Today is a good day to die.
I didn't say for whom.
Posted on 01/28/2011 9:33:26 PM PST by jongaltsr
Seeing what has happened in Egypt and their ability to quickly shut down the internet got me to thinking about the possibility that at some time in the future OUR Government may try the same with us.
Therefor I thought that to prepare for such an event should be planned by us (the citizens who would most likely to be effected as well as the people most likely to need alternatives to internet connections to stay in communications and keep upraised of events not being reported accurately (and intentionally).
We would have to depend upon our telephones but that can readily shut down by a government that is willing to cut off internet access.
TV and certain radio stations would be all that we could rely upon in such an event. I would imagine that some (Right Wing)-(other than the acceptable liberal radio stations) would be shut down (or can they?)
Can you (My fellow FR conspirators) think of methodologies of maintaining connections to information which can not easily be cut off by our government agencies?
In some countries, people have taken over Radio and Television stations but that requires physically attacking and provoking Police & Military action at some point.
Put on your thinking caps and lets see if there are any of you out there that can devise a plan of action for such an event.
My one thought (so far) is that the government might not shut down the telephone system immediately because that would directly affect so many people that that act in itself would be more devastating to citizens than would the loss of the internet. Therefor a "Tweet" link could be our own second line of information. I'm not sure if the "Tweet" system involves the internet in any way. Is it independent of computer technology and strictly Phone System dependant?
Since I don't "tweet", I just don't know the answer to that question.
Can you devise other ideas? and let us share your ideas "Just in Case !"
Excellent note. Will reference for future.
http://werebuild.eu/wiki/Main_Page
I have friends and relatives that are Hams’ and they spend a lot of free time on the air.
Barry Goldwater was a Ham. Call Sign (in case you forgot was K7UGA)
Get dial up and start using BBSs?
I think this is my best selection for myself at least. Dial Up Modem and dialing outside country connection.
Guys who had boxes of old Playboys and Penthouses in the shed would be rolling in money.
I dreamed of the internet. I imagined being able to look up a word in a German dictionary and have it instantly. I imagined being able to reproduce an image using only a formula, like a music score. I imagined having a way to link information. In short, if Al Gore hadn't invented the internet, I would have.
I sometimes think a shutdown might be a blessing in disguise.
Right. Like being without electricity during a thunder storm. It's nice for about four hours. Then you need to wash clothes, keep the food from thawing, and get on with your life. Civilization does not go backward--at least, not for long.
Let me know when all the TJIC’s decide to have a get together. I’ll BYOB...
If I didn’t think I’d be standing out there all alone? I’d be on my way today...
If the government shuts down the Internet, then the people can shut down the government.
Thankfully this is not Eqypt on many levels. My understanding is that it would be all but impossible to shut down the internet here due to the myriad of carriers.
We also have a viable government with 3 separate divisions. If the President tried this kind of stuff here the leaders of the Congress would make a phone call to the Joint Chiefs and a cadre of Marines would show up at the Oval Office to escort our dear leader to Leavenworth.
We must have conservatives employed at the point of “shutoff”, and they must refuse the orders. Or at least delay the implementation until they can get out the word.
Those who actually give the orders at the functionary levels must be ID’d in advance and their probable locations made known so they can be grabbed up for an attitude adjustment.
IIRC, aren't amateur radio users required to be licensed? The confiscations would parallel the shutdown, would they not?
He isn't married.
Unless the Egyptian government kills all of the phone lines as well, you might remember one means of getting online that broadband has since relegated to obsolescence: dial-up. While there's no Egyptian ISP that will allow internet access to Egyptian citizens, other countries will, meaning any Egyptian citizen with long-distance calling capabilities can break out their old school 56k modem and dial-up an ISP in another country. (Sure it's going to be a slow connection, but you can survive.)
Several ISPs—such as Budget DialUp—offer dial-up numbers all over the globe. Some ISPs in other countries are offering free access to Egyptians specifically in response to the Egyptian government's actions. According to twitter user @ioerror, French ISP FDN is one of them:
Egypt can use this number for dial up: +33172890150 (login 'toto' password 'toto') - thanks to a French ISP (FDN)#egypt #jan25
Others report that even DSL is still a possibility:
@SultanAlQassemi DIAL-UP ISP IS WORKING. DSL still working#Egypt,Try their Dial up numbers (0777 7770),(0777 7000) SPREAD THE WORD #jan25
While dial-up isn't an ideal means of getting online for most of us, it's still a perfectly effective means of connecting when your government shuts down the internet. And until the Egyptian government shuts down all landline access—another huge step up the censorship ladder—there's not much they can do to completely shut down the internet.
Yes, amateurs are required to be licensed. Confiscating radios, though, would be even less effective than attempting to confiscate firearms. Many amateur operators are no longer active, and/or no longer own radios; searching their homes would be fruitless. Others have multiple radios, but not necessarily set-up and easily viewable. As technology has advanced radios have gotten much smaller. Many, many hams own handhelds that can be about the size of a walkie-talkie. Lastly, enough amateurs understand how to build a radio from old parts that are VERY easy to acquire. The real problem is that the old-style amateurs that understand the electronics behind their radio is getting smaller every day. The requirements to get an amateur radio have been DRASTICALLY dumbed-down over the years. Like much in our society, actually understanding something is being replaced by merely having an idea of how to use it.
Garde la Foi, mes amis.
Come now, we must be peaceful and love our enemies. You are not suggesting that we DO anything bad are you? That would be so, so wrong.
And, you won’t need matches to light your cigar....I carry a windproof lighter with me.
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