Posts by Russell Brown
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Hard News: How much speech does it take?, in reply to DCBCauchi,
Hypothetically, what specific criteria should we use to determine whether something is legitimate free speech?
Wrong question. The right one is “what are our criteria, if any, for restricting speech?”
I did cite some earlier. The scarcity or otherwise of access to a platform for speech is one, the actual potential for harm to a group is another. Broadcast is treated differently to print in most developed countries, on the assumption that it has a particular power – and because the spectrum is perceived as a sovereign public resource.
Even the most hateful speech on the internet goes unregulated because the internet is seen as a Commons, and a (relatively) level playing field. But I wouldn’t be surprised to see a voluntary bloggers’ code of conduct introduced in the coming year, one which looks a bit like the Press Council code.
A few people declared that the Press Council’s stinging finding against North & South’s ‘Should We Send Some Back?’ story was an abrogation of free speech – Stephen Franks among them. But N&S had voluntarily made itself subject to Press Council rulings – it was a good look to do so. And when it ran a story that bad, it was inevitably going to be rapped.
The Living Word DVD I mentioned earlier contained what amounted to a disgusting libel against any and all homosexuals. The censor banned it. The Court of Appeal overturned that.
And yet, an individual defamed in such a way would stand a very good chance of winning a civil action. We don’t tend to talk much about defamation actions as a curb on speech, but they’re arguably a bigger threat than anything governments do in their own right.
So that’s the way things happen. You’ve been seeking a one-size-fits-all answer, and there just ain’t one. But it is a good discussion to have.
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Hard News: How much speech does it take?, in reply to giovanni tiso,
Oi, moderators? Are you guys asleep or something?
At the supermarket, assisting capitalism. 'pologies.
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Hard News: How much speech does it take?, in reply to son of little p,
oh god. i feared as much. Such pitiful, pitiful ignorance.
Oh well. You did have your chance. Go away.
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Hard News: Vanilla Buffalo Yoghurt, in reply to Rich Lock,
Part of the treatment has been me swallowing my pride and actually listening when she teaches me how to do basic stuff, like sitting, standing, squatting movements (to pick stuff up), and posture related stretching/strengthening exercises.
I haven’t injured my back like this for a long time actually, in part because I am pretty careful about bending/squatting, I improved my strength and fitness, and I have a very good chair to work in, etc. But I’m run down and a bit stressed at the moment, and it all adds up.
I’d pay due credit to my osteopath too, but I can’t be bothered setting off that argument again :-)
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Hard News: How much speech does it take?, in reply to DCBCauchi,
There is always a Francis Picabia quote for every occasion:
‘To those talking behind my back, my arse is looking at you.’
Which is kinda trite. No one, to my knowledge, has ever set out at night to injure or kill any anarchist painter they can find. Other groups -- homosexuals and non-white people -- don't enjoy the same sense of security.
The Living Word case has been talked about a great deal in this context.
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Hard News: How much speech does it take?, in reply to DCBCauchi,
The argument being presented here, as far as I can make out, is that that freedom should be encroached on by extending the definition of harm.
Actually, maybe I do have a knee-jerk reaction to that after all.
I think you mean "extending my personal definition of harm". The idea that vulnerable groups can suffer harm isn't exactly novel.
Not all speech has the same reach, and not all responses are heard remotely as well as the original claim.
Can you really not grasp that speeches that, say, defames an ethnic minority might have significant, even disastrous implications for that minority?
Example: Blood libel provided a popular rationale for the murder of Jews for century after century.
As someone noted above, we tolerate some official restriction on the content of broadcast speech, because the broadcast spectrum is a finite resource. Not everyone gets to use that big megaphone. In the case of the internet, scarcity isn't an issue -- although that still doesn't mean every voice enjoys the same reach. People with money will always be heard more clearly than people without.
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Hard News: Vanilla Buffalo Yoghurt, in reply to Rich Lock,
Also sold over the counter as voltaren (although you’ll get quizzed when buying it).
Much more effective than Neurofen for muscle/joint/back problems.
I find I can't do diclofenac for long without tummy troubles. Ibuprofen + codeine works pretty well for me. The chemists are antsy about it because people in the 'burbs are getting hooked on the codeine and taking it so often that they're getting gastric bleeding from the ibuprofen.
For really serious over-the-counter pain relief -- Nurofen Plus + Panadeine Plus. Just don't tell the chemist that's what you're doing ;-)
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Hard News: Friday Fun with Brickface, in reply to Martin Lindberg,
Yes, it depends on the URL you use to get to the comments
Ah yes, that makes sense. It's a legacy of the old separate PAS site and using it this way is a bit of a hack. It just seemed the easiest way of harvesting messages.
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Hard News: Science: it's complicated, in reply to Bart Janssen,
Sorry, more ranting from me :).
I appreciate your good faith and patience in explaining things you know and care about.
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Hard News: Friday Fun with Brickface, in reply to Robyn Gallagher,
That’s odd – the attachment box isn’t showing up in Chrome, but it is in Firefox.
Chrome's having trouble with the Typekit elements today, for some reason.