Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Brits would quite like their private messages to stay private

theregister.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

41–50 of 291 posts

Re: Brits would quite like their private messages to stay private

#41

Post by IndySun »

TulliusCicero wrote: post #31
IndySun wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It was virtually 50/50 and should not have proceeded. The bar to leave was set too low. 2/3rd better, and larger turnout should have been mandated. 16 year olds should have voted. The campaign to stay too weak. Mass confusion. Some particularly pernicious lies on the leave side too convincing. Brexit wasn't 100% going to happen, it was more like... Leave 17,410,742 51.89% Remain 16,141,241 48.11%

I dunno about 2/3rds, but there should definitely be some kind of supermajority required for things like joining or leaving the EU. Even a 55% requirement would be a lot better than a simple majority imo.

55%, maybe. But that still leaves a divided country for decades afterwards. It was handled badly from start to finish. Many 'remainers' didn't take the threat serious enough. Never under estimate your opponent.

Re: Brits would quite like their private messages to stay private

#42

Post by IndySun »

7bit wrote: post #34
janpeuker wrote: post #26

A long time ago I walked into a public library to get a library card, already my ID in hand. Staff looked at me aghast "why would we need an ID for a card, that'd be ridiculous!". I feel Brits take privacy quite seriously.

And yet, they voted for the governments that killed privacy and established surveillance in public, because they love privacy so much.

TBF, people tend to vote for other things - but yes, get 'that' bundled in the small print 'for free'.

Re: Brits would quite like their private messages to stay private

#43

Post by mrkeen »

7bit wrote: post #34
janpeuker wrote: post #26

A long time ago I walked into a public library to get a library card, already my ID in hand. Staff looked at me aghast "why would we need an ID for a card, that'd be ridiculous!". I feel Brits take privacy quite seriously.

And yet, they voted for the governments that killed privacy and established surveillance in public, because they love privacy so much.

Per another comment here: "Generally speaking the more important an issue is, the less it is allowed to be affected by democratic processes."

The trick is to have a two party system and agree on all the important points.

There aren't any major parties willing to reduce espionage or ease up on Gaza.

If elections are coming up, they stick to gender theory, school sports or Lake Ontario.

"Vote blue no matter what" doesn't give you privacy, nor does abstaining or voting red.

Re: Brits would quite like their private messages to stay private

#44

Post by ktallett »

DrBazza wrote: post #40
IndySun wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It was virtually 50/50 and should not have proceeded. The bar to leave was set too low. 2/3rd better, and larger turnout should have been mandated. 16 year olds should have voted. The campaign to stay too weak. Mass confusion. Some particularly pernicious lies on the leave side too convincing. Brexit wasn't 100% going to happen, it was more like... Leave 17,410,742 51.89% Remain 16,141,241 48.11%

You could flip that argument. The bar set to remain was too low. As for 16 years old voting, I'd argue the age to vote should be raised to 21. > Some particularly pernicious lies on the leave side too convincing Both sides lied, both sides exaggerated. The referendum to simply leave or remain would never have happened if UK Parliament went to the public more often with referendums about various treaties such as Maast…

I would say if the age of voting increased then there should also be an upper limit as over a certain age, it's not your future. Prisoners should be allowed the vote for everything also

Re: Brits would quite like their private messages to stay private

#46

Post by alex1138 »

HPsquared wrote: post #15

Generally speaking the more important an issue is, the less it is allowed to be affected by democratic processes. That's why Brexit was such a big upset, it bucked the trend (the management miscalculated, nobody expected the result and would not have put it to referendum otherwise).

I see some public intellectuals who do support Brexit so that's fair enough but I do get mad when I see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQSMr-3GGvQ

These were not only ads, but shadow ads; they were different per person and effectively couldn't be vetted (if I have the technical underpinnings wrong do let me know)

It's bad regardless of which political side or issue you support. You go on FB to talk to your friends and you get... that? Come on now, Zuck. Remember the human

Re: Brits would quite like their private messages to stay private

#47

Post by mrtksn »

HPsquared wrote: post #15

Generally speaking the more important an issue is, the less it is allowed to be affected by democratic processes. That's why Brexit was such a big upset, it bucked the trend (the management miscalculated, nobody expected the result and would not have put it to referendum otherwise).

> nobody expected the result

Including those who pushed for Brexit. Farage gave a speech accepting a defeat around midnight, the value of GBP skyrocketed for a moment etc.

The referendum was supposed to be a tool for the political class to wrestle each other, not a real life changing decision. Turns out if you fuel enough BS you may not be able to control it.

The same for this fear mongering about evil people messaging in secret each other. It’s not a real discussion, if someone should lose their privacy its the people in power. Make it illegal having secret messaging for politicians and people rich beyond some point. The danger doesn’t come from some regular people talking about something nasty in secret, the danger comes from billionaires talking secretly with politicians. We should have been able to see the messages that led the pro-brexit billionaire "gifting" Farage 5 million GBP. Of course the secrecy is needed even for the politicians and the super rich but we should be able to "debug" them, we should be able to have a committee or something of that sort that will be able to decrypt and check all their communications when needed.

Re: Brits would quite like their private messages to stay private

#48

Post by legacynl »

Nursie wrote: post #17
jen20 wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Absurd to suggest that anyone voting for Brexit knew what they were voting for - by design of the pro-Brexit shysters.

Actually that was by design of the anti-Brexit faction. Before you get ranty at me - I voted remain. But your comment is revisionist. The pro-Brexit shysters were not in power. After the referendum, whichever way it went, the pro-Brexit people were not going to be given power, it was not an election. They had no mandate to implement anything. Any plan they promised would have been irrelevant to the UK government and…

I think you're being revisionist. It's not about the people in power, it was about the media. They controlled the narrative, and they were the ones that convinced everyone of illegal bendy bananas.

> The very pro-EU faction at the head of the Tory government.

When has any tory ever been pro-eu? i think you're misremembering how things went down.

Re: Brits would quite like their private messages to stay private

#49

Post by eks391 »

mrkeen wrote: post #43
7bit wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And yet, they voted for the governments that killed privacy and established surveillance in public, because they love privacy so much.

Per another comment here: "Generally speaking the more important an issue is, the less it is allowed to be affected by democratic processes." The trick is to have a two party system and agree on all the important points. There aren't any major parties willing to reduce espionage or ease up on Gaza. If elections are coming up, they stick to gender theory, school sports or Lake Ontario. "Vote blue no matter what" doesn…

> The trick is to have a two party system and agree on all the important points.

This is the exact characteristic about US politics that Americans wish were removed so their government was better for them. It favors a two party system, so no one is actually represented and have to choose between two parties they likely only agree with on few points, unless they are subscribed to that party's propogandic kool-aid.

Re: Brits would quite like their private messages to stay private

#50

Post by danaris »

FartyMcFarter wrote: post #35
TulliusCicero wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I dunno about 2/3rds, but there should definitely be some kind of supermajority required for things like joining or leaving the EU. Even a 55% requirement would be a lot better than a simple majority imo.

Then we'd have to hear the Brexiteers whining on and on about democracy. This way we get to see their project fail. I don't know which one is worse.

Hm, which is worse: An entire country of millions of people suffers from the shortsighted actions of a few with reduced quality of products, increased prices, worse access to other countries, and a host of other problems...

...or we have to listen to some people whine?

Post reply on HN