[jennie]

I've posted a little about this before, click to view thread.

The reason I post again about this is because I'm really scared. I wonder if I am the only person here worried about this?

What if your internet service provider decided you could no longer access Psych Central? Or, what if you were only allowed to view Psych Central if you agreed to pay a little extra money to your internet service provider?

What if DocJohn no longer could afford to run Psych Central for free?

Scary, huh? Maybe I'm being paranoid?

[SeptemberMorn]

What proof do you have to back this up??

Maybe the upsets of the last couple of weeks have you reaching further than you need to. If you don't have any proof that this could happen, then IMHO, you are "what if'n"; worrying about things that are NOT likely to happend.

[DocJohn]

I agree, it is an issue every Internet user should become aware of -- that the Internet should remain neutral in terms of access to whatever sites you want to access.

I will ensure that no matter what the outcome of such legislation, the majority of PC services (including most of the self-help support forums) will always be available to members at no cost. Even if we have to help subsidize access directly, we will do so at our expense because these services are valuable.

Which is not to say you shouldn't get involved, learn about the issue at the link provided, and sign a petition for what you believe in!! I have and will continue to push for what we have today because the Internet is a public resource, whose foundation was funded by and built by taxpayer dollars. What some companies are suggesting is just ridiculous!

DocJohn

i will speak out on this with the knowledge that i've researched it and i know what's happening in Washington.

big companys(AOL being one) are trying to convince Congress to allow them to restrict access to the internet. they are doing this for various reasons. most of the reasons revolve around money...as you would expect.

some of the restrictions are political. there are already numerous senators who restrict the flow of e.mails into their offices by making you go to their website and decipher all sorts of ways to send your opinions/needs to YOUR elected official. this is sort of an offshoot of what we're talking about, but still related.

jennie and doc are right on about what is going on. i've worked on this for several months now.

personal examples that i am aware of concern various groups that i belong to and they would no longer be able to notify me of pending legislation votes because their access would be restricted or denied.....either by requiring the group to pay or by slowing down their access to me. that is not acceptable to me.

i could list any number of bills that i've been able to speak out on, but won't due to space and time. if certain groups, such as The American Humane Society, could not have notified me of a vote coming up, i couldn't have lobbied my representatives, by e.mail or phone calls, to take action. some that i've been very active with were the dog fighting bills, the wild horse slaughter bills and the %#@&#! fighting bills.

this is no joke. this isn't a figament of someone's imagination. this isn't a witchhunt. this is serious business. AT&T, etc. are all involved in this. my internet access is through AT&T. any time there is more money to be made, they are going for it.

restriction of my freedom to the internet isn't right and i suggest that you do your research and contact your represenatives immediately or one day you'll notice that you aren't able to do what we take for granted now. google internet freedom or restrictions or just read the msnbc news.......it's all over the media now.

p.s. anyone here who knows what happened to the sale of my house in New Mexico knows what the government can do to indviduals and we cannot do anything about it. education is the key. if the government allows this restriction, there will be more. just remember, i lost my entire $ foundation due to a government ruling.

"chicken" fighting bills.........

[SeptemberMorn]

You know what??? As if we don't have enough problems within PC, I don't think NOW is the time to bring up more upsetting news! Let's give ourselves a break, already!! I don't have this much hassle in my private life!! Why do I need to come here and get upset??

It would be wise to dole out upsetting stuff one at a time! Some are still fighting over whether we should have a teen area or not! I'M FLAT EXHAUSTED!!!!!!

tomi, if you don't have a dog in this fight, please don't try to negate the seriousness of it for others.

you don't have to read or partcipate in this. no one makes you read any certain thread.

i'm sorry that you feel so strongly about this and i'm extra sorry that you feel triggered. take care of yourself.....

i'm ready to start my Ebay business and that will also be threatened. i'm trying to look out for what a lot of us need to do to help ourselves.

again, i'm sorry that you are upset. but i will not stand down on this. xoxoxo pat

