Comments on: An open letter to Andy Burnham MP http://www.politicalpenguin.org.uk/2008/12/an-open-letter-to-andy-burnham-mp/ Still under development Thu, 08 Sep 2011 20:23:18 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Political Penguin http://www.politicalpenguin.org.uk/2008/12/an-open-letter-to-andy-burnham-mp/comment-page-1/#comment-6516 Political Penguin Sat, 03 Jan 2009 22:14:00 +0000 http://www.politicalpenguin.org.uk/?p=414#comment-6516 Thanks Joe, I understand about not wishing your site to become political. I often think I do far too much technology related posting for a site that should be intrinsically political but it's nice when the two meet from time to time. I like your blog btw. Gamings Nerds, spot on. Thanks Joe, I understand about not wishing your site to become political. I often think I do far too much technology related posting for a site that should be intrinsically political but it’s nice when the two meet from time to time.
I like your blog btw. Gamings Nerds, spot on.

]]> By: Joe Anderson http://www.politicalpenguin.org.uk/2008/12/an-open-letter-to-andy-burnham-mp/comment-page-1/#comment-6503 Joe Anderson Sat, 03 Jan 2009 21:12:27 +0000 http://www.politicalpenguin.org.uk/?p=414#comment-6503 I emailed Andy Burnham a small letter (presuming he can open his email). I contemplated making it public but decided against it as I didn't want to turn my tech blog political. Kudos to you though! I emailed Andy Burnham a small letter (presuming he can open his email).

I contemplated making it public but decided against it as I didn’t want to turn my tech blog political.

Kudos to you though!

]]> By: Political Penguin http://www.politicalpenguin.org.uk/2008/12/an-open-letter-to-andy-burnham-mp/comment-page-1/#comment-5929 Political Penguin Tue, 30 Dec 2008 00:54:44 +0000 http://www.politicalpenguin.org.uk/?p=414#comment-5929 @Old Sailor. Much as we can all probably point to particular sites that we may dislike and this is drifting off the topic because we're not talking nor is Andy Burnham proposing 'shutting down' sites but rather labelling of sites and filtering sites according to content. The ability to take down a site is already available if the content breaches the law in the UK and the site is hosted here. Equally, the IWF can can add a site hosted outside of the UK to a block list although these usually relate to sites containing child pornography. In the case of sites that contain content such as incitement to racial hatred which are hosted in the UK, the IWF also have powers to block as long as someone actually reports it to them. However the problem remains is whatever people may think of one particular site or another, we have to accept that we do live in a liberal democracy and as the old saying goes "one man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter" and there are few areas where there is overwhelming consensus on a particular issue. Child pornography is pretty much the only area where despite a very small number of hardcore libertarian free for all merchants, there is almost universal consensus on blocking it. Within the context of taking down sites not hosted in the UK, it does happen but usually through law enforcement agencies working together and on the basis that the content breaches local laws. It may be very well for us to argue that country X should take down a site that even large numbers of UK citizens might dislike but what happens when country X which may be significantly culturally different to our own, let's say a hardline muslim state, starts telling us we should take down sites that are a support network for homosexuals because large swathes of their population see homosexuality as evil? We have to accept that not everyone thinks alike, be that within or between different countries and that take downs don't achieve anything anyway because website content can be moved, domains re-registered and be back up and running in hours. Apart from it being next to impossible to block sites anyway which is part of the reason censorship on the web is as good a useless. @Old Sailor. Much as we can all probably point to particular sites that we may dislike and this is drifting off the topic because we’re not talking nor is Andy Burnham proposing ‘shutting down’ sites but rather labelling of sites and filtering sites according to content.
The ability to take down a site is already available if the content breaches the law in the UK and the site is hosted here. Equally, the IWF can can add a site hosted outside of the UK to a block list although these usually relate to sites containing child pornography. In the case of sites that contain content such as incitement to racial hatred which are hosted in the UK, the IWF also have powers to block as long as someone actually reports it to them.
However the problem remains is whatever people may think of one particular site or another, we have to accept that we do live in a liberal democracy and as the old saying goes “one man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter” and there are few areas where there is overwhelming consensus on a particular issue.
Child pornography is pretty much the only area where despite a very small number of hardcore libertarian free for all merchants, there is almost universal consensus on blocking it.
Within the context of taking down sites not hosted in the UK, it does happen but usually through law enforcement agencies working together and on the basis that the content breaches local laws.
It may be very well for us to argue that country X should take down a site that even large numbers of UK citizens might dislike but what happens when country X which may be significantly culturally different to our own, let’s say a hardline muslim state, starts telling us we should take down sites that are a support network for homosexuals because large swathes of their population see homosexuality as evil?
We have to accept that not everyone thinks alike, be that within or between different countries and that take downs don’t achieve anything anyway because website content can be moved, domains re-registered and be back up and running in hours. Apart from it being next to impossible to block sites anyway which is part of the reason censorship on the web is as good a useless.

]]> By: Old Sailor http://www.politicalpenguin.org.uk/2008/12/an-open-letter-to-andy-burnham-mp/comment-page-1/#comment-5912 Old Sailor Mon, 29 Dec 2008 18:36:21 +0000 http://www.politicalpenguin.org.uk/?p=414#comment-5912 I take it that you do not wish "Redwatch" and other "hate" sites shut down - permeantly ! I take it that you do not wish “Redwatch” and other “hate” sites shut down – permeantly !

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