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<DIV dir=ltr lang=en-us class=OutlookMessageHeader align=left><FONT size=2
face=Tahoma>-----Original Message-----<BR><B>From:</B> <SPAN
class=039453400-29012011><FONT color=#0000ff
face=Arial> </FONT></SPAN><B>On Behalf Of </B>Gene Gaines<BR><B>Sent:</B>
Friday, January 28, 2011 2:59 PM<BR><B>Subject:</B> Re:<SPAN
class=039453400-29012011><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial>
</FONT></SPAN>The Lessons of Egypt<BR><BR></FONT></DIV><SPAN
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<BLOCKQUOTE type="cite">
<DIV><SPAN>I am glad to see this from ISOC:</SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN><BR></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN>Internet Society Statement on Egypt's Internet
Shutdown</SPAN><BR><SPAN>28 January 2011</SPAN><BR><SPAN></SPAN><BR><SPAN>We
are following the current events in Egypt with concern as it appears that all
incoming and outgoing Internet traffic has been disrupted. The Internet
Society believes that the Internet is a global medium that fundamentally
supports opportunity, empowerment, knowledge, growth, and freedom and that
these values should never be taken away from
individuals.</SPAN><BR><SPAN></SPAN><BR><SPAN>The Internet Society considers
this recent action by the Egyptian government to block Internet traffic to be
an inappropriate response to a political crisis. It is a very serious decision
for a government to block all Internet access in its country, and a serious
intrusion into its citizens’ basic rights to communicate. If the blockage
continues, it will have a very detrimental impact on Egypt's economy and
society. Ultimately, the Egyptian people and nation are the ones that will
suffer, while the rest of the world will be worse off with the loss of
Egyptian voices on the net.</SPAN><BR><SPAN></SPAN><BR><SPAN>However we are
most concerned about the safety and security of the Egyptian people. Alongside
the rest of the world, we share the hope for a positive and lasting solution
to the problems that have risen to the surface
there.</SPAN><BR><SPAN></SPAN><BR><SPAN>In the longer term, we are sure that
the world will learn a lesson from this very unfortunate example, and come to
understand that cutting off a nation's access to the Internet only serves to
fuel dissent and does not address the underlying causes of
dissatisfaction.</SPAN><BR><SPAN></SPAN><BR><SPAN>Also available at: <A
style="COLOR: rgb(7,77,143)" href="http://isoc.org/wp/newsletter/?p=3091"
target=_blank></A><A style="COLOR: rgb(7,77,143)"
href="http://isoc.org/wp/newsletter/?p=3091"
target=_blank>http://isoc.org/wp/newsletter/?p=3091</A></SPAN><BR><SPAN></SPAN><BR><SPAN>The
Internet Society</SPAN><BR><SPAN>"The Internet is for
Everyone"</SPAN><BR><SPAN><A style="COLOR: rgb(7,77,143)"
href="http://www.internetsociety.org/"
target=_blank>http://www.internetsociety.org</A></SPAN><BR></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE>
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<DIV><BR></DIV></DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>Gene Gaines</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
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