Germany Wants To Put Time Limits On Porn 356
nappster writes: "According to this article (sorry, it's in German), Germany thinks it can control the Internet, so now it's considering requiring that porn sites restrict their hours to 11pm to 6am. Exactly how they will coerce sites operating outside Germany is not explained, hence the term 'imbecility' that some have used to describe this proposal." Swim through the German with the Fish.
Re:*sigh* (Score:2, Interesting)
Their technology laws better? Where it costs ten times more for Internet connectivity than it does in the US? Where the government runs the ISPs? For chrissake, you can't even have red LEDs on the front of equipment there because it's against the law!
Admittedly, some of this may have changed since I last checked, since I don't live in Germany. But even so, they're still in the stone age in many ways when it comes to this stuff. Sorry if I sound like I'm Germany-bashing, but this is the topic at hand. Besides, the US gets a lot of bashing, so it's about time we spread it around a little.
Re:My great fear... (Score:5, Interesting)
No, I don't think that will happen. That would require every country in the world to bow to every other country's wishes. That will never, ever happen in a million years. Instead, I fear that countries will start fragmenting the Internet by establishing national firewalls or the like. The Internet may become segregated, split into different pieces by the meddling of misguided politicians. That would be unfortunate.
Star Trek (Score:3, Interesting)
"They didn't call it the Dark Ages because it was dark." -- Daniel Jackson, Stargate SG-1.
Communist China Filters (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:*sigh* (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:Government Performance Reviews (Score:2, Interesting)
Why is that idea so stupid?
It was a suggestion by the Surgeon General [whom no one ever listens to] [surgeongeneral.gov] because of AIDS [etc] and teenage pregnancy. I still believe that it was a great idea, but no one really knew why she had suggested it.
She didn't want to teach techniques [we all figured it out on our own] she wanted to remove stigma and simply give the idea up for an alternative to fucking the person who sat in front of you when you were board.
This type of law would keep boys from beating it [or girls from swirling it] and leave them no other choice but to either go for the [family pet here] or their friends.
Re:Time zones? (Score:4, Interesting)
Actually a few more. Some are centred about longitude which is not a multiple of 15 degrees. (e.g. Afganistan.)
Should be restricted to TLD's (Score:1, Interesting)
Why dont all pr0n sites use
You can then restrict at the TLD level for a whole host of reasons.
Re:Here's the reason: Commercials!!! (Score:5, Interesting)
Then come the commercials that get me. They are ubiquitous and leave absolutely nothing to the imagination for what you get calling the 0190 (extra-toll) and 00 (international) telephone numbers. Btw, I know what the original poster means about "perverted", it seems that the qualification to appear as a model on one of these ads is to be anything but normal looking!!!
I don't object to porn on the net because it doesn't interrupt 'normal viewing' you have to click the URL and it is usually clear what you are getting (apart from Goatsex [goatse.cx], don't click this one). Well maybe if VA Software get desperate and start some pop-ups in slashdot for extra funding - then we could be worried.
The last point is why restrict the time slots, many kids over the age of 14 have a computer in their room and I don't want to give them another reason to break curfew and stay up late. It is bad enough with them playing computer games until all hours!!!
Moderators Please Note: The above goatsex link is actually on topic for once!!!!
Re:My great fear... (Score:2, Interesting)
I think the internet can be regarded as both which is why there are so many problems with decency legislation.
If one would regard the internet as a broadcast medium such as tv it would make sense to try and restrict it's content like on tv; for example "adult" material can only be shown late at night.
However someone that would regard the internet more like a book would feel like some freedom is taken away from him, since right now he has the freedom to read his playboy anytime he wants too.
I am all for freedom of speech etc. but I don't think the German government is doing something strange by trying to impose decency laws on the internet(only from a technological viewpoint maybe) Every media (apart) from the internet has been subject to decency laws so what's so different about the internet?
The essence is what kind of laws to impose. The type of laws we have for books, videos etc. (ie. age checks etc.) or the type of laws for tv (ie. hours)? The us govt. tried to impose some sort of age law for porn sites, (with the cc number thing) which shows they regard the internet more as a personal media type thing wheras the German government is trying to impose the hours type legislation, which shows they regard the internet more like a tv type medium.
I don't think the German government is stupid enough to demand the shutdown of sites outside their country at certain hours like so many people seem to suggest here. More likely it will be some kind of filtering device.
Re:Holding back the evil (Score:4, Interesting)
The Internet is a human construction. It can be built or rebuilt to suit whatever criteria its builders choose.
The 'Net we are heading for has no anonymity, is zoned on a per-country and per culture basis, has routers blocking every port but 80 (you can use the others, too, for a price) and only allows "approved publishers" to create content.
- The rage in the router world right now is 'intelligent content sensitive blocking' which would allow, for example' your cable ISP to block H.323 packets (voice over IP) unless you've paid for the service.
- Right behind this is the ability to QOS their routers to "encourage" their customers to use preferred services (== companies with which they've formed a partnership) over competitors. (If you don't like your current ISP, but the competitors home page takes 5 minutes to load and doesn't render right, are you going to switch? Surprise, it may have nothing to do how fast the competing ISP is, or how well they've designed their home page.)
- As previous slashdot stories have pointed out, whole countries (like Saudi Arabia) are firewalling off the rest of the world. AOL does this, too, but their 'zone' is paying customers. Products like SurfWatch allow anyone to do this for themselves and those they "represent".
- We've already lost port 25 (SMTP) because of the spammers. Don't kid yourself into believing the ISP were anything but estatic about being able to take that away, for "anti-spamming" reasons, and now charge us extra for our email accounts.
In the new 'Net world, you won't even get onto the internet without "the 'Net" knowing exactly who you are, what you're allowed to access, and who to charge for every piece of content you view. And BTW, they'll also know what you're likely to buy, how much you can afford, and whether they can charge you for it (because you're already hooked) or have to give it to you for free.
(Just to keep ontopic; once they figure out that you prefer tits to ass, they'll charge you for tits, but ass will be free.)
Imagine an internet no bigger than AOL, or MSN. Imagine an Internet ab bland and braindead as broadcast television is today.
You'll be allowed to create your own home page (for a price), but if there's anything contraversial (== not profitable to the 'Nets owner) you won't be allowed to post it.
If you rest on your laurels, confident that it can never happen, you lose your vote in how you want the Internet to be built. It can be built differently, but you'll have to do it yourself.
Isn't it odd so many people get upset about porn (Score:5, Interesting)
Uh, am I on the only person on the face of the Earth who would rather get laid than shot?
Or to put it another way... (Score:3, Interesting)
It's sad how blase we are about our kids watching people get shot, hacked up, beaten & abused on various TV programs, yet let two naked people make love on a television and OH MY GOD WHAT WILL THE CHILDREN THINK!
It's just like everyone shitting themselves over a handful of anthrax deaths when thousands die in their cars on the way to work each morning. Like much else a matter of misplaced priorities and media-hyped threats to our society.