Re: No, it really isn't time to give the paranoia a rest.... @Brian Morrison 12:05
"The problem is that nobody seems to be suggesting any action here. Not that's likely to achieve anything as far as I can see anyway."
Sadly, many ISP's agreed to 'voluntarily' implement these filters in the face of government threats to draft new legislation. One can only wonder at the conversation that took place behind closed doors, but I for one would prefer to have seen the ISP's stick to their original net neutrality stance and to have forced government to attempt to introduce legislation.
Unfortunately David Cameron sold this to the masses with a healthy dose of contextual fabrications and the populace, in general, fell for it - hook, line and sinker. Many still believe that this is just a filter that blocks access to illegal pornography.
In my opinion an unregulated, non-transparent system, such as we currently have here, is about as bad as it gets in an alleged democracy - and not because of stated reasons for implementation but rather because of the scope for immediate and future abuse of the system itself.
Anyway, as for action all once can really do right now is vote with your wallet and change providers (assuming the bloodsuckers don't have you tied down in a contract with early exit fees) or simply set the filters to off with your current provider - while you can, of course.
But, at least we know that we now have (warning: bad language ahead) internet filters that deem pricks and cunts as highly offensive, but a government that still likes house them en masse in Parliament.
" Most of the responses here in the past have been, "We'll just use anonymous proxies, ho ho ho." Well, if that's shot down what do you suggest?"
Simple. Don't switch the filters on. Anything else is really just an illustration of how simple it will be for kids to bypass the filters at home. There's no point in adults enabling the filters and then bypassing them, other than perhaps as a silent protest.
"Well, if that's shot down what do you suggest? I certainly can't see anything off the top of my head that'll either be effective or probably put you on the radar in some way as someone probably/possibly doing something worthy of investigation but I'm not a security bod."
It's an irrelevance. Under normal operating conditions most of what you do is logged and stored somewhere anyway.
But, in my opinion, this is perhaps just the tip of the proverbial iceberg. However, there are more important concerns to be had right now... For example, how the UK and EU are considering waiving fundamental rights to personal privacy in the name of commercial competitiveness.
The government shows a dislike for smut, but it's still happy to prostitute you and me for a 'quick buck'. Go figure.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
