Party Vibe

doesn’t surprise me one bit – IMO yet another example of a worldwide lurch towards social conservatism and a regulated internet (now a distinct possibility following the succesful censorship/filtering by the Chinese working in tandem with US corporates, and corporate consolidation of ISPs meaning much net traffic is ultimately routed by a few large communications companies based in either the US or Asia)

some states/nations can (and do) do this anyway by deploying filtering software.

Even public sector organisations are perfectly within their right to do so by using a “free market” argument – claiming that that as they paid for the connection they can do as they please with the data running through it..

OTOH the “kids” will just have to stop dumbing themselves down, form real communities (not just on line ones) and learn a bit more about how computers and communications networks work!

I don’t think ISP level censorship (at least not of social networks) will be seen in Western countries apart from maybe connections offered to family groups where there are young children..

Between a bunch of teenagers or young people – even the poorer ones – they can easily obtain cheap PC’s etc and share a broadband or wireless connection, in the same way that many set up sound systems or find a friends house where they can hang out and play tunes, go on the net etc. its amazing what sort of stuff is put in skips or just given away (particularly with new environmental rules that an old computer is treated as hazardous scrap).

OK they may need to learn a bit more about how the kit all fits together that gets you on line but its easier than it ever was…

I do think on line media is going to be brought under similar regulatory framework to the conventional media – although it will probably be done more by creating a climate of “self-censorship”.

People will intially be allowed to overstep the mark; then reined in by various means.