Seeking the advice and input of ATS members on an important issue...

You have my support! show me where I can sign!

If I was worried about the cookies from ATS I can just delete them, it's not like Phorm where they are tracking every page you visit.

I'll sign any petition though as I'm from the UK don't know if this will have any weight.

Yet another example of politicians who know nothing about the internet sticking their oar in.

Saying that, that Terminator ad that's been on ATS recently is very annoying. I hate any ad that I have to close before I can see the page content.

reply to post by 27jd


Yes, but if people participate they will wake up to what is going on around them. Eventually enough will wake up that our governments will no longer be able to ignore the peoples will. Remember the Vietnam War? MLK? We have always been more powerful than our government. The problem is apathy. People saying why bother it won't work. It would work if everyone who believed in something stood up in unison. No government on earth can stand up to its people and that is their biggest fear. That is why they keep us divided. That is why we have the two Party system. That is why they all run negative campaigns. If we come together they loose.

One thing you can be sure of is the control freaks know how to unite. We must learn to do the same IMO.

Skeptic..

Efforts to protect OFTEN mean restrictions. You of all people, should be able to see that.

Whilst you harvest fantastic intentions with your own realm of rules for posting on your site, some people see that as restrictions on their free speech, and bla and bla. I'm sure you've heard it all.

Sadly, a happy medium in MOST political situations is really unattainable.
The politicians lobby for the loudest, majority. That way, they seal their votes.

They don't realize the REAL ramifications of their actions. And sometimes don't care.

That said, if simply offering the choice to users is an option, I can fore see the "AGREE" button for that, being clicked as often as the "AGREE" button for licensing terms on any thing. Also, your user base on ATS would probably click "AGREE" anyhow...as it is something they are already allowing, without knowing. Unless I'm not understanding the big picture.

That also said,and it boils down to it, if it helps I would also add me to your petition.

Count me in. I'll sign the petition in a heartbeat !

Don't much care for "big" business taking control and making more
obscene profits. I don't like to be controlled.

But also, I don't feel it's the POTUS doing this.

reply to post by Hemisphere

Originally posted by Hemisphere
reply to post by loam

 

Thanks for that post and break down loam. That should be a big help.

Just to be clear, those are ADDITIONAL significant threats (perhaps even greater) than the one SO is describing here.

The storm clouds are much darker, I think, than anyone realizes.

Throw in this, and you may have the storm of the century.

[edit on 25-11-2009 by loam]

This has been tried before in the past .... Hitler tried to burn all the books .....

To me this is the modern equivalent they want to suppress information.. they want us to read only what they want us to read.

Too much of the world is waking up to how things actually work and they don't like it.

Count on my support in whatever form ATS can mount

I for one will not allow the metaphorical equivalent of Hitlers idea to manifest itself in the modern world.

QS

I agree this is something that needs to be done.

I'm all for signing it and helping in any way you deem necessary.

Down with corporate power! Power to the people!

I am not rich but I would pay for ATS. I am ready to give 1-2 $ a month. I am sure that the advertising will not generate more than this for one member.

So - why dont u make a special "premium account" with no commercials ?

a Romanian guy

reply to post by Blaine91555


I agree. I wasn't saying we shouldn't fight this, i already pledged to do my part. I'm not advocating apathy in anyway.

However, as for Nam and MLK, i don't really remember those, i wasn't born til 1977. What i do remember though, is my state voting pretty overwhelmingly to legalize mj and use tax stamps per oz. The state government was surprised by the outcome and of course the feds threatened to pull funding for the state, so they told us we weren't fully aware of the harm that would be done, and negated the vote. I also remember very recently, all the big bailouts in which the people flooded the phones and emails of our representatives, telling them NOT to vote in favor of the bailouts. Again, they told us we had no clue what we were talking about, and completely ignored the voices of those who voted them in (allegedly).

The people's united voice may have frightened them back then, but it doesn't seem to anymore. I think they are confortable knowing we will do nothing more than bitch and moan when they ignore us, and our attention will eventually move to another manufactured, hot button divisive issue.

reply to post by SkepticOverlord


A resounding YES from me

The battlefield in the ongoing war over freedom has recently and most definitely shifted toward a full frontal assault on the internet. It is imperative that the internet remains free. If it falls into the restrictive hands of the larger corporations the effects would be truly devastating.

