigger picture of what it could mean.

So what is the government trying to achieve by slowly attempting to take over control of the internet? I have yet to see the bigger picture aside from the government trying to control things for the sake of power.

That's pretty much it I guess. I think power is the end in itself. It's not really so much the government, it's more big business... although the line between business and government is pretty much invisible anyway.

I was mightily drunk when I made this thread so I went on a bit of a rant about it, but it is definitely a worrying sign and to me looks like it will be the beginning of floodgates opening to a more wholesale censoring of the internet in the UK. It's not a surprise at all, luckily thanks to the nature of the internet it will be virtually impossible to properly censor.

So then are we just talking about this or is there something to argue for/against?

I'm not personally doing anything about it other than circumventing the censorship and generally complaining about it online, lol

There are people trying to stop governments from going down this road, notably the Pirate Party who recently presented to the European Parliament a brilliantly written and very hard to refute document called The Case for Copyright Reform, which goes in depth about what the long term results of this type of censorship will be and why it is immoral, and presents a very reasonable way to change things. I am doubtful though, the money these copyright lobbies have at their disposal is immense, they will just keep chipping away at the policy makers and slowly but surely they'll probably win.

i think the issue can come about when the law is abused. A police will be passed for a certain reason (often a rash, reactionary move to appease a certain group) following that the precident is set. So say, though this allows cencorship to be imposed (which can be argued for and against in and of itself). What can now happen, is that these same measure can be used against other issue....possible the DMT nexus, wikipedia and a wealth of other contentious issues.

Its the issue of possible snow ball effect and abuse of power that i see as the biggest worry.

More than censorship it's marketing.
We will have to pay per website.
I have said this before but can't you see how the structures of these new "cool" websites are being changed towards more transparency?Facebook Youtube Twiiter Google.Everything.
Also can't you see how they are trying to make sort of a one ID card or personality to access all the websites.
For example you need a google account to get a youtube account or a blogger account.And there are options to share your other private website accounts.

All for easier transparency.If they know your youtube or google account they know pretty much everything you are doing on the web.
It does sound like a big conspiracy but it's just the truth laid out.

I don't even wanna talk about London and using the excuse of crime for filling the streets with camera's.
Crime which, let's be honest where created by the government.
Citizens don't just "go out and riot" for nothing.

I would hate to see the dumbness of Television coming to the internet, although it's all ready starting.

Come on really? Its the greatest tool for gaining knowledge and exchanging ideas. Its become a major pain in the ass for goverments around the world. Im sure they wish we could go back to the good old days of just brainwashed tv and radio.

Funny i just saw this about Pirate Bay a second ago..