Originally posted by raf
I am completely against censoring.
So am I. I'm also completely against war, but I acknowledge that there are occasions where it is necessary (such as defending your country - I am not making any reference to the current situation in Iraq here because I think it is best if that is not brought up). I'm completely against killing someone but I would do it if they were about to kill my family. There are situations where something you are against, may be necessary.
Don’t get me wrong. I don’t want to hurt or offend anyone, and as far as I can control it (always start with yourself, you know) I try to take care of that. But even then …
The other day, a college of mine was horrified that I took out a piece of meatloaf (she’s a vegetarian). Now, I can imagine how horrifying she must feel when she walks past a butcher. Does this mean butchers should be censored? That they should “blank” their shop windows like sexshops do?
I can imagine it must be hard for an Iraqi to surf to almost any American site. I’ve seen dozens of sites with stars and stripes and messages like ‘we support the flag’ etc. I can imagine it must be quite offensive and hurting if your family gets bombed and your host is …
Thai people can be offended if you use your pillow to sit on, or if you use your left hand for anything else then on the toilet.
Yes, I agree however... um, very good point actually. Very good. I agree, but... I'm trying to think of a 'but', lol! :rolleyes:
OK. Some things are cultural and such, however there are some things that go deeper than that. I don't care if a foreigner believes women are inferior to men - I think that is an invalid culture and I do not accept it. I think there are basic tenants that override culture (many arguments could be had about that!) namely about equality, human rights, affecting others etc. I'm not sure if you will agree with that, though.
I mean, what we might see as normal, can be offensive for other people. Are you going to burn your Henry Miller (or Salman Rushdie) books? If I gave you a Picasso, would you rip it apart? All these are/were offensive for some people.
Sure... my mum does not like some of the books that I do, and they offend her (i.e. Clancy :rolleyes: ) - things like that happen. But I feel this level of stuff is a bit different.
I never came across that sort a stuff, cause I’m not looking for it. (that sounds so simple) Prohibitting it won’t work. There was never so much booze and gambling as during the prohibition! One of the strongest attractions for most people is the fact that it is prohibited.
And pushing the boundaries is necessary! OK. Some stuff is way beyond the boundaries but societies aren’t always as nice as you might think/wish.
Too true... however, control is a very, very good idea for some things. Lack of control, and it's like anarchy. (That's a very general comparison)
Check out the Milgram experiments. No one could believe the madness and obedience of the nazi’s, so he thought up an experiment and gave people the chance to torture and kill people. He didn’t really have to force them. Just giving them some short instructions was enough.
Yup, I studied them... it's a similar kind of thing to 'Lord of the Flies'. People are capable of horrifying things, but that does not mean they are morally right, or acceptable. Else, why do we have governments? And laws? Same principle...
And you really thing we are so normal on a sexual level? Ha! Did my thesis on bestiality (for my master in psychology) and you wouldn’t believe how widespread that sort of behavior is and always has been. And isn’t that Greek methodology great (though it’s almost nothing else then bestiality, violence, murder etc etc) And all these nice fairytales!
My rule: whatever you like, do it, so long as it does not hurt anyone. People get offended, yes. I personally do not have a problem with polygamy, for instance, although I am in a monogamous relationship (I'm married). However, polygamy is one thing; cheating is another. I would never cheat on my wife - that's against my moral code. Yet it's not against my moral code for a man to have two wives, etc. That may seem strange... it offends some people. Yet it HURTS no-one.
Why is there so much porn and violent material on the web? Cause people have no imagination and have to see everything, instead of imagining it. Instead of enjoying a stripper and get teased, the want “the real thing”. We don’t live in an age of teasing and longing! What we like to get what we want. Instantly. Just clicking and it needs to be there. But off coarse, it’s never what we really wanted…
People like to be unsatisfied. We’re in it for the longing, not for the satisfaction! So the porn and snuff supplier always needs to go further. Need to keep the dream alive that there could be something out there that really meets our longing.
That's true. Unfortunate, but true. Thankfully not everyone is like that.
A dirty mind is a joy forever! So I don’t need those sites, just needs to close my eyes.
So it’s no use censoring it. It follows the same dynamics as 24/7 supermarkets (which will probably for a average Ethiopian what those sites are for us). Abundance. Instantly. It’s the way we live, and there’s no way we can prohibit it.
As long as we consent to viewing that stuff. Which is a whole different issue then censoring it. I don’t mind that it exists, but I don’t want to be bothered by it, which has never happened until now
I mind that it exists. However, I respect people's rights to view things that I find objectional. I think there should be a system for controlling access, at the very least. As for the censoring I'll point out my previously explained point about hurting other people. It's my guess the people being executed in those sick movies did not do so willingly.
But the problem of keeping children etc away from it still remains. Because I think that parents should be allowed to prohibit their children from visiting those sites.
I know there are some tools that do that sort a thing, but don’t know ho effective they are. I don’t know if it can be done technically, but I think the best solution is to enforce these sites to register as a ‘contains explicit whatever content’ site and to display that info before the first page of that site is loaded. If someone encounters such a site, that doesn’t follow the simple rules, it should simply be shut down.
IP’s of these sites should be stored in a central db that’s linked to these kinds a “keep your kids away” tools
That would be a great idea, however there are always ways around these things... but we know that. Just trying to control it would be a start, though.
I’m not in favor of oppression, but if all content is allowed (even if its illegal, cause legal or illegal is just a moral perspective) and they just need to register or get shutdown, then it becomes controllable without being oppressed.
Exactly! I think that's what should be aimed at here :) I still think that the 'hurting rule' should be obeyed by censorship, though.
The Vatican also had brothels at some point – to control and focus the inevitable sins of mankind – and still holds the biggest sex-library. There’s no use in trying to eradicate it, it’s better to isolate and control it.
yup, and the first nunneries were brothels, too... :p
Meanwhile, I’m happy that my girlfriend didn’t miss out on the sexual revolution!
lol! me too! :D (um, as in, my wife - I don't know your girlfriend or anything! :o)