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Google gives UK government “super flagger” status for YouTube?

computing.co.uk

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Re: Google gives UK government “super flagger” status for YouTube?

#51
post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No, the video is the problem. People's words, be they transferred by video, television, or just print, have inspired people to do things ranging from the horrendous to the amazing. Speech is not innocent, which is all the more reason to keep it free.

"Inspired" violence is a pathetically low bar that should be rejected by anybody with any interest in free speech. Scorsese's Taxi Driver inspired John Hinckley Jr, but no reasonable person that believes in a free society would think Scorsese in any way or capacity responsible for the assassination attempt on Reagan.

Apologies, I'll be less nuanced for you. Hitler would have got nowhere if he was mute.

Re: Google gives UK government “super flagger” status for YouTube?

#52
It's strange to me that Google would go out of its way to implement such a feature for the UK. Google does censor certain videos for specific countries' sensitivities, simply because by not doing so, youtube.com will be repeatedly shut down by the respective courts.

But why the UK? It seems that they've committed to the path of censoring the Internet like some authoritarian regime, but it makes me wonder what happened behind closed doors between the parliament and Google management that would lead this to happen.

Re: Google gives UK government “super flagger” status for YouTube?

#53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We've had terrorism on UK soil for 1000's of years. You may even have heard of The Gunpowder Plot. Free media means that the govt. has lost control of the conversation, they want it back. The key sentence in that piece is ' the government wanted more power to deal with material "that may not be illegal but certainly is unsavoury and may not be the sort of material that people would want to see or receive".' One man w…

_We've had terrorism on UK soil for 1000's of years. You may even have heard of The Gunpowder Plot._ An assassination attempt on a King few centuries ago, oh my... I agree partly with you on the liberty side, that's why I said I don't like what Google is doing (i.e: The way they are doing things) and by extension, the way the UK is doing things.. The way the Government here is doing things: Watch whatever you want, b…

Actually if you know UK history you'd know that terrorism has been both religious (in the form of Protestant and Catholic conflicts), territorial (in the the form of sovereignty issues with places like Ireland and Scotland), as well as a variety of political intrigues and plots to balance out the power of the monarchy and the people.

Most older folks though remember the IRA bombings[1] as the most recent scourge.

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Provisional_Irish_Republican_Ar...

Re: Google gives UK government “super flagger” status for YouTube?

#54
post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"Inspired" violence is a pathetically low bar that should be rejected by anybody with any interest in free speech. Scorsese's Taxi Driver inspired John Hinckley Jr, but no reasonable person that believes in a free society would think Scorsese in any way or capacity responsible for the assassination attempt on Reagan.

Apologies, I'll be less nuanced for you. Hitler would have got nowhere if he was mute.

I'm not saying that speech cannot be used to organize great crimes. I am saying that the bar for responsibility or fault is nowhere even near "inspired".

Re: Google gives UK government “super flagger” status for YouTube?

#55
Dear Government,

We have nothing in common anymore. We're just too different on every level that counts. We've tried to make it work - or rather, I have - but it's no good. You never respond, most of the time you don't even acknowledge me or what I say.

I'm not happy. You're not happy. It's pointless.

I'd leave you if I could, but you won't let me and I don't see that changing. I know you'd harass me, stalk me, spy on me, and treat me like a criminal. Isn't it funny that you'd take notice then. You're nothing but a sociopathic bully, set in your ways, blind to the reality of your actions.

I couldn't leave anyway, there's no where to go - you've seen to that. But I can't keep doing this.

I've begged, pleaded, screamed, and shouted. Nothing works.

As I sit here a perfectly normal, law-abiding, person - wellies on the porch, tea in hand, dog at my feet, plates in the dishwasher - I've come to the only conclusion I can.

People will talk. Most probably won't understand. I'll get tarred with the brush of ignorance and called all sorts of names. As they try to compute the double life I'd led and the lies I'd told they'll only confuse their moral compass further. I'll probably get hurt badly. But it'll all be worth it.

Maybe it's not your fault that you're the way you are but I have no choice now, I have to put me first, I'm sorry.

I going to have to kill you.

________

Disclaimer for security services/LEA/whatnot: this is fiction designed to evoke thought, specifically the dynamics of how extremism comes to be. I am not the character in the above piece, but I am capable of sympathising with him - which is kind of the point. It is categorically not meant with menacing intent or as a threat so you can put your Communications/Terrorism legislation down. Isn't it fucking sad that I have to write that?

