[Dfey-nw-discuss] Fwd: [GeekUp] (OT) - or is it? What effect will wikileaks have on us Geeks?

[Tim Dobson]

So, what are everyone's thoughts? :)

-------- Original Message --------
Subject:        [GeekUp] (OT) - or is it? What effect will wikileaks have on
us Geeks?
Date:   Wed, 08 Dec 2010 19:51:50 +0000
From:   Frank Fenten <address@hidden>
Reply-To:       address@hidden
To:     address@hidden <address@hidden>



Overheard on the bus today: two teenage girls, about 15, discussing
Wikileaks.

Hold on.
15 yr old girls?
Discussing politics?
Wat?

They cited their disbelief that the charges were wholly unrelated to his
recent expose of diplomatic cables. The word 'innit was used. I think
Tchya! was also cited accompanied by the sucking of teeth.

15 yr old girls, discussing politics, leaping to the defence of someone
accused of rape.
I was staggered.

And then I thought.
Simply no-one here even talking about it? WTF? OK, so the biggest tech.
story in years: seriously, I know I said I wasn’t going to do politics
related stuff for a while, but really. This is what we do every day.
This is our business.

So: what effect will it have on us?

Here’s my tupporth:

    * hacking or unauthorised computer access is going to be made an
      even worse crime - punishable by locking up and throwing away the
      key.
    * Lots more moves towards ‘Great firewall of China’ style control of
      information flowing over international boundaries.
    * Lots more cracking down on outspoken websites like Indymedia [1]
    * RIPA-style legislation beefed up
    * The IMP will be ushered through with nerry an objecting voice.[2]
    * DNS is going to be a lot more tightly policed (lots of moves in
      that direction already by police and nominet) [3]
    * The final and total death of irony [4]


Or have I read this wrong?

Please note: I make no commentary on the rights or wrongs of wikileaks
activity or the proclivities and habits of its editor in chief.

I am only concerned in this instance with how it is likely to affect
those of us who work professionally on the interwebz.

[1] http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/01/23/indymedia_manchester_raid/
(yeah, know that’s an old link, but point holds)
[2] http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/11/08/imp_date_2015/
[3] http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/11/25/nominet_crime/
[4] http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2010/12/152465.htm

Cheers,

Frank


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