Cornwall ON – As internet service is cut off to most of Egypt it makes one ponder about how much we rely on the internet and our cell phones in our day to day lives; especially smart phones or iPhones.
Egypt is currently in the grips of turmoil with mass riots and protest in the street. The government there basically like something out of 1984 has shut down communications in an attempt to get a grip on the hysteria and return order.
“The more simple the topology is and the fewer Internet services providers there are, the easier it is for any government or the telco themselves to control access into any geographical area,” he said.
Makes you think? Makes me think anyway.
“Every Egyptian provider, every business, bank, Internet cafe, website, school, embassy, and government office that relied on the big four Egyptian ISPs for their Internet connectivity is now cut off from the rest of the world.”
Imagine that if you would? Could for example Mr. Harper prorogue parliament because of protests say over…the budget…maybe Tom Mulcair threatened to bop Mr. Harper on the nose so the Mounties were called out and all of our services were shut down. Could you imagine the mayhem in Canada?
I have a few friends that refuse to go onto the net. They refuse to buy a cell phone. Not all of them are older. Now I rely on the Internet for my living. This week Google played with their algorithms which is how they rank their search results.
It’s a slippery slope and when the average person doesn’t see what the man behind the curtain is doing ….or cares, should we be surprised by changes?
Today it’s Egypt. Tomorrow it could be us here in Canada.
What do you think my fellow Canadians? You can post your comments below.
No need to ban the internet. Just make it so expensive only the right sort of people can afford it.
Internet? You guys are such middle class AM/FM white bread radio wave surfers. Most of the world gets its news from the shortwave radio. There are over a billion working shortwave radios out there.
http://www.WBCQ.com
Yup – up the quality of service and price it beyond low income users. Wonder how Egypt would react to that model if it were in place today?
I’ve got a bunch of shortwave radios that I’ve listened to and collected over the years, They range from Hallicrafters from the late forties and fifties, to more modern Grundig portables. Since I got sucked into the internet about 14 or 15 years ago, the radios have been piled up in a closet. The power and danger of mass communication and information should never be underestimated. I became a Lefty Pinko Commie from listening to Radio Moscow and Radio Havana Cuba in the Fifties and Sixties. Be careful of what you listen to or read, lest you become a misguided wretch like me.
Hallicrafter, dang. Very cool, Furtz. I’m surfing with a Grundig 800 and thinking about an indoor magnetic loop. The other day I was eyeballing a 1930 Atwater Kent in someone’s dusty basement. You’re wise to keep them hidden in the closet. I keep mine buried in the backyard. You never know when it’s going to start…
Hey Roy. The Grundig 800 is way fancier than anything I have…very nice. My most modern receiver is a YB-400 that I use as a bed-side radio. I have four Hallicrafters, two Trans-Oceanics, a few Sonys etc. The absolute best radio I have is my 1948 Hallicrafter S-40. I’ve grown to hate all digitally tuned radios, including car radios. I like to tune up and down the bands with my eyes closed or in the dark without worrying about what the exact frequency is. Just may string up another long wire (once the snow stops) and see (hear) what’s out there. It’s been a while. Is Arnie Coro still around?
Forgot to ask, Roy.. Is there an indoor magnetic loop antenna that rejects noise from fluorescent lamps, computer monitors etc? Are they good from 3,000 to 30,000 KHz? I’m out in the boonies with no neighbours close by, so maybe an outdoor antenna would be the way to go.