ATS Staff should start preparing for censored Internet

To ATS Staff,

If you all haven't already, it would be very smart to start preparing for a *censored* Internet in the event that SOPA or Protect IP pass and become law. To the admins, it would probably be smart to hire a lawyer if you can afford one and be very swift in response to any thread posted that could potentially be considered a violation of the act.

I know you might initially think the bill might not be used to censor the Internet, and it's solely to protect from piracy, but you'd likely be wrong. Russia has a similar bill, and they use it to censor anti-government groups, or are at least much harsher on them. Maybe this might not happen right away in the US, but with the direction we're headed, it certainly seems like sites like ATS might be targeted.

I don't like playing the disinfo agent card, but it wouldn't be unheard of for new members to intentionally post piracy or things that could be considered as such. The threads should be instantly deleted (maybe look into a SOPA or Protect IP content filter to filter out content that could be in violation of the acts).

I don't mean to sound harsh, but staff should do everything to ensure ATS stays up in a post-SOPA or Protect IP Internet.

[This comment was removed by the U.S. Department of Justice due to violation of bill H.R.3261 (SOPA) ]

reply to post by mossme89


I really wish we could get a sticky thread on SOPA.

lol ats is the king of censorship as it is.

should be business as usual for them.

I'd like to see ATS assure us that we won't have to change our handles to our real names like China is forcing its citizens to do. Anonymity is golden. Especially when discussing controversial and delicate situations as we do here.

Beijing orders microbloggers to register real names
www.breitbart.com...

Funnily enough I too was wondering how all these recent "moves" might affect ATS. Perhaps a holiday to somewhere like Toga is on the cards? Relocate the physical servers on non-US affiliated soil?

ETA I know you can forget Holland which was temporarily used as a conduit for thepiratebay. They threatened the owner of a "secret bunker" with a court case and he was forced to desist.


reply to post by Afterthought

I think there will be many John Titor's all of a sudden! Brian is also a good one

ATS staff, should do nothing at all. The management and the ownership of the site however, might want to think about wether they WANT to exist in a format which dilutes the truth. Anyone who has heard me speak of this site , knows that I love it, and appreciate the oppertunity to sharpen my wit on the whetstone of debate here, and that I appreciate the ability this site gives an astute person, to collate data from various sources, and examine them in honesty, with the filter of propeganda as a side issue.

However, if there are going to be sweeping changes to the freedom of speech that exists here, I wonder if it might not be better to let it go all together. I do not want to see the site disbanded, and I am sure the owners would not want that to happen, given all that they have invested in it, in terms of resource and funding. However, if intellectual and expressive freedoms are going to be erroded, or give the powers that be an excuse to crush the site anyway, I dunno... seems unfortunate to let them. At the same time, it could be very costly trying to run a site based on the denial of ignorance, while ruled by a police state system like the one proposed.

What's left to discuss if SOPA passes?
I'm serious....the weather?

reply to post by RainbeauBleu


Maybe a fraction of that.
Weather manipulation would certainly be off the table.

reply to post by RainbeauBleu


just be sure not to imply that it could be man-made.

::Edit:: RT(whole)FT unrelentinglurker...

Worry not. We are represented by one of the top I.P. law firms on planet Earth.

Not to mention this bill, as it's written, won't cause issues for sites who don't participate in violating I.P. laws, we don't and we never will allow the infringement of copyrights, plagiarism, I.P. piracy, or anything else that is obvious theft on ATS.

Nobody in D.C. cares that we are talking about the topics we cover on ATS, at least not in the way implied by the OP. I can say that because S.O. and I go there every year to to do what we can to keep it that way.

Seriously, the day the U.S. Government, with ALL it has to worry about, starts cracking down on the freedom of speech GUARANTEED by the U.S. Constitution on sites like ATS (who are strict about honoring IP Law) is the day we will move the servers and the whole works out on a ship in international waters where NO country has a say over what we do or don't do.

Springer...

reply to post by Springer

the day the U.S. Government, with ALL it has to worry about, starts cracking down on the freedom of speech GUARANTEED by the U.S. Constitution on sites like ATS (who are strict about honoring IP Law) is the day we will move the servers and the whole works out on a ship in international waters where NO country has a say over what we do or don't do.

Alright! I LIKE that.

reply to post by Springer


Do I hear a cruise vacation in the future?

reply to post by Springer

When the S.S. ATS sets sail, I call top bunk! And of course it goes without saying the ship will be equipped with an open bar and champagne hot tub.

Until that fateful day should ever arrive, being ethical about intellectual property will hopefully be enough.

We come down rather hard on unattributed copypasta, and I know some people resent that, but better to have ATS be a target for plagiarism (and it definitely is) than to see it become the sort of wretched hive of scum and villainy such copy palaces are.

That said, if we ever do become a wretched hive of scum and villainy (some may already say that now), I call booth in the cantina!

Originally posted by Springer
Worry not. We are represented by one of the top I.P. law firms on planet Earth.

What he said, "ATS Staff should start preparing for censored Internet", is against our purpose and beliefs.

Believe it, or if your an ATS hater, not.

But that's the truth, and we will never allow it or tolerate it.

Originally posted by Springer
the day we will move the servers and the whole works out on a ship in international waters where NO country has a say over what we do or don't do.

Springer...

We're sorry, abovetopsecret.com is temporarily offline.

Today December 21, 2012 the good ship ATS set sail for international waters, until we've established an uplink from there the site will remain offline.

i think things would be pretty eroded and far beyond worrying about internet censorship, should that time come. here's to hoping we never see that day.

There are enough problems with this to ensure it will be challenged.

There are enough people in the industry who collectively have sufficient sway to make certain it is challenged.

The next question is, will they?

I can tell you that those people whom I know are almost entirely out of touch with this bill's potential for abuse of power; and completely persuaded that it will only be applied to criminals.... and therein lies the trick... when does one become a criminal - when the judiciary is provided with evidence and due process is carried out, or when big media says so?



Take that! ..... It's called "Fair Use" ... look it up!

reply to post by Maxmars

I recently watched that movie, great post maxmars! Invasion of The Bodysnatchers (remake) for those that don't recognise it. Long live ATS, liberty and the right to discuss. Sticks and stones can break my bones but you'll never take away my dreams.