In addition to advocacy for free software, northxsouth contributes to efforts to improve digital rights. In particular, we believe community ISP’s are important and we support our local community ISP, the San Francisco Community Colocation Project. One of the reasons we support these kinds of efforts is illustrated in some news that is breaking around the internet today — Verio has shut down the famous encryption/privacy news site, Cryptome.org. Verio had hosted Cryptome for almost 10 years and there had been no lack of controversy for Cryptome in the past. And what’s even stranger is that Cryptome received no notice, no explanation — just an email explaining they were being cut off for Acceptable Use Policy violations. Those of us familiar with how these things work are speculating that Verio received a complaint as well as a gag order preventing them to discuss the complaint, a tactic used by law enforcement before.