Is the Internet really has no boundaries?

   The Internet is one of the main sources for the contribution of innovation, creativity and economic growth in a country.  It provided you the information without boundaries and connected you to many people around the world.  It can be a very useful network if you really know use it wisely, however, it also can be a very scary device when you use it in the wrong way.  It depend on us how we want to make use of it for our good benefits.

Our Internet is under Regulation of who?

   For the time being there are no any specific organization, country or government that are fully regulates the Internet.  As far we know, the Internet is the largest medium of communication and merely has no boundaries. It proved that all the internet protocols are not owned by anybody, instead it can be implemented by anyone.

   However, there are some groups or organizations that were established to keep the internet running smoothly and keep in maintain in the stable positions. The Internet Service Provider are responsible to monitoring and regulating the content.

   To name a few organizations that are working behind the scenes to maintain all the internet services, there a one known as The Internet Society. The main purpose of this society is to provided leadership in any internet issues including policy, governance, technology and development in order to protect the future of internet. 

   World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) also is one of the five leading global organizations where the Member organizations, full-time staff and public work together to develop Web standards.  Beside that, we have the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) which acted as a technical coordination body for the Internet.  Another internet regulation body is InterNIC that provides public information regarding the Internet domain name registration services.  There are many other Internet Regulation entities were established such as The Architecture Board (IAB), Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), and People for Internet Responsibility (PFIR).

   Despite the existence of these Internet Regulating organizations, it doesn't mean that they are controlling the content in the Internet hundred percent.  Unfortunately, there are organization that existed in some countries to regulates and provided Internet Censorship for some reasons.  For example, China has filtered the web access for any political content.

   Although, there are no official entity that regulates the internet, however laws have been written to protect intellectual properties.  These laws prevent user from using the Internet to distribute or receive pirated copyrighted or trademarked works.

Internet Censorship.  It is Relevant?

   Almost all the Internet user are complaining about the Internet Censorship and many of us will easily become angry regarding this issues.  I agree with the Internet Censorship BUT only in some aspects, not totally the whole Internet content because I believed that even the Internet is the largest source of information and communication, but it also have to be an limitation towards somethings.  Nothing in this world has absolute freedom, every freedom have it own restriction, if everything in this world are freedom without boundaries then human can do anything with their lust.

    From my point of view, mostly those who are really angry about  the Internet Censorship are split into two category.  The first one are those who are really into the politics, with the internet censorship they though that the regulation are only to prevent citizen's from critic the government and get latest update about current political issues.  Yes, of course it is true in some country such as China, North Korea, Iran, Syria and Vietnam have already banned the Internet and only few people can access but with the heavily censorship, mostly website that critic the government, call for changing and related to the opposition.  This is a very nonhuman action towards the freedom of speech and hinder the educational process.  This kind of Internet censorship should not be happening in any country in this world.  However, like I said earlier, nothing in this world have an absolute freedom including the freedom of speech.  I agree if the government filter a bit only the content that related to dissemination of defamatory and seditious content or materials.  Sometimes people make mistakes in their excitement involved in politic or maybe their really angry and exceed the limit of consciousness.  This will lead them to posting a seditious or defamatory content which can be dangerous if the audience from regardless of any party take it to serious and can lead to chaotic conditions in the future.  This kind of censorship I think it should be have because to ensure the better future of our country.

  The second category of people who are strongly oppose this censorship is a group of people who are really love to download entertainment materials from the internet.  This is also know as distributing or receiving the pirated copyrighted such as music, video, films, software and anything related to copyright issues.  As a student and also came from a moderate-income family, I understand that most of us don't even have money to buy the original software that will cost hundreds Ringgit or an original DVD and music album, the money that we have can be use to any other important things.  However, if we only think about our self, about our situation, it means that we are selfish and does not try to understand other people situation.  Can you imagine? You spend thousands, hundreds thousand or maybe millions for the production cost then suddenly people stole it from you, what do you feels?  The production cost for let say a music album for an artist can be cost at from as low as RM 15,000 to RM60,000 per album.  Its included how much songs in the album, producer fees, Printing Album cover, studio rent per hour (usually RM80 per hour but recording sessions can be more than 10 hours per day)), Mixing and Mastering and many more, it does not include the promotional cost (you can check on the details of production cost in here: http://www.oops-asia.com/eForumMaster.cfm?&menuid=65&&action=detail&RoomID=14).  Can you feel pity for them for what you did?  For me, of cause I feel sad because I can get any entertainment but I can't say anything because they have the right to censored their masterpiece.  There are always an alternative ways to get all the entertainment.

  Beside the two cases above, I agree the censorship for certain websites for example that are related to pornographic.  It is to ensure that internet are safe for children, not just the children that should be avoid the pornographic content, it is also not good for the adult because it will lead to sex violence, harassment, and rape.  YES, there are number of filtered software out there, even today website browser have the function of filtering the websites, but how many website that web can filter when there are thousands websites that have this content today?  That is why the Internet Censorship is needed in this way.  Here I provided you the good example why the internet censorship is important.  This article is in Malay but the point is how teenagers today misuse the internet facilities to satisfied themselves. 15 years old boy record his sex scene and use it to threaten his girlfriend.

   Well, nevertheless, this is just my opinion anyway, I know many of you out there will be against my thought but I just write it for us to think the consequences.  It up to you to agree or not.

Thanks. 

-Nur Syazwan Arasy 1121115385-