Re: Google gives UK government “super flagger” status for YouTube?

#56

Good morning, UK... I don't encourage that thing Google is doing, however, it's 2014 and it's only now the UK is doing something to go back from UKistan to the United Kingdom. I'm from Algeria and the UK showed great hospitality to extremists calling for killing us from the foggy London streets. They allowed that in the name of democracy and freedom of speech. Easy being a democracy when what the extremists do isn't…

I nearly got my arse blown off in 7/7/2005 and spent the best part of 4 hours stuck on a tube train behind one full of dead people.

I don't support any censorship.

If someone wants to publish this shit, let them. You're a bona fide idiot if you bother with it.

Censorship, brainwashing, media control and years of religious dogma turned them into cowardly bombers to start with.

Re: Google gives UK government “super flagger” status for YouTube?

#57
post #3

Very disappointed in Google over this. They are allowing them to remove stuff that isn't even illegal in UK. Code is law, indeed. Google is clearly doing this because the UK government is pressuring them in some extra-legal way, but I'm still very disappointed nonetheless. Google created the infrastructure to allow this sort of censorship of Youtube, so they are very much complicit to it (not to mention for the very…

No. The UK government doesn't get to remove things, it just has an expedited way to get the removal requests in front of Google employees who can remove things.

Re: Google gives UK government “super flagger” status for YouTube?

#58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

_We've had terrorism on UK soil for 1000's of years. You may even have heard of The Gunpowder Plot._ An assassination attempt on a King few centuries ago, oh my... I agree partly with you on the liberty side, that's why I said I don't like what Google is doing (i.e: The way they are doing things) and by extension, the way the UK is doing things.. The way the Government here is doing things: Watch whatever you want, b…

Actually if you know UK history you'd know that terrorism has been both religious (in the form of Protestant and Catholic conflicts), territorial (in the the form of sovereignty issues with places like Ireland and Scotland), as well as a variety of political intrigues and plots to balance out the power of the monarchy and the people. Most older folks though remember the IRA bombings[1] as the most recent scourge. [1]…

I am familiar with UK History, ChuckMcM. There were really ugly periods. That's why I think that if anyone should actively be against terrorism, it's the UK ! And that's why I was surprized by the passivity of the Government with the likes of Abu Hamza in the streets calling for shedding the blood of the "unfaithful".

Re: Google gives UK government “super flagger” status for YouTube?

#59
post #4

What if I don't agree with the UK government views on say freedom of speech? And why the UK government? What about giving that same power to the government of Afghanistan for example? From a utilitarian perspective, they could use that "superflagger status" to prevent the spread of videos that have lead to violence in the past. One simple example : http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/google-remove-riot-spa... Howev…

No, the video is the problem. People's words, be they transferred by video, television, or just print, have inspired people to do things ranging from the horrendous to the amazing. Speech is not innocent, which is all the more reason to keep it free.

Essential liberties (e.g., USA Bill of Rights, etc.) have to appreciated dogmatically for them to remain intact. As soon as people enter into arguments about the utility and practicality of essential liberties, they begin to appear to validate the concerns of an oppressor.

In other words, if you believe in your freedom, you should fight for it, not try to convince others of the pragmatic values of having it.

Re: Google gives UK government “super flagger” status for YouTube?

#60
post #56

Good morning, UK... I don't encourage that thing Google is doing, however, it's 2014 and it's only now the UK is doing something to go back from UKistan to the United Kingdom. I'm from Algeria and the UK showed great hospitality to extremists calling for killing us from the foggy London streets. They allowed that in the name of democracy and freedom of speech. Easy being a democracy when what the extremists do isn't…

I nearly got my arse blown off in 7/7/2005 and spent the best part of 4 hours stuck on a tube train behind one full of dead people. I don't support any censorship. If someone wants to publish this shit, let them. You're a bona fide idiot if you bother with it. Censorship, brainwashing, media control and years of religious dogma turned them into cowardly bombers to start with.

Yeah. I personally escaped 5 bombings, and witnessed several shootings. I always missed a bomb by a couple of minutes.

What this does is making you blasé, and you know you're sort of screwd when a bomb explodes and you continue your conversation like nothing happened.

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