Internet control by the federal government (a.k.a. Corporate monopoly) is like a nervous tic. It haunts most of us that choose to travel the byways of this beautiful country rather than stay in one predictable, controllable and rooted spot. The Internet is our connection to our neighborhood, family life, and, in some cases, our income.

The Internet helps maintain our addiction to this voyage of freedom from tons of stuff, conflict, and pettiness. If anyone bothers us or interferes with our path in life, we move on down the road.

We can flip a coin and decide to visit our family or not; be totally independent or snuggle close. Be a babysitter or check in by eMail or Skype. When family problems get too tense, the option to move on is there.

Back In The Day . . .

For those new to the RV lifestyle, life without the Internet has no meaning. Back in the 1990s when I started full-timing, my Internet connection was an acoustical coupler wrapped around a pay phone handset.

Working on the road meant using FAX machines at the local UPS store, overnight postal mail, and phone conferences. Life was not easy on the road if you required reliable Internet service.

Control of the Internet

Control of the Internet is not a new idea. Travelers without computer and Internet expertise in those early days had their Internet controlled, not by government edict, but by a commercial provider called AOL.com. AOL provided free telephone numbers so its users could easily connect to their service. AOL was user-friendly and provided good support.

These users were not aware that their search abilities were limited to AOL content. Their Internet existed only within the confines of AOL World. This, of course, provided AOL with a built-in financial channel and provided millions of advertising dollars, maybe billions if you include the applications that paid AOL to be a part of that world.

Today the younger generations are too computer/Internet savvy to fall for that scheme, so a fairytale needs to be generated to ensure their cooperation.

Those of us who are daily watchers of the political scene worldwide, lately often as an entertainment choice, keep an eye out for signs indicating transfer of power. The pieces of the “Internet Control” puzzle are starting to come together.

Internet control is being set up like most promotional endeavors these days. Attacks on the homeland first, then influential worldwide sharing services (e.g.Facebook) start to fail. Political rallies or demonstrations than can be quickly organized on the Internet are stalled; negative feedback is shutdown.

Net Neutrality Gone . . . No, No, No

Questions started whirling in my mind nonstop when President Trump rescinded the Net Neutrality bill despite the millions of citizens that fought it. There was literally no positive press for deregulation, even on Fox News. Twenty one states are still fighting to get Net Neutrality reinstated.

What happened next? technology companies started pushing users to the Internet and Internet providers started cutting back on access. Since these two sectors are intertwined, financially and within public opinion, what the …?

Then the political stories broke about hacking by foreign entities, Facebook’s lack of watchdog activities, Google falling in line, etc. etc. etc. IMHO, “national security” is going to “take the fall” for Internet control.

We are becoming a third-world country, people. Here is what we can do to keep our small corner of the world intact.

 * Remove all your files from any backup online resource. Use external or USB drives to store backups. These online resources, specifically the free sites, may disappear along with your data. The odds are good that there is no warning. First you might think it is your computer, next you check the network, and finally after much frustration, accept that the site is down.

 * If you purchased products that are available only online (MS Office, for instance): At renewal, get the downloadable versions. Yes, updates may never happen but at least you can still use these apps. This also applies to other utilities and games.

 * Never use your phone number for identification (unless it is a disposable prepaid phone, then make sure you write down this number as years or months later you may need it). The exception here is for job searches, of course.

 Note: Your data for sale is much more valuable to the worldwide buyer if the information is up-to-date and complete with phone numbers. All commercial companies sell your data, including cellphone companies and online vendors. Do not let inconvenience overpower your survival instincts.

To keep from sharing your data with the world of hackers and spammers:

 * Remove your credit card data from online resources. 

In PayPal (or any online payment site), remove any annual renewal options saved even though you cannot remove your credit card (or bank info) from PayPal itself and keep the account open. (In PayPal, Settings Icon => Manage Pre-Approved Payments => Automatic Payments.)

Uber or Lyft do not allow removal of credit cards. Your choice, cancel or keep.

 * Remove (or use false info) your personal information (educational info, any info on your children or pets, employment dates) from any sharing site, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc. Do not share your travel schedule until after the fact.

 * Replace your birth date everywhere (except medical records) with a false date.

 * Remove all phone apps that are not essential, including games. Any new phone apps, please check their requirements before uploading.

 * Delete Norton and McAfee from your computer and phone. These apps are automatically added to your new computer as “bloat ware” and have uplinks that provide feedback about your surfing practices. Switch to a real Anti-virus, Anti-spam provider.

 * Always close your Internet browser after each search. In the Settings, check the box “delete all history upon closing.”

Folks, it is important to stay vigilant. Keep abreast of all the news, Fox News, MSNBC, CNN, and Democracy Now! Each channel has their own agenda for their advertisers and their political views. Share your thoughts and research with your neighbors, find out how much they really know about the issue.

We can stop this coup d’état if we stay tuned in to the issues. There are already court actions taking place to stop the government interference. Be ready to jump in with your opinion on forums, social media sites, and your blogs.

Please feel free to link to this blog post. Use this link to eMail your contacts:  https://movingonwithmargo.com/here-it-comes-internet-control/ ‎ Time is running out!