= Making Good Internet Decisions = We all use the Internet; most of us don't know more about than we have to. That's logical; most of us learn what we need to and the Internet's powerful technology allows us to do a lot without really knowing how things work. And that's good because most activists have plenty to do and the easier things are to use, the better. But the Internet isn't a "neutral" tool like a hammer or a calculator. Because it is a mass movement, the Internet is an arena for very internse political struggle. There are people who want to use it primarily to make money and to continue the kind of society most of us are still living in. There are those of us, and our numbers on the Internet are impressive, who see the Internet as another tool for changing society and the world in virtually every way. These aren't just theoretical options. The choices you make impact on the way you use the Internet. They can either contain your experience and force you into the control of a company or allow you to grow and broaden your experience. More than that, these choices have an impact on the rest of the Internet and the rest of the progressive movement. Because, as with any issue or struggle (and possibly more important than most), there are responsible choices to make about your Internet work and there are choices that are simply irresponsible. You want to make the responsible choices and so, in making your Internet plans, here are some issues and questions you need to be conscious of. == Web == Does your server allow plain text FTP access? What's your policy on receiving cease-and-desist letters? Do have I have full secure shell access? == Email == Do you use starttls so all email data is encrypted from point-to-point with other email providers using starttls? Do you enforce https only web access to webmail? == DNS == Can do I have full control over my domain name (ability to change the authoritative DNS servers)?