But drafting laws that could quite literally break the internet is a bad idea no matter what your interests might be.

FORBES: Chris Dodd 'Confident' Obama Administration Working On Next SOPA

Mr Butchart believes independent stores have a future and does not necessarily agree that the internet is all bad news for music shops.

BBC: Independent record shops say they are open for business

At the RSA conference in late February, we got the word, again, that the Internet is indeed a bad, bad neighborhood.

FORBES: Why Security Without Usability Leads To Failure

The failure to enforce privacy laws is bad not only for Internet users, but also for smaller companies and innovative firms that are developing services that comply with privacy law.

CNN: Put teeth in Google privacy fines

For good or bad, it is certain the internet will carry more breaking news, more character attacks and more contentious comment than ever before.

UNESCO: UK National Commission for UNESCO :: 2010 World Press Freedom Day Student Journalism Competition launched

There is no shortage of bad actors furthering malicious activity on the Internet.

FORBES: Should ICANN Be Adding More Generic Top-Level Domains?

The usual currency of the venture capitalist is equity, not bank loans, not least because Internet start-ups are notoriously bad at making money and so have little free cash to service debt.

ECONOMIST: Japanese banking

Facebook's latest disclosures to the Securities and Exchange Commission contain both good and bad news for potential investors in the IPO, which is expected to be the largest Internet listing in history.

WSJ: Facebook's Growth Slows