Digital Censorship
Jan. 20th, 2010 12:43 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
talktoolooseThe totalitarian regime of the future arrives in a software box with the censorship functions turned on by default.
Snake sent a letter to a colleague at the college where he works. It didn't arrive. "Nope," said the colleague. "Not in my junk mail either." Snake re-sent... nada. He opened up the email and looked at what he had written. It included the phrase, "The mid-term tests really fuck up the schedule that week." He deleted the word fuck and sent.
It arrived.
Because of the presence of the word "fuck" in a private correspondence about work matters between colleagues, the email was destroyed. Not placed in junk, not flagged with a note, but destroyed without notice. I can't really think of a situation in which that kind of action would be tolerable. Any.
I bet the college doesn't even know those limits are there. They're just the manufacturer's default, in place to appease a vociferous minority. Creeping totalitarian controls are not on election ballots, nor are they put up for any plebicites. They are just built in.
Snake sent a letter to a colleague at the college where he works. It didn't arrive. "Nope," said the colleague. "Not in my junk mail either." Snake re-sent... nada. He opened up the email and looked at what he had written. It included the phrase, "The mid-term tests really fuck up the schedule that week." He deleted the word fuck and sent.
It arrived.
Because of the presence of the word "fuck" in a private correspondence about work matters between colleagues, the email was destroyed. Not placed in junk, not flagged with a note, but destroyed without notice. I can't really think of a situation in which that kind of action would be tolerable. Any.
I bet the college doesn't even know those limits are there. They're just the manufacturer's default, in place to appease a vociferous minority. Creeping totalitarian controls are not on election ballots, nor are they put up for any plebicites. They are just built in.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2010-01-21 01:18 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-01-21 06:33 pm (UTC)Kidding! Kidding!
no subject
Date: 2010-01-21 01:58 am (UTC)I tried to explain that as a public facing person I couldn't control what email addresses people had. They explained that they didn't care, that these domains were there source of too much spam and that people should set up email with their providers etc.
I hope they die in a fire.
no subject
Date: 2010-01-21 06:34 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-01-21 06:32 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-01-21 06:35 pm (UTC)Mo was as enthusiastic as you about 42 and sent me her beta. I look forward to yours. Already thinking of some changes. Need to understand why they came looking for the boys. I have ideas.