Friday, April 15, 2005

The Revolutionary Local Narrow Web or censorship? The President of the National Center for Informatic Technology has some really scary statements in today's El Nacional (page B20, by subscription only). He starts by saying that he considers that the freedom and lack of control of the Internet is also a source of domination. He then gives as an example a porno site that differs in only one letter from the Disney site, as a way of attracting visitors. He then asks "Do we have control so that each family knows what is good or bad about the Internet? There is no governability in the web... we have no conscience of what we have in our hands". He states that a country that does not create the tools and barriers, loses sovereignty. Thus, he says, they are creating a Venezuelan Internet, a network that will strengthen national sovereignty. They are creating Internet centers in the barrios, but these will have access only to web pages made in Venezuela or, if they are foreign webpages, they have to be hosted in a local network that will control what is published. Thus, in the name of protecting the kids and sovereignty, these revolutionary innovators are simply imposing censorship on an unknowing Venezuelan population. I guess they will call it the Local Narrow Web. I call it censorship. What would Kim Il Sung call it? Your leader knows best? 1:47:53 PM    comment []