UK government censoring internet porn

So the Tories and their mini-mes are looking at censoring all the nasty porn from the net for the sake of the children.

They wish to block all “sex sites” for everyone in the UK and rather than opt out of them, force you to opt in to them if you wish access.

First of all, I don’t recall either of these parties campaigning on controlling what media I consume. I’m pretty sure absolutely no-one voted for that. But I expect little else from the Tories and their sidekicks.

I’m going to put aside the whole issue of the fact that if parents are really hair-on-fire terrified of their little 7 year olds surfing the web and looking at the nekked sexing then maybe, just maybe, they would want to take precautions themselves

I’m even going to put aside the idea that kids are so utterly traumatised by the porno because I’m not convinced on that one either, to be honest.

No, I’m going to look at these web filters and what nasty, poisonous things they are.

These filters filter out sex. And STDs. And sexuality. And gays and lesbians and bisexuals and trans people and anyone else who is LGBTQ. Want to find information about testicular cancer or breast examinations? Hmmm could be difficult. These filters are often so grossly wide that even “it gets better” videos are being censored.

In fact, anyone following my constant bad news round ups will see that there has been a repeated theme of net providers, libraries, mobile phone providers, wireless providers and even Amtrack in the US blocking completely non-pornographic websites if they presumed to include anything GBLTQ related – including sites like Pink News. Gods, there’s a current kaffufle now because Google was having a snit about adverts for “Queers in History”A series of completely non-sexually graphic biographies – because they’re not “family friendly.” Yeah, guess how pornographic they are?

I do not trust the UK government or the technological gurus behind the ISPs, even remotely, to implement this in a way that won’t censor huge swathes of the GBLTQ internet to say nothing of the various other sites on everything from health to sex education.

And no, allowing people to “opt in” to porn will not cover this problem. People shouldn’t have to opt in to pornographic content in order to access blogs by gay people, news about gay people or adverts selling books about us. We’re not something obscene to censor, damn it and our lives do not belong in brown paper envelopes.
And, even aside from the principle, the kids who need this info, who need to find the gay community, who need to reach these sites, this information should not have to go to their parents and ask for access to hardcore porn to do it!

I do not for a second think that this law could be brought in without doing severe harm to us – nor do I think bigoted Equalities Minister Theresa May or her Igor, Lyn Featherstone would realise or care about the damage or act upon it.

In short, this law is going to be a trainwreck and, worse, it’s one of those laws that is likely to pass as everyone wails about the children and those nasty nasty pornographers.

Annual greetings cards post

I don’t like greetings cards of any kind. Not for any holiday or personal event or well, anything.

I think cards have their place – there a way of sending well wishing in a situation where you can’t do so yourselves. I certainly think that was the traditional usage (though don’t quote me on that)

Now we send cards to people we communicate with daily on the phone, in person, by the net… we even send them to people who live in the same house. Think about it, we send a LETTER to someone who lives in the same house as us to wish them Happy_ Whatever.

I think the sentiment is as well or better expressed with actual words, even an email or a phone call – or by a hot dirty make out session (hey, it always fills me full of seasonal good cheer).
Also, I think the greetings card industry is perhaps the biggest rip off merchants there has ever been in the history of the world ever (possible exaggeration).

Look at how much some of these cards cost! I mean, I haven’t bought one in a while, but some of them are over £3 each! For an A4 piece of card that folds! Ok there are cheaper, but these damn things are more over priced than professional footballers!

I shudder to think how much money is spent every year on these useless pieces of paper, to say nothing of the environmental cost of all this waste. I cringe I do.

Also I think they’re kind of meaningless – much like many of the holidays they mark. When we send a card on Valentines Day, are we saying “I love you”? or are we saying “society says I have to send this card, otherwise you have a right to be pissed at me”?

All the cutsey Hallmark style verses in the middle are, in general, not read methinks (at least, no-one I know reads them) and are pretty meaningless anyway, because no-one I know reads them before sending them. The only real effort I’ve seen going into a card is to find one that is sarcastic or funny.

So, yeah. I’m not a big fan. I’d much rather see the millions that go into cards every year go to just about anything more important.

Because of that, I don’t give cards and, in general, would much rather not receive them. I don’t blame people who like doing the whole card thing, but it’s not for me