This video [1] (The Internet is for Porn,from Avenue Q; viewer discretion is advised)does a good job of illustrating the debate in a humorous context, many reasons why the internet is beneficial to people while the opponents consistently decry pornography viewing with little else. Although thee are a whole host of much stronger issues they could use, to quote Jonathan Zittrain [2], "As Internet usage has gone mainstream, the problems arising from harm-at-a-distance have intensified in tandem with the ranks of those feeling injury. Individuals complaining of libel or fraud are joined by corporations worried about stock manipulation and domain name cybersquatting, as well as governments anxious about citizens purchasing faraway goods effectively exempt from sales tax, and encountering illegal speech that is not nearly as easily controlled as that issuing from print or broadcast media." Arguments about pornography are easily felled with free speech, but these actions are much more harmful and don't necessarily fall under free speech. However we have a problem whenever we try to regulate anything on the internet; laws are local, the internet is global. Does the French government get to control an American's free speech? If Joe from Austria emails a threat to Bob in California, and the email is transmitted through line is France and Great Britain and AOL's Virginia servers, from where does Bob sue Joe? Anyways I think as a whole the internet is beneficial and needs minimal restrictions, acceptable are ones that prevent people from creating websites where the domain name is a registered trademark.
@cycloolephin- How does a single image ruin your life? You should have sent in a complaint to the company so they would remove the ad, most websites would do that in attempt to be consumer friendly and retain the patrons who pay for the servers upkeep by viewing ads.
1) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-TA57L0kuc 2) Zittrain, Jonathan,Be Careful What You Ask For: Reconciling a Global Internet and Local Law. WHO RULES THE NET? Cato Institute, 2003 Available at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=395300 or DOI: 10.2139/ssrn.10.2139/ssrn.395300
The internet is obviously good and bad. Like someone said before it's all on how you use it. The bad aspects have been said already. Kids are being exposed to porn and things they shouldn't be at a young age. Also there are viruses that can wreak havoc on a computer. Myspace and all those websites can be bad for people as well. I think that the good of the internet outweighs the bad. There is the improved communications. Information can be sent in a matter of seconds these days. People can meet others that are on the other side of the world and not even know it. Ideas are exchanged daily and an infinite amount of useful and educational information is just a few clicks away.
I agree, with mvp. The internet is just there. It's people decision on how they use the internet, that's whats good or bad.
I don't think we should get rid of the internet, because it's very convenient and makes life easier. But we should be careful not to abuse it. I think one of the worst things about the internet is porn. Porn is useless. So i think we should get rid of that. Cause really, I think the real thing is better than the images.
I'd walk to the mailbox and mail it to GET SOME EXERCISE! Probably around half of America's population is getting obese! Get over it and walk a block to the mailbox!