In the face of such devastation and in response to such an urgent threat to the very survival of ATS itself, I strongly support and offer any assistance I can in bringing the full power and resources available to bear in not only our defense, but also the defense of those smaller websites with less resources, and the free internet as a whole.

reply to post by SkepticOverlord

If we (ATS) were to organize an online petition effort, would you support that?

Absolutely, yes.

Such a petition effort would cross the line of our stated principals of limiting advocacy within the borders of ATS, but I think this is a vitally important issue of concern to our members and the thousands of small website on which you find inspiration.

Sometimes you have to do what you have to do as circumstances change, again I am all in favor. ATS is a wonderful site (and there are many others in the same situation I am sure), to lose it because of such gross ignorance and negligence (to act) would be very tragic in my humble opinion.

As such, before we engage in any petition of Internet users, I thought it logical to bring it up to you for discussion and consideration.

I am continuously amazed at the salient manner in which this board flows and the owners concern for member input. That above quote should sum up why ATS is so great and why it MUST stay.

Is this something we should do? If you think it is, I will bring to bear all that I know to ensure your opinions are noticed in an independent effort (not directly related to ATS) all users of the web could embrace.

Again, yes. I really don't see how any member would be against this. But the very fact that you care enough to ask all of our opinions is all that I would need (I didn't need any reason before, but that would top it off for me). Count me in.....

Is there some kind of petition we can sign? What action is needed? I'm down for the cause.

I have a radical tho unpopular alternative for things like this.

First things first..
Open your wallet for a change, you skinflint!

Other than that, there's things called merchandising, subscriptions, sponsorship, paid advertising space (self sell, no cookies involved, etc) and the like.

You see, that's one thing I saw from the beginning when this stuff started on the web, so many people began with these ads and thought they'd be millionaires, or at least break even, and then the whole culture started to suck onto this like a leech because it meant little if any work need be done except cashing checks.

Unfortunately, it's a victim o fit's own success. There have not been sporadic issues with abuse, there's widespread abuse as well as tracking from site to site, which is why so many people, myself included run add ons like taco, optout and adblock plus.

I guess a similar site/page would need to be created, as you will see by the link provided, it was directed to Infinity Award regarding Modern Warfare 2, a game very popular across a plethora of ages regardless of nation. This way it was also assured that it would be indexed and shown on all major sites and msn which coincidently was mentioned.

www.petitiononline.com...

I'm in. As your possibly sole ATS anchor on this wee rock I live on, I'll support this petition and similar responses in any way I can.

I cannot count on my own government to understand the issues -- if the core of those issues are different than that presented. This country is quiet and peaceful, and *cough* goes with the MSM flow.

If it's one thing that I understand and hold dear, it's the value of freedom of speech.

I wonder though, what big guns are lining up for this measure and why? Is it truly as simple a concept as controlling the flow of information on the internet? Will the proponents of this be able to spin it into... say, a clamping down on porn or short-eyes sites? The reason I bring that up is that very conservative nations such as this one (Cayman Islands) tend toward sort of blindly embracing any measure that is billed as quashing immoral or "unsavory" web sites. In other words, freedom of speech is a conditional thing here, and I suspect in other lands as well.

WHAT tools, information is at our disposal to present truthful data to people on a local level? I guess I'm asking for help in compiling information that outlines the TRUE ramifications of such a bill.

Of course, we're but 45,000 souls, so maybe that doesn't matter in the big picture. I tend to go along with the view presented in the movie, All The King's Men, about the life of populist Willie Stark..... "You hicks, now........ if YOU don't VOTE, YOU don't MATTER!"

Short answer: I'm in.

Sent my letters out to the white House, Congress, House of Representatives and even my state governor...she is canadian.

Also called some of the offices and managed to speak with a real people on this issue. I hope the word is out that concerned individuals are not impressed with the legislature.

I'll continue to do so every week, or until I get a responce on this.

Originally posted by Blaine91555

Nonsense! You choose by not going to the site. You still have choice.

If cookies are part of terms and conditions, and you must agree in order to log on, then that is not choice.
It is ULTIMATUM.

Here's a sillyish idea...what if we were able to get Johnny Anonymous to interview Rick Boucher?

What a way to get the guys attention focused on us rather than them...

Just tossing it out there...

reply to post by SkepticOverlord


Bill count me in, what this ultimately leads to is state sanctioned internet. it's basically a small but important step to that, in my thoughts at least. net neutrality is vitally important as more and more of every day business and life is taking place online. and this, though some may not think so, is an attempt at destroying net neutrality.whatever you need man, i'm there.