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Google Now Censors The Pirate Bay, isoHunt, 4Shared and More

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Re: Google Now Censors The Pirate Bay, isoHunt, 4Shared and More

#51

Post by jellicle »

JonnieCache wrote: post #23

I said this before last time around on this non-issue: Google are not preventing people reaching tpb results. They are declining to actively push these results unbidden upon people. The massive, fundamental difference between these two things should be obvious. Do we really think it's unreasonable for google to decline to actively point it's users towards largely illegal material which they had not explicitly request…

Out of all those users typing "torren" in Google's search bar, what percentage are trying to reach "torrent" and what percentage are trying to reach the Torrens land title system? Because right now Google is only showing me Torrens, and I suspect 99.99%+ of all users typing "torren" want torrents.

Just so you know, the lame arguments you are making are not new or novel. Throughout history, all episodes of censorship have been met with the response that the material isn't REALLY censored, not for sufficiently determined readers. Douglas Adams provided the definitive mocking of that idea:

>`But look you found the notice didn't you?' >`Yes,' said Arthur, `yes I did. It was on display in the bottom of a locked filing cabinet stuck in a disused lavatory with a sign on the door saying "Beware of The Leopard".'

Just because it's not 100% effective - Arthur did find the notice, after all - doesn't mean it's not censorship. The word has never meant that. Google is attempting to make this material less available to people who want to get it, and is succeeding. 100% effectiveness is not part of the definition, and never has been.

Re: Google Now Censors The Pirate Bay, isoHunt, 4Shared and More

#52

Post by OoTheNigerian »

My people have a saying, "it is from clapping that dancing begins."

I specifically do not have a problem with this. However, each 'moral' step Google makes takes it nearer to dancing and wanting to be the conscience of the web. One day Google might go SOPA and decide to stop linking to sites that America decides support terrorism.

I am afraid of when US embargos will mean country domains will stop being indexed. It is dangerous the way Google is so powerful that they can determine the success of other sites.

In the words of PG "I worry, I worry". Not for now, but the future.

Re: Google Now Censors The Pirate Bay, isoHunt, 4Shared and More

#53

Post by jonhendry »

jellicle wrote: post #51
JonnieCache wrote: post #23

I said this before last time around on this non-issue: Google are not preventing people reaching tpb results. They are declining to actively push these results unbidden upon people. The massive, fundamental difference between these two things should be obvious. Do we really think it's unreasonable for google to decline to actively point it's users towards largely illegal material which they had not explicitly request…

Out of all those users typing "torren" in Google's search bar, what percentage are trying to reach "torrent" and what percentage are trying to reach the Torrens land title system? Because right now Google is only showing me Torrens, and I suspect 99.99%+ of all users typing "torren" want torrents. Just so you know, the lame arguments you are making are not new or novel. Throughout history, all episodes of censorship…

"Out of all those users typing "torren" in Google's search bar, what percentage are trying to reach "torrent" and what percentage are trying to reach the Torrens land title system? Because right now Google is only showing me Torrens, and I suspect 99.99%+ of all users typing "torren" want torrents."

Type into search field: baldur's gate torren

Response: Showing results for baldur's gate torrent

You were saying? Looks fine to me.

Re: Google Now Censors The Pirate Bay, isoHunt, 4Shared and More

#54

Post by richardw »

jellicle wrote: post #51
JonnieCache wrote: post #23

I said this before last time around on this non-issue: Google are not preventing people reaching tpb results. They are declining to actively push these results unbidden upon people. The massive, fundamental difference between these two things should be obvious. Do we really think it's unreasonable for google to decline to actively point it's users towards largely illegal material which they had not explicitly request…

Out of all those users typing "torren" in Google's search bar, what percentage are trying to reach "torrent" and what percentage are trying to reach the Torrens land title system? Because right now Google is only showing me Torrens, and I suspect 99.99%+ of all users typing "torren" want torrents. Just so you know, the lame arguments you are making are not new or novel. Throughout history, all episodes of censorship…

So if someone types "child por" in, should Google autocomplete if a common request is "child porn"?

Also, don't call the guy's argument lame, just answer it. Be civil.

