Copyright Directive Panic

[MyNameIsTerry]

It will now go to the wider European Parliament to vote on in July.

Who may vote it down. Remember it's a bunch of MEP's on a committee not the wider Parliament.

Not everything is passed just like in our system. So plenty of opportunity for some thickly stuffed brown envelopes

If your life is not worth living without internet freedom then you already need to be seeing your GP for help. It's unhealthy to be so revolved around the internet.

On another note I strongly dislike this lazy journalistic trend of "a Twitter user said..." which lifts a comment from any loon on what is a network for daft hyperbole. They create whole stories from a few people having a moan on Twitter these days. An expert, fine, but not the man down the pub.

[Bigboyuk]

It will now go to the wider European Parliament to vote on in July.

Who may vote it down. Remember it's a bunch of MEP's on a committee not the wider Parliament.

Not everything is passed just like in our system. So plenty of opportunity for some thickly stuffed brown envelopes

If your life is not worth living without internet freedom then you already need to be seeing your GP for help. It's unhealthy to be so revolved around the internet.

On another note I strongly dislike this lazy journalistic trend of "a Twitter user said..." which lifts a comment from any loon on what is a network for daft hyperbole. They create whole stories from a few jump times having a moan on Twitter these days. An expert, fine, but not the man down the pub.

Nicely put Terry and yet so true Love the last few words btw, but not the man down the pub ATB

[FrankT]

If your life is not worth living without internet freedom then you already need to be seeing your GP for help. It's unhealthy to be so revolved around the internet.

I don't think my GP is an MEP who can stop this madness. Do you remember SOPA? This is just like that... we need everybody to band together and fight back! And I do mean everybody! If we can't do that, it's over!

[MyNameIsTerry]

I don't think my GP is an MEP who can stop this madness. Do you remember SOPA? This is just like that... we need everybody to band together and fight back! And I do mean everybody! If we can't do that, it's over!

What use is a MEP? Anyway with Brexit this may not ever cover us. And you do realise it's just the EU? You can VPN around it. Companies themselves host outside of certain areas to avoid regulation (Zuckerberg, for instance).

I think your GP is far more relevant. Your mental health is important. Your going to see many big world affairs throughout your life but how many even touch on hit life? The nuclear warnings of my childhood went away, the IRA troubles went away, etc and people just got on with life but if you can't do that because of anxiety it is time to access help.

[FrankT]

Maybe you're right, Terry. I've become dependent on the Internet. I know that much. ...but what sort of help can, you know, help me on this?

Anyway with Brexit this may not ever cover us.

Two MEPs from the UK were among those who approved it. I think it'll cover us pretty well!

[FrankT]

My anxiety attacks have worsened. Nobody here seems to understand that I'm going to lose everything that matters to me! And so are you! It's going to tear you and the people you care about away from each other!

[MyNameIsTerry]

Frank,

Politicians over here vote for & against all sorts of stuff, good & bad. Voting records are public and it's easy enough to see how many big names in Parliament voted against increasing our rights. So, a couple of MEP's is irrelevant since it's the main vote that matters.

And we don't yet know what our post EU agreements will be (2 years on and it's still like the vote was only last week ) so it's impossible to predict how this could affect us. If we never had the referendum then it would come down to the EU voting and then there may be little we can do as it's so remote other than complain at our MEP's (who I doubt care what most of us think).

But your worries over this are clearly skewed because even if it did happen many people wouldn't even notice and the rest would adapt. It's not so long ago we didn't even have the internet.

We always adapt. Look at the impact of losing manufacturing and traditional industries (coal, steel, pottery, etc) had on the UK. It decimated local towns and causes a lot of hard times for many people. How would you say this possible internet change would compare to that? Or the collapse of the USSR? The Berlin Wall? The Cold War? Increasing terrorism?

Losing your job in an industry that the region was formed around, and nob hunting with many thousands of others made redundant around the same time with the same skills, is understandably a bit impact on your life and that of your family. But losing access to images, music, video, etc seems far less by comparison since you can still pay your bills and not worth where your food & clothing are going to be coming from.

I love in The Potteries and the scars of the collapse can still be seen. But the city has moved on and newer industries have come here.

Is your worry really about what this policy will do? Or more about fearing a perceived big change of anything?

I do think you need to be seeking strategies to challenge your thinking and reduce your reactions to perceived threats such as you can learn in therapy.

I had never even heard of these new controls they wanted to introduce. It makes me wonder whether outside technical circles did anyone care because the industries will lobby it out? I doubt the press would keep a lid on it because we have large circulation by anti EU media outlets and any clamping down on the internet sends many on the left into a frenzy so that brings in left leaning media too as this seems more right wing.

[FrankT]

Is your worry really about what this policy will do? Or more about fearing a perceived big change of anything?

You could say that. The whole thing will likely destroy free speech!

[MyNameIsTerry]

You could say that. The whole thing will likely destroy free speech!

If that were the case though I expect our government would be under enormous pressure to change it given the fight for freedom of speech through history. In a democratic country it's just not going to happen without some serious change and I just can't see it whilst we are allowed a vote as eventually it would mean a big shift back to booting out any government that restricted rights...look at the Tories now who are struggling and how an acceptable Labour front bench would have likely landslide May out.

The rise of far right in the EU is obviously a concern but our politics means more voters congregate around the centre hence the current minority government issue.

Given the lack of media attention I just question whether this is considered a bit of a fringe idea that will get nowhere? Or maybe it's piggybacking valid legislation hence will be amended out?

[FrankT]

More likely they're just covering it up.