March 17, 2010
UTNE READER

Waging Peace on the Internet

May 6, 2002
By Maria Optiz 
Article Tools
Print
Comments
RSS
Bookmark and Share
O

RELATED CONTENT

ne of the greatest promises of the internet is the opportunity to disseminate information freely among people, without the interference of government or the influence of corporate media. However, governments across the globe have found ways to protect their interests by putting up firewalls and threatening Web publishers. According to Oxblood Ruffin, writing in The Register UK, censorship is a "spreading sickness that plagues cyberspace." Most offending countries practice censorship by claiming to protect their citizens from pornography, but ultimately use it to keep challenging opinions and information from the people.But a movement is afoot to stop Web censorship in all its forms. The Cult of the Dead Cow (cDc) and their subsect Hacktivismo are working to subvert censorship with "disruptive compliance" rather than civil disobedience, with an ultimate goal of creating careful networks of users who can trust each other and work together to preserve online freedom. There is evidence to suggest the effectiveness of these networks. Ruffin describes a collaboration between Chinese hackers and human rights workers which has been productive. "The main challenge for hackers," Ruffin concludes, "is to keep focused on the goal of liberating the Internet."
--Maria Opitz
Go there>>
Bookmark and Share
RSS | Comments | E-mail | Print

Comments

Add Your Comment

We’d like to know what you think. To comment, please use this form. E-mail addresses are never displayed on comments, but they are required to confirm your comments. First time registrants: You will receive an email confirming your email address. Once you confirm, your comment will be posted. Questions about our comments policy? Click here.

Line breaks and paragraphs are automatically converted — no need to use <p> or <br> tags.

New to Utne Reader?
Sign up to share comments.
Asterisks(*) indicate required fields.
Name*
Your name appears next to your comment.

E-mail Address*
This will be your login ID.

City State Zip Code

Password*


Confirm Password*

Comments
1500 character limit (Offensive materials and/or spam will be removed, no HTML allowed)
Please Note: Your sign-up must be verified via e-mail before your comment is published.
FEATURED ARTICLES
MOST POPULAR


Pay Now & Save $6!
First Name: *
 Last Name: *
Address: *
 City: *
State/Province: *
 Zip/Postal Code:*
Country:
 Email:*
(* indicates a required item)
Canadian subs: 1 year, (includes postage & GST). Foreign subs: 1 year, . U.S. funds.
Canadian Subscribers - Click Here
Non US and Canadian Subscribers - Click Here
Want to gain a fresh perspective? Read stories that matter? Feel optimistic about the future? It's all here! Utne Reader offers provocative writing from diverse perspectives, insightful analysis of art and media, down-to-earth news and in-depth coverage of eye-opening issues that affect your life.

Save Even More Money By Paying NOW!

Pay now with a credit card and take advantage of our Earth-Friendly automatic renewal savings plan. You save an additional $6 and get 6 issues of Utne Reader for only $29.95 (USA only).

Or Bill Me Later and pay just $36 for 6 issues of Utne Reader!