tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35009574.post2203737125786727809..comments2023-10-24T14:51:45.756+02:00Comments on Bloggertropolis: Freedom Of Speech For All Or Freedom Of Speech For NoneStevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02133900289384226725noreply@blogger.comBlogger22125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35009574.post-732605278561822412013-06-23T18:11:05.598+02:002013-06-23T18:11:05.598+02:00y.s.s. should you ever deign to challenge me to a ...y.s.s. should you ever deign to challenge me to a pub fight I shall concede without a blow being struck. You are both erudite and informative... I can admit when I am totally outmatched.Stevehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02133900289384226725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35009574.post-62029465390068765102013-06-23T17:22:26.740+02:002013-06-23T17:22:26.740+02:00Good post on a subject guaranteed to give good pub...Good post on a subject guaranteed to give good pub fights.<br />Freedom of speech has always been limited. In the UK our right to freedom of speech was well-recognised by common law but is now found in Article 10 of the ECHR (incorporated in UK law by the Human Rights Act - that well-known and well-hated Aunt Sally of the right-wing darlings). Even in a tolerant democratic society, freedom of 'expression' comes with conditions attached - and needs to. Article 10 provides for those circumstances where the freedom may be limited to achieve specific aims - e.g. national security; protection of health and morals; the protection of other 'rights'. So where speech incites to violence there has to be action to limit the freedom. The difficulty comes when the definition and therefore the parameters of those limiting conditions are construed so strictly (and are subject to political interference) that we have the ludicrous situation where a joke (albeit in bad taste) results in prosecution of the joker. Think of Paul Chambers' stupid 'Nottingham Airport Bomb' Tweet - the one that resulted in him being found guilty and fined (plus costs). <br />I also remember the stooshie that blew up when the BNP were invited onto Question Time - and to my mind that stooshie represented all that is wrong with a society that believes it can limit the freedom of expression simply by labelling a view 'odious'. (Of course the BNP are odious - but that simply increases the need to expose their odious and ludicrous views and opinions to the light of day thus revealing them for the rubbish that they are.)<br />Twitter is not private. Blogs are not private. Not even those blogs which are by invitation only. The law has been quite clear about that.sansserifhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16445280597626572292noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35009574.post-28303846993627491252013-06-22T09:41:34.669+02:002013-06-22T09:41:34.669+02:00Wanderlust: exactly! I couldn't have put it be...Wanderlust: exactly! I couldn't have put it better myself (and, in fact, plainly didn't)!Stevehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02133900289384226725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35009574.post-18651653091802525722013-06-22T04:45:16.514+02:002013-06-22T04:45:16.514+02:00I was not aware of this incident, just read about ...I was not aware of this incident, just read about it here for the first time. But it seems pretty silly to me. Why does this one person get charged with community service, yet those who made threats back to her get off scot free?Where is the justice in that? I don't agree with abusive tweets and comments like hers, but the thing about Twitter is that it enacts its own form of justice, as many have found out the hard way.Wanderlusthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12099758957492165428noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35009574.post-16933308301681832892013-06-21T22:43:16.985+02:002013-06-21T22:43:16.985+02:00Marginalia: why? Who have you been talking to and ...Marginalia: why? Who have you been talking to and what did they tell you?Stevehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02133900289384226725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35009574.post-30395657134525472862013-06-21T21:17:21.694+02:002013-06-21T21:17:21.694+02:00Dear Steve, me thinks you see conspiracy around ev...Dear Steve, me thinks you see conspiracy around every corner.Marginaliahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01175372147298306908noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35009574.post-75614776776919353242013-06-21T17:50:23.155+02:002013-06-21T17:50:23.155+02:00Marginalia: I think society did and has censured h...Marginalia: I think society did and has censured her... thus making an appearance in criminal court wholly unnecessary and more to do with politics than justice.Stevehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02133900289384226725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35009574.post-78955277538343335002013-06-21T10:16:16.058+02:002013-06-21T10:16:16.058+02:00Dis my favourite band. No way man! Anyone who mess...Dis my favourite band. No way man! Anyone who messes with the Joe Loss Band is askin' for a bunch of fives and no mistake.<br /><br />Deyka was an idiot - she probably realised that after the first few abusive tweets she received. She's probably cancelled her Twitter account and closed her Facebook page if she has one.<br /><br />I'm in two minds about whether the authorities should have got involved. On the one hand I'd have thought this could have been dealt with at the local police station, with a serious chat about how offensive were her comments etc. However, I don't think people should go around saying what she said for loads of reasons. And there are loads of other stupid people like Deyka tweeting away - me for example. She and others who may have thought to have copied her actions need to know that in general society does not approve of such comments, finds them offensive, thoughtless and possibly down right dangerous.