After going through all of the blogs for this week, we found a common thread among them all that can be summed up by what Matt said in his blog, Regulation, Regulation, Regulation,“I believe that regulation is not the answer.” The government already has a lot of control and many of our classmates were wondering why we would want to give even more power to them. Thomas Malone pointed out in his blog, The Man Bein’ The Man that the internet is supposed to be a “world wide web” and that it does not make sense that just one nation try to regulate everything.

Many students seemed to agree with the text that despite the negative outcomes of what could happen, there are still alternative solutions that could be taken. Joe Rinaldi, in Finding the Right Analogy, suggests that the real problem is that we have not yet defined the issue. By understanding the “ins and outs,” is the only way we can actually place regulations on it. This makes perfect sense because in Chapter 7, in the book, Blown to Bits: Your Life, Liberty, and Happiness after the Digital Explosion, by Abelson, Ledeen, and Lewis, we find countless example and example of how people found loopholes in the laws that were passed. It is apparent that Congress did not think of all the negative possibilities that would have come out of the Good Samaritan clause (Abelson 243).

Many students also suggested educating children. By educating the children of the negatives of the Internet, they will be able to better utilize the Internet for good. Josh and Jessica Lathem said it best:

Josh-Learning From Other’s Mistake

“Have beautiful children, teach them about the negative so then their eager to find nothing but the positive, and utilize what has made everyday life for the best”

Can the Internet be Monitored-Jessica Lathem 

“What I think should be done though is to educate students better. Perhaps add in another course on Internet etiquette?  Until then, young people will continue to be more curious and won’t learn until some unfortunate event happens to them”

It is interesting that we all came to similar conclusion: Don’t completely shut down the Internet just because negative things could happen. Instead, be educated so that those scenarios are unlikely to happen.