Posted on 02/12/2007 9:19:55 PM PST by The Watcher
BTW, many of you may not have noticed. But as of March 14, 2007, EVERY means of access to the internet, except for dialup, will be REQUIRED by the federal government to be tap and record the use by ANY specific user.
Yes, your VOIP phone. Yes, your MSN Messenger chats. Yes, your email. Yes, the content of any website you may visit... OR ANY SOMEONE WHO USES YOUR CONNECTION may visit.
What else is going on? Guess who has to pay for this? The feds? Nope. Your ISP, your phone company, your company (yes, if your company has a network that connects you to the internet, IT TOO HAS TO COMPLY! ).
Scattered across the country, are scores of thousands of small ventures. Some of them are informal arrangements to bring fast internet to a remote neighborhood, some of them are "free" networks brought into existence by computer geeks. Some of them are small ventures where "broadband" (any connection faster than 5X dialup speed) must comply a long list of federal regulations, from registering with the FCC to be "counted" for reporting to industry and Congress, and to comply with a complex set of rules for compliance with wiretapping.
The first federal deadline is tomorrow, Feb 12. On that date, you have to file "compliance" statements. Either you are (and how you are) or if you aren't, how you are going to.
You are expected to list your network topology, equipment manufacturers and methodology for compliance.
Yet, most ISP's have no idea yet how they intend to comply. Few can.
A few companies offer the data sorting and extraction services remotely... The estimated cost for the device alone is $100,000 for that kind of service.
The program is called CALEA, or Communications Assistance to Law Enforcement Agencies.
The federal goverment is taking the stance that they demand what they want, and industry is left to define how to do it - to create standards on their own.
Guess who creates the standards? The big guys. Cisco, Telephone companies, network providers. Guess who they want to put out of business? Small providers.
Internet services was the bright star of our economy. ANyone could become an ISP. Countless small companies have created a serves and data revolution that has fueled our economic engine for the last few years.
We may not know it yet. We may not have noticed it yet. But the ISP business is dead. It has been usurped by the federal government, taken over. Network design and operations are now controlled by Big Brother. Technologies and operational techniques are now mandated by federal desires to NOT HAVE TO DO ANY WORK to spy on you.
I have devoted the last 4 years of my life to building, from NOTHING a broadband business, to bring services to areas that will never get them otherwise. I have yet to earn a paycheck. Every dime I have been able to get through sales has been reinvested in this venture.
And I am seriously considering writing my customers letters tomorrow, explaining that as of a short time from now, they will have to find a new provider, as I will have to abandon the business, as I have no money with which to fund "compliance".
One more example of runamok government.
Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?
>>You have a MAC address and CLID's that are only on your computer. Yes they would have to find your computer, but I would give them about 7 minutes to do that if they wanted you.<<
Baloney.
If someone was serious about not being found in these days of anonymous wi-fi, it would be a piece of cake. And as I said, the key would be keeping them from suspecting me in particular. Once they did, I would be nailed. The suspicion would point them to my computer and game over.
I know people who drive through neighborhoods looking for insecure wi-fi connections to check their email. It only takes a few minutes. You go in, do what you are going to do, and the only trace you leave is a footprint on that persons access.
I am curious. How exactly would "they" identify you in such a situation?
>>Riding your neighbors WiFi is one thing and threatening to blow something up is quite another.<<
If I was actually trying to do something "bad", it would not be my neighbors wi-fi I would be using.
>>Riding your neighbors WiFi is one thing and threatening to blow something up is quite another.<<
If I was actually trying to do something "bad", it would not be my neighbors wi-fi I would be using.
Regarding the rest of your post: Point taken. I guess I was kinda trying to hijack the thread into something about how easy it would be for a halfway intelligent "real" bad guy to remain anonymous.
My bad.
Yes Flash...we know what you thought!!
Which is the bigger threat?
(A) Terrorists
(B)Loss of Freedom by a Government
You mean this won't do any good? I'm SHOCKED that the government is pushing an ineffective nanny-state scheme, SHOCKED! But we are still going to feel safer, right? And certain bureaucrats will be lauded for their leadership and will reap political rewards from the bedwetters. And it will only be a small tax increase to pay for some overhead, in addition to the costs lumped onto the ISPs as a hidden tax - hell, what is a few more billion on the national debt? Plus, important political contributors get shielded from unfair competition from small startups - the free market is overrated anyway.
Man, you gotta be a terrorist or a child-pornographer to be against this stuff.
Ping for later
Yeah, this is sort of a "When guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns" sort of thing.
Libertarian ping! To be added or removed from my ping list freepmail me or post a message here.
...ISSC, cybercash, NAWAS, government, NSY, hate, speedbump, joe, illuminati, BOSS, Kourou, Misawa, Morse, HF, P415, ladylove, filofax...
see! SEE! I told you I was on their list!
LOL!
Gee, aren't we lucky we have conservatives in control of the executive branch of government /sarcasm.
Link?
WAR IS PEACE
FREEDOM IS SLAVERY
IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH.
That's what it's all about.
Quite a list. Is it real?
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