<br /><br />The default should be free speech "published and be damned", but in this case I feel society has a duty to censure those who it feels go too far. Marginaliahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01175372147298306908noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35009574.post-12209036409073754562013-06-18T22:10:46.337+02:002013-06-18T22:10:46.337+02:00The fly in the web: trouble is, judge and jury the...The fly in the web: trouble is, judge and jury these days, all use Twitter...Stevehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02133900289384226725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35009574.post-51047969439674586492013-06-18T21:20:46.683+02:002013-06-18T21:20:46.683+02:00From what I remember juries are pretty objective.....From what I remember juries are pretty objective...that's why our masters don't like them.the fly in the webhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04563871975125538755noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35009574.post-19385807043266303022013-06-18T19:29:03.281+02:002013-06-18T19:29:03.281+02:00Mark: I have no idea in truth but this was such an...Mark: I have no idea in truth but this was such an emotional case I would think any jury would have been hard pressed to retain their objectivity.Stevehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02133900289384226725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35009574.post-58557141132785111552013-06-18T07:55:37.935+02:002013-06-18T07:55:37.935+02:00Was it a jury trial? It's about time some sens...Was it a jury trial? It's about time some sensible juries put a stop to this nonsense. Mark In Mayennehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14987723233401368368noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35009574.post-27185130244040614642013-06-18T07:50:54.353+02:002013-06-18T07:50:54.353+02:00John: as I said to Nota Bene above... the original...John: as I said to Nota Bene above... the original tweet would only have been seen by her followers... some of them must have then spread it further afield. The lack of control on Twitter is what is at the heart of this. As for blogging... gulp!<br /><br />Kellie: shark infested waters too...Stevehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02133900289384226725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35009574.post-32280798992818844722013-06-18T03:31:30.103+02:002013-06-18T03:31:30.103+02:00Ooh, sticky moral point. Those are always hard on...Ooh, sticky moral point. Those are always hard ones to navigate.Kellie @ Delightfully Ludicroushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18226603919012169939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35009574.post-4126871591982254032013-06-17T23:37:06.080+02:002013-06-17T23:37:06.080+02:00If the tweet was destined for a few people only......If the tweet was destined for a few people only...I count that as a private conversation....<br />If the words are on a blog.....then it's public and therefore fair game for the authorities<br /><br />That's what I thinkJohn Going Gentlyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14958171262765033946noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35009574.post-81930342704386927242013-06-17T20:07:34.800+02:002013-06-17T20:07:34.800+02:00Craig: any individual can make a mistake but it ta...Craig: any individual can make a mistake but it takes a mob to turn justice into a kangaroo court.<br /><br />Gorilla Bananas: sexualizing the law just makes me even more uncomfortable. As for Mel's Gibson's girlfriend... I'd've plumped for having my house burnt down personally.Stevehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02133900289384226725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35009574.post-76458763029801463732013-06-17T19:53:20.598+02:002013-06-17T19:53:20.598+02:00Mel Gibson threatened to burn his girlfriend's...Mel Gibson threatened to burn his girlfriend's house down for not giving him a blow job and nothing happened to him. The law is an ass without any tits.Gorilla Bananashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13044093013423635830noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35009574.post-29200988938061539712013-06-17T19:51:45.312+02:002013-06-17T19:51:45.312+02:00I'm with you. I steer very clear of the big F ...I'm with you. I steer very clear of the big F and the big T for many reasons, but mostly because they are inane. But just sometimes, they are treacherous, as in this case.<br />You're quite right, although her comments were ridiculous rather than evil, the comments of those who hounded her were evil, pure and simple.<br /><br />Craighttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14034726832462755283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35009574.post-33544664015000547492013-06-17T19:33:06.254+02:002013-06-17T19:33:06.254+02:00Libby: Facebook is the beast of the Apocalypse. Tw...Libby: Facebook is the beast of the Apocalypse. Twitter is a naughty imp.Stevehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02133900289384226725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35009574.post-66712994126975314592013-06-17T19:14:32.689+02:002013-06-17T19:14:32.689+02:00I agree with you Steve...and also the response fro...I agree with you Steve...and also the response from NB...and social networking is the beast out of the basket really now and can't ever be put away I suppose.libbyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05552884005601003691noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35009574.post-82131102388899320392013-06-17T18:25:55.297+02:002013-06-17T18:25:55.297+02:00Nota Bene: and yet the only people who would have ...Nota Bene: and yet the only people who would have originally seen her Tweet would have been her own followers. Numbers of them must have re-tweeted it in order to escalate the situation and the outrage. They are also culpable. Maybe, as a species, we are just not ready for the heady responsibilities of social networking?Stevehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02133900289384226725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35009574.post-32943653824300190882013-06-17T18:14:08.435+02:002013-06-17T18:14:08.435+02:00What a tricky topic these days. Once upon a time ...What a tricky topic these days. Once upon a time her comment would have been heard by six people, and if one of them happened to be the local bobby, she'd have been given a firm talking to, would never have done it again, and that would be the end of it. The difficulty now is that such a silly utterance is likely to provoke a disturbance having been seen by thousands. So the authorities have to react, but don't really have the right tools to do so. It's also true of the people that responded to her provocation...they all need a slap round the back of the legs...but there's no way of doing that in this connected world. Perhaps they should all be disconnected from the internet for a period...but that gets us all into a whole new and very uncomfortable territory...Nota Benehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00969705852180234416noreply@blogger.com