I personally think NOW while it still is in the debating cycle of the judicial system IS the right time to mention this not when already in the voting cycle. Right now is when the senators are listening and want to know what the people they are in the senate building to protect want to do about this. Thanks Jennie and Doc John for bringing this up for me to be aware of. I try to be active in protecting past, present and future survivors rights and so on when I can and have testified in a government task force soI know that you two are not bringing this up at the wrong time - the only wrong time to bring legislative issues up is after the debates are done and the bills have become laws. So many people complain when laws get passed in legislature because it isn't what they wanted. Well nows the time to let those passing laws on our behave in the senate and house. Why complain later when nothing can be done about it when now we can be heard while there is still time and can have an impact on what we want in our lives.

Yea I know I have been reading the threads about discord and so on here but frankly there is no such thing as a conflict free on line support group just like in real life therapy and support groups no one agrees with everyone 100% of the time. Its real people behind these computer screens each with their own beliefs and so on not to mention different types of state, contental and governmental rules and beliefs, religious rules and beliefs, races and cultural differences. with out being clones of each other there are going to be disagreements and so on going on basically ALL the time. Its just that some people handle those disagreements more privately then others do. Whether or not it gets exposed on the boards that someone doesn't agree with someone else or someone is slamming someone else and someone doesn't want to be friends with so and so or someone is telling others to gang up on so and so and ... any number of disagreements are going on non stop on this site and every other website.

Hey if people wait until everyone is peachy keen and 100% agreement before bringing up legislative issues well lets see there would not be mandated reporting of child abuse, there wouldnt be a judicial system, a USA constitution. Basically everyone would be sitting by saying how do we stop this abuser ok I have an idea for a new law but people are fighting now so now is not the right time to lobby for better laws or to prevent a bad law from being passed.

Here in the USA the laws and rules for everyone in the USA are made and passed through people who see the fighting and the bad side of things and say its time to do something about it so law proposals are drawn up and "the people" Everyone in the USA of voting age gets a say as they become aware of the law proposals by way of contacting their state senators and governors and city mayors, by participating in city gorvernment called "city council panels and meetings" and so on. The only way the president and the people in legislature ( the senate and house of representative) know what laws to vote yes and no and veto is if "the people" let them know hwat they need and want in order to function as a united community and or united country by getting word about the proposed laws and petitions and voting at certain times of the year and during certain years. Our country was built into what it is based on the fact that it was the fighting and so on that pointed the way to new laws beingf formed. During the fighting is exactly when the new laws are made and put in place.

That includes rules for being in on line support groups the moderators, administrators and so on take what is involved with the different types of fighting and form better rules for the sites that enable the site to function better, not ideally because there isno such thing as utopia, but better.

Yea there's disagreements going on right now but there will always be disagreements. Does that mean those that are active in legislative process and so on have to not be told of an issue before legislature because someone cannot agree with someone else. no.

Just like with any other thread here people are free to choose which threads and posts they want to read or stay away from.

Again thanks Jennie and Doc John for giving me a change to make a difference in the ever battling world of what survivors want and need in this world be it in real life or on line.

[Gemstone]

Thanks for bringing this up Jennie. It is very serious and its a good topic.

I don't have much to add other than what Pat has already said.

Everyone remember: "the internet is not something you just dump something on. It’s not a truck. It’s a series of tubes." From Senator Ted Stevens, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation

[Liv28]

Yes..thanks Jenne for bringing this to our attention! I think this IS the time to focus on the topic..sooner rather than later! Again, it is your choice to choose to be involved in this subject or not.. Please do not frown upon the ones that choose to..all Jenne was asking was for you to be aware of the situation so if the time comes you can act if you choose to do so! I thank her for that choice!! (((((((JENNE)))))

[Rapunzel]

I find this disturbing. It would just be one more wedge against individuals and smaller businesses and not for profit organizations being heard and seen. The internet has been an equalizer. It ought to stay that way.

