aesmael

#25 ::: Xopher ::: (view all by) ::: July 20, 2007, 03:50 PM:
"This is the internet, not real life!" (Therefore I can be nasty in ways I allegegly wouldn't in person or on the phone, because in writing on the net is somehow exempt from normal rules of courtesy and politeness. Personally I want to kill fucktards who use this one.)

#26 ::: Steve ::: (view all by) ::: July 20, 2007, 03:55 PM:
"I challenge you to show me where I said [X]."
"You're quoting me out of context."
"That's an ad hominem attack."
"I don't understand what you all are so upset about."
"You seem to be taking this rather personally."

1. Bias and Vested Interest: Interpreting Facts Unreasonably [Well, yes. I strive to avoid this but on good days do not pretend I achieve it.]

1. Even More Political Chutzpah [I suspect most people do not investigate such claims - I know I tend not to, and rely on information provided by those who do.]

1. Mysterious White Rock Fingers on Mars [via gentle_gamer. Mars may not be my favourite planet (which is? none, really, the overexposure of Mars or any other location seen as a prospect for life grates on me) but areology is fascinating!]
2. Because I can't help but make a LIAR out of myself [via soltice. I agree with this post. That photo is far too pretty for me to quite believe. Really, flower-filled meadows? Wild grass is brown, not green, and never contains flowers. This sort of scene is about as fantastical to me as the elves and snow I read of in stories.]
3. Inflation Theory Takes a Little Kick in the Pants [via soltice. The people commenting (at least at first) do not seem have understood what they read - the main claim is that a previously thought clear test for inflation has been found to produced by other sources too, and thus detection of this gravitational radiation cannot easily be taken as confirmation of the theory.]
4. Industry execs sound IPv6 alarm - is the sky really falling? [via soltice. Mm. I tend to be wary of people saying we have plenty of time to deal with a foreseen problem. Often, it seems solving it takes longer than projected.]
5. HP Mini-Note gets unboxed, causes extreme jealousy [via soltice. Presumably this computer is a big deal.]
6. Let's all pack up and move to Great Britain [via soltice. Odd seeing posts from feeds I have subscribed to shared by other people, and not reading them more directly. this comment sort of seems on the nose to me:
   
   "Us Brits aren't precisely an areligious lot - most of us have some sort of faith, but it's so vague and noncommittal that it passes for atheism.
   
   You know the kind of thing - "I believe there's something comforting out there but I don't know what it is and whatever it is I'm not going to let it affect my life. It's just nice to believe sometimes."
   
   So, when Brits say they're afraid of "religion", what they're really afraid of is passionate religion. And seeing as Anglicanism is by definition almost never passionate, they're afraid of other religions being passionate. And in practice that means...Islam.
   
   When my countryfolk talk about the evils of religion, they're talking about mosques, the Quran and ramadan. But what they're thinking about is bombs.
   
   So you see we're not so elightened after all."]
   
   Pam's House Blend
   
   1. NYT article on convention bloggers features Pam's House Blend
   
   
   theinferior4+1
   
   1. Border Crossings

"Senator Conroy says it will be mandatory for all internet service providers to provide clean feeds, or ISP filtering, to houses and schools that are free of pornography and inappropriate material."

"If people equate freedom of speech with watching child pornography, then the Rudd-Labor Government is going to disagree."

( Part of what I wrote last time this came up )

I should perhaps add, though I think it obvious (except what people think obvious is often shown not to be) that I do not non-consensual material should be allowed. However, we are talking about a blanket ban on "pornography and inappropriate material" passing through Australian ISPs, -

It is at this point I realise I may be guilty of inadvertent sensationalism myself. People will be given the option of opting out of this 'service'.

-not anything to do with the enforcement of bans on currently illegal material. I would hazard a guess that it is already illegal to make available to minors pornographic or highly violent material, informed by such evidence as the fact my sister's copy of Fight Club is rated R18+ and not allowed for sale to anyone under the age of 18. Yep, an official part of our existing rating system (which incidentally requires any video game that would be rated 'R' be 'Refused Classification' instead). I would further hazard that laws covering the making available of such material to minors extends to the internet, or could easily be made to do so.

Further, there is already existing software for the purpose of filtering such content from computers. Parents can set it up for themselves if they make the decision that they do not wish their children exposed to such material or hire someone to set it up for them or the government could subsidise the cost/provide software and installation for those who wish it.

What I try to ask myself when questions such as this arise is, is there sufficient justification for removing this freedom from people? I do not think there is.

• There already exist tools for this purpose which do not involve restricting the access of anyone who does not ask for it (and those who are their dependants, I suppose)
• People who know computers better than I do tell me it would not even work
• So far as I am aware there already exist laws intended to prevent minors from accessing the content which would be blocked
• I do not want the government to have a list of banned internet content which, even though it probably will not directly affect me, might be expanded to do so
• Any talk of child pornography or similar in relation to this is a diversion intended to produce a hysterical reaction and demonise opponents. Such material is already illegal.

(9:52:21 PM) chinkVTEChitman: your friends only posts have been stolen: <http://>aesmael.on.nimp.org/?u=bantown

lost_angelwings

He could have declared with a contemporary poet--

"If I forget,
The salt creek may forget the ocean;
If I forget
The heart whence flows my heart's bright motion,
May I sink meanlier than the worst
Abandoned, outcast, crushed, accurst,
If I forget.

"Though you forget,
No word of mine shall mar your pleasure;
Though you forget,
You filled my barren life with treasure,
You may withdraw the gift you gave;
You still are queen, I still am slave,
Though you forget."