So....what exactly is it

[MarkWatney]

no reason, no warning, nothing? yikes
your post was removed like true censorship
no questions, no reasons... just deal.. basically.. eeek.

big reason why I favor decentralized platforms...
users have a bit more power within their communities vs. central authority figure(s)

To be fair, when you look at the big picture, the site takes a lot of pains to avoid outright censorship. This just happens to be an area that can attract unwanted attention, and it makes sense to protect the community from said attention.

Maybe there could be a little more nuance, but nuance has a lot of complications on a site that has a limited number of volunteers enforcing site governance.

Everything has its pros and cons, and decentralized platforms can quickly deteriorate into a Lord of the Flies scenario. Maybe this is more of a benevolent dictatorship than a true democracy, but everything has its pros and cons.

This site is still here serving the community while others have fallen by the wayside. So despite the occasional takedown of posts and the inconvenience of having to rewrite them, maybe the advantages outweigh the disadvantages.

[F117]

Phoenixx, I admire your technical know how and suggestions. For those of us non-techie types using Safari (whose default search engine is Google), what do you suggest?

Not to hijack her reply - she is FAAAAR MORE tech than I am!

I just downloaded Firefox and chose it as preferred app to browse the web. Once you are in the Firefox settings, you can select DuckDuckGo as your default search engine. you can also tweak your Privacy settings. I have mine set Strict (blocks all known trackers) and Private Browsing (opens all windows/tabs in Private Browsing).

I'm also running 6 additional plugins (extensions) that run seamlessly with Firefox - they catch trackers that Firefox does not. Nothing is 100%, but I have found that Firefox is the most flexible when it comes to plugins recommended by the Electronic Freedom Foundation (eff.org).

[Phoenixx]

Phoenixx, I admire your technical know how and suggestions. For those of us non-techie types using Safari (whose default search engine is Google), what do you suggest?

Search Engines | privacytools.io

^ these are a great list of private search engines, and the one Mocha mentioned, StartPage, is also on this list.

Startpage is a nice alternative since it contains Google search results without the tracking ugh

I know you asked Phoenixx but I like DuckDuckGo or Qwant (slightly prefer Qwant more).
**one more honorable mention is Startpage**

thanks Mocha

:)

This goes to show you, offshore accounts out of the United States & hid behind a proxy wall won't get past law enforcement. The group, "We are Anonymous" computer hackers have been caught.

right

I luv "We Are Anonymous" tho

[Universal]

I support "we are Anonymous" when they go after the bad guys and my point was, THE BEST GET CAUGHT SOONER R L8er but I still worship Mensa Kryptonite

[Phoenixx]

THE BEST GET CAUGHT SOONER R L8er but I still worship Mensa Kryptonite

unfortunately :/

[Lovinglifeinaustin]

Thank you Phoenixx, Mocha, and F117 for your help. I appreciate it very much.

[Universal]

Try to chill MG and let it go. We all get called on the carpet now and then.
Attachment 345508

you can lead a horse to water, nevermind. We have tried.

[mathguy]

Link to the updated rewrite regarding the darkweb: New Darkweb Rewrite

Unfortunately I couldn't structure it the same way nor could I talk about all the same topics nor did I have time. The main issue here is that FOSTA exists primarily to go after those places on the various darknets.

The feds and various LEO's want to stop trafficking where the extremely vast majority is occurring on the darkweb (particularly the really disgusting stuff). They were largely unable to b/c of things like the safe harbors acts which have existed since 1996.

Many people also don't realize that trafficking laws have been on books for two full decades. Just one example? Victims_of_Trafficking_and_Violence_Protection_Act _of_2000.

None of the federal FOSTA stuff or the state laws (TX was late, many states have them) are a new thing people. Trafficking issues (NOT prostitution alone) have been around for a long long time. Prostitution itself has always been illegal anyway. It's not like we didn't know that right :/ That was the original point of the darkweb post and the story I had linked was used to introduce that idea.

[Westley]

Link to the updated rewrite regarding the darkweb: New Darkweb Rewrite

Unfortunately I couldn't structure it the same way nor could I talk about all the same topics nor did I have time. The main issue here is that FOSTA exists primarily to go after those places on the various darknets.

The feds and various LEO's want to stop trafficking where the extremely vast majority is occurring on the darkweb (particularly the really disgusting stuff). They were largely unable to b/c of things like the safe harbors acts which have existed since 1996.

