I’ve learned in the last week I’m not only one thinking we’re living in a cyberpunk dystopia.
Fans of cyberpunk have been discussing if attacks on net neutrality are a sign of this. Apparently, the possibility has taken one of the biggest online groups by surprise. The most recent push by the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to favor the old cable companies over preservation of Internet freedom is causing “a bit of an existential crisis” for r/cyberpunk on reddit.
We’re not all flying around in our personal cars under neon lights, but politically, we are living within a cyberpunk world. Private IT and government agencies are catching up to threats instead of troubleshooting well in advance.
One of the risks is that people can die from malware. Everyone who’s paying attention is worried about governments giving apathetic corporations power over who lives and dies.
Like Ciemnika wrote in blog post [later deleted] entitled “We are Living in a Cyberpunk Dystopia”,
Our world is becoming increasingly digital, and I doubt that’s a trend that’s going to reverse any time soon without a calamity. It’s well past time for us to wrest control of our destiny before its entirely bought and sold out from under us. It’s not too late.
The message concluding on this post is great. I agree with it entirely.
Winning the fight to preserve net neutrality is very possible, but people have to get involved. You can’t assume someone else will do it. You have to roll up your sleeves and do the work. We can push back against the tide of overreaching government and corporate influence, and this is a great place to start. I’m not saying we can swing the pendulum from the seeds of Blade Runner to a utopia in a week, but the opportunity for humanity’s future to be the best part of its history is still very real.
American readers, all you need is a moment to give Chairman Pai your opinion directly on the FCC filing site (see how), or use the Battle for the Net form for your representatives in Congress to also receive your comment. Don’t wait for heroes straight out of fiction to save our world for you.
The FCC is accepting comments through today, July 17. (Sept. 22, 2017: See my update, The Battle for the ‘Net Continues.) If the net neutrality in the US will impact you, please go comment. Right now. Thanks.
Shadow Fals 
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