Cus Productions

Amazon trying to get a handle on what I might want to buy. Throw enough stuff at me and you *might* have something I want!

At least he’s honest

Turns out the UK Government wants to kill net neutrality in the EU.

I originally saw the argument on Slashdot, but one poster summed it up succinctly:

Those against net neutrality represent the gravest threat the Internet has faced. The Internet routes around damage, yes. But if concerted, simultaneous attacks occur by various governments around the world, Internet freedom can be defeated.

Not to sound overly melodramatic, but our children’s children will judge us based on how we react to these assaults, today. If we successfully defend the Internet from those who wish to corrupt it for political, religious or profit reasons, we will have provided the greatest gift humanity has ever received – a free, open, and entrenched global communication network. A step in the evolution of our species.

If we fail in our duty, and the Internet is globally subverted, becoming yet another one-way broadcasting network for advertisers and propagandists, we will have left our descendants to another hundred years of suffering and misery.

Consider some of the things the Internet threatens:

• War: The Internet connects people in warzones with people outside the warzone. This makes it difficult to perpetrate a war without upsetting the aggressor’s citizenry, as they will be exposed to the consequences of the war. Youtube, blogging from Baghdad, and english.aljazeera.net are just the start.
• Police brutality: Videos can circle the globe within minutes. The watchers are now watched, and this has a powerful effect on their behavior.
• Propaganda: .. is far less effective when the citizenry can check the facts
• Financial scandals: Anonymous communications help whistleblowers uncover financial scandals-in-progress

Now consider some of the things the Internet enables

• Global scientific collaboration: For both amateur and university-scale scientists, the Internet permits the free exchange of ideas
• The liberation of “intellectual property”: (not so good for the profit-seekers, but ultimately necessary for humanity)
• Force multiplication for sellers: individuals can sell their products with the same efficiency and legitimacy as a large corporation, enabling more competition and a true free market (ie. ebay)

All of this has a negative effect on entrenched players, explaining our current situation. And this is the reason we need to fight, and fight hard. Because if we don’t, we, and our descendants, will lose.

Sad but true

Zakk’s altered storyline *is* different, but I don’t think the original would have been possible given the film length he had to work with.

The final scene is still intact though, which left me smiling

Spoilers: (white on white, so hilight)

The one gripe I have is that instead of a ‘rally to arms’ of the world against a foe they know exists (squiddy) which would have led to exploration of outer space and a communal approach to advancing the race technilogically, we have the world united in fear against a bogeyman god (Jon) who vanishes never to be seen again as he no longer has any stake in the earth. In 5 years time old rivalries may return and we’re back at square one.

Defcon 16 Audio is now available. Video soon!