Many people also don't realize that trafficking laws have been on books for two full decades. Just one example? Victims_of_Trafficking_and_Violence_Protection_Act _of_2000.

None of the federal FOSTA stuff or the state laws (TX was late, many states have them) are a new thing people. Trafficking issues (NOT prostitution alone) have been around for a long long time. Prostitution itself has always been illegal anyway. It's not like we didn't know that right :/ That was the original point of the darkweb post and the story I had linked was used to introduce that idea.

It's hard for me to agree with all of what you say because I consistently see LE go after the low hanging fruit (sex workers) to generate revenue. LE does this because it is usually more profitable to go after low hanging fruit rather than to administer justice or stem the tide of sex trafficking which may also reduce the revenue stream of some governmental entities. Sexually oriented businesses inclusive of sex trafficking are profitable in part because they are prohibited or illegal as well as in societal demand.

Based on my observations these FOSTA laws rarely target the sexually oriented businesses that constitute the global infrastructure of sex trafficking. However, in the future, foreign aid and trade agreements may address this as well and making multinational sexually oriented businesses and sex workers based in the US and around the globe even more vulunerable. I suggest that sexual slavery, sex traffickers and ilicit sex workers will flourish when and where it is convenient for these entities to operate without exceeding their appetite for risk even if it is on the dark side of the web.

As digital literacy of sexually oriented business owners and calculating power of computing platforms increase and the cost of automation and encryption decreases it is a reasonable expectation that some entities may already proffer sexually oriented businesses on the dark side of the web. I hypothesize the dark side of the web is where the recent outbreak of FOSTA laws are herding the most vulunerable sex workers and digitally illiterate sexual entrepreneurs for harvesting....literally.

[Universal]

^^ For once I agree with Westley which is rare but it doesn't matter what current evidence you bring to the table a egotistical driven know-it-all won't listen because he is a escort with first- hand experience.

[mathguy]

you can lead a horse to water, nevermind. We have tried.

^^ For once I agree with Westley which is rare but it doesn't matter what current evidence you bring to the table a egotistical driven know-it-all won't listen because he is a escort with first- hand experience.

I don't mind Wes's post at all b/c it's actually not in disagreement Uni. You just can't read or think properly. You don't even know what you are agreeing with... sheesh

Also, I didn't say "low hanging fruit" doesn't get in trouble Uni. Never have I said that. In fact, I've explicitly said that it does about a dozen times!! It's fucking prostitution you twit!! OF COURSE! WTF is wrong with you?! You need your meds? Jesus woman!

I've tried to be nice to you constantly and you continue this nonsense! You are the goddamn egotistical one.

What happened to all your "ATF intelligent poster" crap? Or this one: another "ATF intelligent poster" thread? Constantly texting me, annoying me when I'm with my kids, etc.... Huh? Calling me back about 2 weeks ago. Oh sure another cheerleader charge.

What happened to all that? Can you explain exactly what I did or said to you that offended you? That has made you think I'm the one being an egoist. Or can you not? You can't. You know why? B/c you started this! Not me. You don't even know why anymore do you?

I'll tell you why. You didn't like my viewpoints about the sex industry back around Sep 1. It's b/c you want both arguments. You want your "i'm a victim" and "omfg the sky's falling you don't understand the poor woman's viewpoint" arguments but you ALSO want your "oh i'm a free will consensual sex working entrepreneur" argument too. What's really silly about that is you think I don't know your pains, your issues, etc... and some of my best RL friends are in this industry, on this very board, and I'm working with them in other ways too. No, not what some might think. I'll give you a hint. Nah, never mind, I wont. I'll just let you wait and see. The other stupid thing is I'm every bit as "invested" in it as you are dammit! Fucking hell. You are one piece of work.

By the way.... *you* are the only person who has ever openly hinted at the idea of me being a know-it-all or an egoist. Simply being extremely intelligent, or an academic type, does not make one a know-it-all or egocentric. I find more often it's those who feel bad about themselves, due to their own inferiority complexes, that like to make such claims. IJS.

[Precious_b]

Just ignore it MG.
You've been more than cognizant in presenting your thread.

[mathguy]

Thx for the PM @ 10:29pm CST
I can't reply as you are unable to receive PMs but appreciate it! Thx

Thank you as well Pb. That's what others, guys and girls both, have advised as well. Prolly best.

[gfejunkie]

This has turned into a meta discussion about another open thread. Not allowed. Further discussion will be diverted to that thread. While it's still open. Any disrespectful posts there will be removed and thread closed.