Internet control by the Federal government is like a nervous tick. It is a scary subject that pops up when the threat seems imminent as it does today. Those of us that choose the RV lifestyle face this reality more than the average Internet user. We choose to travel the byways of this beautiful country rather than stay in one predictable, controllable and rooted spot. The Internet is our connection to our neighborhood, family life, and, in some cases, our income.

The Internet helps maintain our addiction to this voyage of freedom from tons of stuff, conflict, and pettiness. If anyone bothers us or interferes with our path in life, we move on down the road.

We can flip a coin and decide to visit our family or not. We can be totally independent or snuggle close. Be a babysitter or check in by eMail or Skype. When family problems get too tense, the option to move on is there.

Back in the Day . . .

For those new to the RV lifestyle, life without the Internet has no meaning. Back in the 1990s when I started full-timing in a motorhome, my Internet connection was an acoustical coupler wrapped around a pay phone handset.

Working on the road meant using FAX machines at the local UPS store, overnight postal mail, and phone conferences. Life was not easy on the road if you required reliable Internet service.

Control of the Internet

Control of the Internet is not a new idea. Travelers without computer and Internet expertise in those early days had their Internet controlled, not by the government, but by a commercial provider called AOL.com. AOL provided free telephone numbers so its users could easily connect to their service. AOL was user-friendly and provided good support.

These users were not aware that their search abilities were limited to AOL content. Their Internet existed only within the confines of AOL World. This, of course, provided AOL with a built-in financial channel and provided millions of advertising dollars, maybe billions if you include the applications that paid AOL to be a part of that world.

Today the younger generations are too computer/Internet savvy to fall for that scheme, so a fairytale is generated to ensure their cooperation.

Those of us who are daily watchers of the political scene worldwide, lately often as an entertainment choice, keep an eye out for signs indicating transfer of power. The pieces of the “Internet Control” puzzle are starting to come together.

Internet control is being set up like most promotional endeavors these days. Attacks on the homeland first, then influential worldwide sharing services (e.g., Facebook) start to fail. Political rallies or demonstrations that can be quickly organized on the Internet are stalled; negative feedback is shutdown.

Questions started whirling in my mind nonstop when the Net Neutrality bill was rescinded by President Trump, despite the millions of citizens that fought it. There was literally no positive press for deregulation, even on Fox News. Twenty one states are still fighting to get Net Neutrality reinstated.

What happened next? technology companies started pushing users to the Internet and Internet providers started cutting back on access. Since these two sectors are intertwined, financially and in public opinion, what the …?

Then the political stories broke about hacking by foreign entities, Facebook’s lack of watchdog activities, Google falling in line, and the list goes on. “National Security” is the fairytale set to rationalize Internet control to the media with coordinated support from trolls.

We are becoming a third-world country, people. Here is what we can do to keep our small corner of the world intact and continue to be productive.

> Remove all your files from any backup online resource. Use external or USB drives to store backups. These online resources, specifically the free sites, may disappear along with your data. The odds are good that there is no warning. (First, you think it is your computer. Next, check the network, and finally after much frustration, accept that the site is down.)

> Subscription apps that are available only online (MS Office, for instance), at renewal get the downloadable versions. Yes, updates may rarely happen but at least you can still use these apps on a daily basis. This possible loss also applies to other utilities and games that must be connected to the Internet.

> Never use your phone number for identification (unless it is a disposable prepaid phone, then make sure you write down this number as years or months later you may need it). The exception here is for job searches, of course.

Note: Your data for sale is much more valuable to the worldwide buyer if the information is up-to-date and complete with phone numbers. All commercial companies sell your data, including cellphone companies and online vendors. Do not let inconvenience overpower your survival instincts.

To keep from sharing your data with the world of Internet controllers:

> Remove your credit card data from online resources.

> Remove (or use false info) your personal information (educational info, any info on your children or pets, employment dates) from any sharing site, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc. Do not share your travel schedule until after the fact.

> Replace your birth date everywhere (except medical records) with a false date.

> Remove all phone apps that are not essential, including games. Any new phone apps, please check their requirements before uploading.

> Delete Norton and McAfee from your computer and phone. These apps are automatically added to your new computer as “bloat ware” and have uplinks that provide feedback about your surfing practices. Switch to a real Anti-virus, Anti-spam provider.

> Always close your Internet browser after each search. In the Settings, check the box “delete all history upon closing.”

To keep the threat at bay, it is important to stay vigilant. Keep abreast of all the news, Fox News, MSNBC, NBC, CNN, and Democracy Now! Each channel has their own agenda for their advertisers and their political views.

Share your thoughts and research with your neighbors, find out how much they really know about the issue. Do not be timid expressing your views.

We can stop this coup d’état if we stay tuned in to the issues. There are already court actions taking place to stop the government control. Be ready to jump in with your opinion on forums, social media sites, and blogs.