Re: Google Now Censors The Pirate Bay, isoHunt, 4Shared and More

#55

Post by jonhendry »

ernesto99 wrote: post #11
ars wrote: post #5

Extremely inaccurate title, torrentfreak should be ashamed. The results are "censored" only from autocomplete, not from the index itself.

TorrentFreak here... They do censor these words right? The title is correct but we can't always include all nuances. We hope most of our readers will take the time to at least read three sentences :) I considered " Google Now Censors The Pirate Bay, isoHunt, 4Shared and More From Their Autocomplete and Instant Services Until A User Types In The Complete Term" but that seemed a bit too much. But yeah, I'm very ashamed…

How about "Google stops catering to lazy incompetents"?

Re: Google Now Censors The Pirate Bay, isoHunt, 4Shared and More

#56

Post by jonhendry »

jellicle wrote: post #17

Yeah, if you just start typing "isohunt " and watch the Instant suggestions, you can see what they mean. Try typing "youtube " or "yahoo " and Google knows just what you mean, right away. Isohunt? Not so much. Typing "torren" gives me suggestions for the Torrens system, apparently a system of land titles in Australia. Who knew? But I'm guessing the number of people who complete that word with a "t" rather than a "s"…

Searching for 'torren' is ambiguous.

If you search for 'torren' and probably any movie, song, game, book, or program, Google will probably divine your intent and give you the results for related torrents.

IMHO, if you can't manage a better query than just 'torren', you are probably a moron and don't deserve access to any torrents.

Re: Google Now Censors The Pirate Bay, isoHunt, 4Shared and More

#57

Post by bandushrew »

richardw wrote: post #54
jellicle wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Out of all those users typing "torren" in Google's search bar, what percentage are trying to reach "torrent" and what percentage are trying to reach the Torrens land title system? Because right now Google is only showing me Torrens, and I suspect 99.99%+ of all users typing "torren" want torrents. Just so you know, the lame arguments you are making are not new or novel. Throughout history, all episodes of censorship…

So if someone types "child por" in, should Google autocomplete if a common request is "child porn"? Also, don't call the guy's argument lame, just answer it. Be civil.

yes? why wouldn't they?

Re: Google Now Censors The Pirate Bay, isoHunt, 4Shared and More

#58

Post by richardw »

bandushrew wrote: post #57
richardw wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So if someone types "child por" in, should Google autocomplete if a common request is "child porn"? Also, don't call the guy's argument lame, just answer it. Be civil.

yes? why wouldn't they?

You might feel differently if your kid had been raped, say. When you only have one principle to deal with, life is simple, but I think there are grey areas in all these issues.

Similarly, the argument to legalise drugs. Personally, I agree with the argument, but a similar demand-supply problem exists in human trafficking (e.g. child sex slavery), but there I think the laws should continue to keep the latter illegal even while it supports the high profits that human traffickers can make. What do you think?

Re: Google Now Censors The Pirate Bay, isoHunt, 4Shared and More

#59

Post by bad_user »

jellicle wrote: post #51
JonnieCache wrote: post #23

I said this before last time around on this non-issue: Google are not preventing people reaching tpb results. They are declining to actively push these results unbidden upon people. The massive, fundamental difference between these two things should be obvious. Do we really think it's unreasonable for google to decline to actively point it's users towards largely illegal material which they had not explicitly request…

Out of all those users typing "torren" in Google's search bar, what percentage are trying to reach "torrent" and what percentage are trying to reach the Torrens land title system? Because right now Google is only showing me Torrens, and I suspect 99.99%+ of all users typing "torren" want torrents. Just so you know, the lame arguments you are making are not new or novel. Throughout history, all episodes of censorship…

When I search for "torrent" on Google, the third result is The Pirate Bay, and when I search for "torren" The Pirate Bay is the first result, with a suggestion to correct the word to "torrent". Of course, as you may know, results are relative to the user profile Google builds about you.

     Throughout history, all episodes of censorship
     have been met with the response that the 
     material isn't REALLY censored
Citation needed. To me, a material is either forbidden or not forbidden. There are no gray areas.

Of course, smart governments that yield control in subtle ways, like the US government, have been using tactics like disinformation to hide the truth in a mountain of noise and I can see how Google could do the same thing. However this is not censorship.

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