Ever since we encountered the first and second wave of information control, a background battle has waged on multiple fronts around the internet.  CTH users may encounter disruptions; some information about ‘Subscription Notifications” follows.

I am currently working through another layer of background problem-solving directly related to CTH requests for subscriber notifications.  At the core of the problem are decisions on what terms and conditions we are willing to accept.

Currently people can subscribe to have a notification of a new article post.  Many people have written over the past several months saying they are no longer getting those notifications.  The problem is multi-layered, and at the core is something no one is willing to discuss, because the biggest control mechanisms in your online travel try to keep this information hidden.

Internet Service Providers (ISPs), they’re the entity who you select to use to access the internet (ATT, Comcast, Verizon, or whatever service you pay), long ago began a process to control the content of the information that is processed by their service.

This issue has become more problematic as various nations and governments have also gone beyond their geographic boundary controls with demands upon ISPs to filter information based on determinations of their various bureaucracies.

As an example, the govt of China, Russia, Europe and even Canada may restrict the flow of information available to citizens within that country.  Traditionally, they would put control mechanisms in place to block websites or traffic they deemed averse to the interests of that government.

However, as you might have realized with the Social Media restrictions in the USA based on COVID-19 (example), the issue is not always limited to “hostile” countries but can specifically be determined by the subject matter of interest.

With the advent of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), the need for control creates ever-increasing tentacles.  One of those tentacles for internet content control extends to ISP companies, who now find themselves subject to terms and conditions of operation; that means they must also adhere to the fiats of the country from which, or to which, the dataflow is connected.

ISPs now create ‘terms and conditions’ for internet traffic. This may be, often is, invisible to you.  However, if ATT (example only) complies with the terms (legal requirement), that means putting blocks in place for the traffic. [This is also part of the age verification and digital id stuff.]

How does this apply to email and/or service subscriptions?  Well, in order to send you information, a third-party subscription (or even an email service itself) needs to ‘authenticate’ with the ISP.

The authentication is part of the agreement to the terms and conditions.  If the information provider does not authenticate, the information transmission can be blocked – you never get the email or the notification.

The ISP demand for authentication or registration is sold as a need to ‘eliminate spam’ or unwanted/harmful content. The ISP is protecting you. However, we have moved way beyond that issue, and now the ISPs are adhering to regulation, and compliance demands on the content itself. This, as you can easily imagine, is a big deal.

The EU has moved beyond blocking sites to blocking content – the actual information itself.  [This issue is not isolated to the EU, only provided as an example.]

If an ISP company wants to sell internet access services to the EU, they must accept EU terms and conditions on the content of their service.  That ISP company then demands anyone who transmits information through their internet service to authenticate or register with the ISP.  If Gmail doesn’t authenticate with the ISP, then Gmail will not work on the network.  The terms and conditions from the ISP are now forced upon the information providers.

As an outcome of this mess, in order to send you an email notification, we must now be compliant with the terms and conditions of each ISP. Those multi-hundred-page legal terms and conditions are now determined by rules and regulations that may have nothing to do with the country of origin from where the information originates.

This is a hot mess, but in the era where anonymous internet traffic is now viewed as a threat, it is a natural outcome. My response to all these demands and conditions is….

CTH did not build a battle tank website of information only to later agree to remove the tracks and drive only on rails that other people (ISPs) put into place.  Nope. Not happening.

While most information websites in the website universe began forcing registrations and/or deleting their comment systems, CTH built a comment system from the ground up that is specifically designed for you to remain anonymous. I know this can also be annoying at times, but there’s a big picture reason for it.

Here’s the bottom line.  I’m looking at options, but I am not going to agree to terms and conditions that ultimately control content – regardless of the pontificating pretenses from those who say, “It’s not about controlling content.”  Yes, it is, and I will fight it like hell.

If your email notifications stop coming, first check your spam folder.  If it’s not there, it is more than likely your internet service provider has deemed the information too dangerous for your mind to absorb.

In fact, and I’m not kidding about this, 90+% of all internet user issues, problems, blocks and website issues, can ultimately be traced back to this increased control system by ISP providers…. who are ultimately -in my opinion- adhering to government dictates and fiats.

The only thing I can guarantee is that CTH will transmit the signal.  The rest of the process is becoming incompatible with the free delivery of information, when contrast against the interests of those who wish to block that signal.

If I figure out a subscriber solution that: (a) does not come with content restrictions, and (b) safeguards your privacy upon subscribing; I will let you know.  In the interim, we will keep transmitting as much as possible.

Love to all,

~ Sundance