Current Event

http://articles.cnn.com/2010-02-18/tech/internet.censorship.business_1_internet-censorship-google-popular-social-networking-sites?_s=PM:TECH

     

     This article talks about how many countries are beginning to place bans on various websites and search engines.  Because of this, there has recently been a boom in companies that create loopholes and proxy servers that allow for internet users to access certain information and websites despite and bans that may be put on them in their country or simply their network.  Such devices that enable people to do these things include VPN’s and proxy servers. VPN’s access another country’s internet that doesn’t have any bans, allowing for users in countries with restricted internet use to do as they please on the internet.  Proxies also have similar features, but are less reliable.

     This article relates to Oryx and Crake quite directly.  Jimmy and Crake have to use hacking and several proxy type loopholes in order to access the online websites they enjoy using.  These are blocked because of the content, such as child pornography.  The novel does not specifically state the use of VPN’s or proxy servers, but on can assume that similar methods are used to reach the desired web sites.

Annotations

Keene, Renee. "Untangling the Web: Exploring Internet Regulation Schemes in Western Democracies."               San Diego International Law Journal 13.1 (2012): 363-65. Academic Search Complete. Web. 9            Apr. 2012.

     This portion of the journal talks about the United States’ policies regarding internet censorship.  It states that the First Amendment allows for freedom of speech and expression, and this allowance is extended to the internet.  In 1996 the Communications Decency Act was passed, censoring any material that could be deemed inappropriate for minors by normal standards.  This act was shortly shot down in the Supreme Court.  The reasoning behind the removal of the act was that while the cause of keeping inappropriate material off of the web for minors was admirable, it definitely restricted the rights of adults.   Reno v. ACLU insured that, “the First Amendment protects speech and expression in its various formats, including speech that occurs over the Internet,” (364).  Another act, COPA, which is similar to the CDA, is most likely going to be found unconstitutional as well.  Advocates of these policies only wish to protect the children.

     This is highly applicable to the novel, Oryx and Crake, as readers can see that the condition of internet censorship is still in the condition it is today, but with a much looser grip.  The novel portrays the internet sites to be very gruesome, such as publically broadcasted executions, and child pornography.  It would seem as though the author is trying to bring to light the current state of internet censorship and the road that it is taking.  With the constitution currently allowing for indecencies such as pornography to be viewed by anyone, the country’s future internet might actually end up resembling that of the world Jimmy lives in, with no boundaries.  I personally believe that the internet should be regulated in such a way that freedom of expression is allowed, but actual and definitive verification of age is implemented.  I’m not quite sure how that could be done, considering that anyone can access someone else’s computer, or claim to be a certain age.  The lack of censorship of the internet in the novel also brings to light the liberality of the society in which Jimmy lives in.  One can only assume that the morals of the country and its citizens has significantly declined in the future that Jimmy lives in.

Palfrey, John. "Four Phases of Internet Regulation." Social Research 77.3 (2010): 981-96. Academic           Search Complete. Web. 9 Apr. 2012.

     

     This article talks about the four stages of internet censorship since its invention.  The first stage was the open internet. This was during a period from the 1960s to 2000.  At this point internet activity was pretty much ignored and monitored very lightly.  The second stage was called the access denied stage. This lasted from 2000 to 2005.  During this stage of censorship, the world started regulating the language and accessibility of certain portions of the internet to certain people and groups.  The third stage was called access controlled. This lasted from 2005 to 2010.  “Access controlled characterizes a period during which states have emphasized regulatory approaches that function not only like filters or blocks, but also as variable controls,” (989). In the fourth stage, known as access contested, the controls will slowly be pushed back.  This phase lasts from 2010 to beyond. 

     In regards to the novel, this article seems to be an accurate predictor of the internet of the future, as it is virtually limitless and uncontained during the time that Jimmy lives in.  As far as both the article and the novel are concerned, I feel that they are both accurate predictions of the future of the internet. With society becoming more and more technologically oriented, soon anything will be possible over an online connection. Also, the trend for society to become more and more liberal over the years gives me full confidence that the internet in the world that Jimmy lives in is fully plausible for the future.