Rap

Thats what I believe too which is why I am glad Jennie and Doc John are bringing this to my attention so that I can now voice my opinion about a law that is going to offect me whether or not I like it. Here in the USA all USA citizens have a say through contacting their govenment officials and letting them know about what they feel should be laws and or done with proposed laws. I have just finished composing an email and sending it off to my senator about this issue asking my senator to help keep the website options open for me free of charge.

[Liv28]

Ewwwww..Myself..Good idea..at least you let your voice be heard!! Very nice! Can only hope there are more like you! I think I will do the same.

Thanks.Yes I hope more will also write. the senators are there to be "the peoples" (USA citizens) voice in legislature and the only way they know what we want to say is if we tell them.

woooooooooooooooooooooohooooooooooooooooooo. internet freedom advocates have spoken on PC.

come everyone, let's put our words into action. anyone who wants links to the groups that i belong to is welcome to PM me and i'll tell you who i support......

[(JD)]

I, for one, will take the energy necessary to add my voice. We, the people, can prevail! There are more of us then "them" and just because "they" are more vocal and active doesn't mean they should "win."

On a side note when you contact your senators: (hope you don't mind this)
While you are at it, advocate for the "must carry" law. (for info click on this : http://www.multichannel.com/article/...=Breaking+News It regards cable TV. Within a few years there will no longer be "broadcast" TV. (This is out of the air..free...etc) Those frequencies have been "sold" to the cellular phone companies. What the "must carry" law/bill says is that the TV companies MUST CARRY the free television stations such as PBS... they are currently refusing to do so. The vote has been scheduled!

[SeptemberMorn]

OUCH!!!!!

Pat, I'm not negating anything for anyone!! I'm just saying that this forum has been through enough lately! Wish we could give it a rest, already!

Just my OPINION, for pete's sake!! You don't have to bit my head off!

[jennie]

thanks for your support . . . ((((DocJohn)))) ((((fayerody)))) ((((myself)))) ((((Gemstone)))) ((((Liv28)))) ((((Rapunzel)))) ((((_Sky))))

SeptemberMorn . . . i hope you feel better . . . for you

[Rhapsody]

Thanks for sharing the INFO with all of us here.... for the sooner we become aware of this matter the quicker we can do some thing about it.

LoVe,
Rhapsody -

[hillbunnyb]

yep, where would i be without my sunday mornng coffee and petitions routine. makes me feel participatory, ain't that what America's supposed to be about??????? i'm too messed up to go out and carry a sign anymore. Stand up for your rights!!!

[lenjan]

I'm with ya, Tomi -- the last thing we need here right now is somebody stirring the pot some more for something that isn't likely.

Could be I'm just cranky because I'm PMSing, but I really don't need any more stress and upset in my life either. So everyone who bit off Sept's head, come bite off mine too. If I don't have a head, I don't need to pay someone to shrink, and I thank you for that! Us crabby old chicks are going to stick together.

CB

you started it, tomi. i didn't bite your head off. and as for you, candybear, adding fuel to the fire.........you'll wake up some day and see what has happened to your internet freedom.

don't lecture me about this. if you don't want to take part in it, leave it be. it's childish to come and complain when "you don't have a DOG in the hunt"........

and it's childish to try and start something else here. that's what that would have turned into, if so many didn't have the gumption to get behind this.

this is a mature and adult concern and we, as PCers, are going to do everything we can so that all will have access to the internet. naysayers can do whatever. i won't stand down......pat

[SeptemberMorn]

</font><blockquote><div id="quote"><font class="small">Quote:</font>
"you don't have a DOG in the hunt"........

</div></font></blockquote><font class="post">

WE ALL HAVE A DOG IN THIS HUNT, PAT!!! JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE ALL HOT TO TROT DOESN'T MEAN THAT ALL OF US ARE!! CHILL!!!!

[LMo]

Ok, don't make this personal and public - take it to PM please

i took it to PMs before this. pat