BluegrassBulletin.com

"How Can I Deceive Thee, Let Me Count The Ways"

Notorious viruses get headlines, the troublesome little ones that attack your computer and steal your identity don't.  But at least one Internet Service Provider has been shut down on allegations that it was a dark corner of cyberspace where criminals went to work their dirty deeds.

According to a story at MyWayNews, this criminal enterprise was being orchestrated from foreign countries using servers in the United States.  Their purpose was to provide a place for malicious websites and even child pornographers to infect society with their evil.

According to the report the FTC has shut down the service but says it is only a temporary fix since bad guys know how to get back up and running pretty fast. [MyWayNews]

Delayed Blogging Due To Professional Responsibilities

Off to defend truth, justice and the American way.  Publication will continue after 10.  Keep checking back for the latest.

Freedom of Speech: Not On The Internet

As I begin my second year as a blogger, the online world is increasingly being threatened by corporate censorship.  What at first appeared to be the world's biggest soapbox, the Internet is no longer a free speech zone.  Take a look:

Rant all you want in a public park. A police officer generally won't eject you for your remarks alone, however unpopular or provocative.

Say it on the Internet, and you'll find that free speech and other constitutional rights are anything but guaranteed.

Companies in charge of seemingly public spaces online wipe out content that's controversial but otherwise legal. Service providers write their own rules for users worldwide and set foreign policy when they cooperate with regimes like China. They serve as prosecutor, judge and jury in handling disputes behind closed doors.

READ MORE

New "Iron Curtain" lowering?

In a story today out of Austria, it seems that some former Soviet countries are beginning to impose "excessive" restrictions on the use of the Internet. This is reminiscent of the 'Iron Curtain" days.

The story says that government officials in Malaysia will not hesitate to prosecute bloggers who insult Islam.

In other words, this is the foreign version of the fairness doctrine.