Comments on: Should Google try to prevent terrorism by taking down jihadi videos from YouTube? http://boingboing.net/2010/05/06/should-google-try-to.html Brain candy for Happy Mutants Mon, 20 May 2013 17:04:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: MadRat http://boingboing.net/2010/05/06/should-google-try-to.html#comment-781057 MadRat Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-781057 I can't decide on this one. If The Turner Diaries hadn't been publish would the people who were blown up in Oklahoma City been saved? Maybe. If Stephen King had never published Rage would copycat school shootings have not taken place? Possibly, but either way he's decided Rage will never again be published. Will taking jihadi videos down impede terrorists? We can't know for sure until it's too late. Maybe those videos will turn people off to jihad. Maybe those videos will help law enforcement prevent an attack. Could you see a video even if it was illegal and every country strictly enforced its laws? If people get caught train loads of child porn only because they sent their computer into Geek Squad, you should be able to find jihadi videos as well. One of the things that makes humans curious is when something that should be there is removed. Maybe removing those videos would make the situation worse. Seriously, I can't decide. I can’t decide on this one. If The Turner Diaries hadn’t been publish would the people who were blown up in Oklahoma City been saved? Maybe. If Stephen King had never published Rage would copycat school shootings have not taken place? Possibly, but either way he’s decided Rage will never again be published. Will taking jihadi videos down impede terrorists? We can’t know for sure until it’s too late. Maybe those videos will turn people off to jihad. Maybe those videos will help law enforcement prevent an attack. Could you see a video even if it was illegal and every country strictly enforced its laws? If people get caught train loads of child porn only because they sent their computer into Geek Squad, you should be able to find jihadi videos as well. One of the things that makes humans curious is when something that should be there is removed. Maybe removing those videos would make the situation worse. Seriously, I can’t decide.

]]> By: Antinous / Moderator http://boingboing.net/2010/05/06/should-google-try-to.html#comment-781063 Antinous / Moderator Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-781063 What about videos from people who want to overthrow the Ahmedinejad/Khameini regime in Iran? Or Uighurs in China? Those governments would certainly label them as terrorists. Is it only anti-US/Western European videos that would be removed? What about videos from people who want to overthrow the Ahmedinejad/Khameini regime in Iran? Or Uighurs in China? Those governments would certainly label them as terrorists. Is it only anti-US/Western European videos that would be removed?

]]> By: Usagi Miyamoto http://boingboing.net/2010/05/06/should-google-try-to.html#comment-781070 Usagi Miyamoto Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-781070 Perhaps they should just add a laugh track. Perhaps they should just add a laugh track.

]]> By: Church http://boingboing.net/2010/05/06/should-google-try-to.html#comment-780306 Church Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-780306 "They'd have a quicker time yanking them if the movie studios claimed copyright infringement for movies with terrorist plots." Well, kill "24" and... well everything made in the past decade. “They’d have a quicker time yanking them if the movie studios claimed copyright infringement for movies with terrorist plots.”

Well, kill “24″ and… well everything made in the past decade.

]]> By: Flyne http://boingboing.net/2010/05/06/should-google-try-to.html#comment-780822 Flyne Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-780822 Someone has their priorities backwards. Censorship is more of a threat to America than terrorism. Someone has their priorities backwards. Censorship is more of a threat to America than terrorism.

]]> By: IamInnocent http://boingboing.net/2010/05/06/should-google-try-to.html#comment-780072 IamInnocent Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-780072 Prove me that this would make any difference. Prove me that this would make any difference.

]]> By: Church http://boingboing.net/2010/05/06/should-google-try-to.html#comment-780080 Church Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-780080 Typical response. Suppress talk about a problem, rather than confront and deal with the problem. Because that last one is *hard*, dude! Typical response. Suppress talk about a problem, rather than confront and deal with the problem.

Because that last one is *hard*, dude!

]]> By: Grey Devil http://boingboing.net/2010/05/06/should-google-try-to.html#comment-780123 Grey Devil Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-780123 I see the point of the argument, though more censorship isn't the answer. Helping ignore a problem, or sweeping it under the rug, does not solve it at the end of the day. If anything letting the vids stay on Youtube helps others be aware of the problem, and i find that more valuable than security through obscurity. I see the point of the argument, though more censorship isn’t the answer. Helping ignore a problem, or sweeping it under the rug, does not solve it at the end of the day.

If anything letting the vids stay on Youtube helps others be aware of the problem, and i find that more valuable than security through obscurity.

]]> By: Anonymous http://boingboing.net/2010/05/06/should-google-try-to.html#comment-780142 Anonymous Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-780142 They're too busy looking for Downfall parodies. They’re too busy looking for Downfall parodies.

]]> By: Boomshadow http://boingboing.net/2010/05/06/should-google-try-to.html#comment-781427 Boomshadow Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-781427 Agreed. Terrorists can kill people, but censorship kills entire societies from inside people's hearts and minds. I know there's a potential "slippery slope" fallacy, but in general, any time we start giving people an excuse to say "you can't do this" for a specific reason, that specific reason starts to get less and less specific and apply to more and more cases. Add to that the fact that banning jihadi videos on one site won't block them from being hosted elsewhere, AND the fact that banning jihadi videos will do absolutely nothing to actually prevent terrorist attacks, and there is no reason to ban the videos. Agreed. Terrorists can kill people, but censorship kills entire societies from inside people’s hearts and minds. I know there’s a potential “slippery slope” fallacy, but in general, any time we start giving people an excuse to say “you can’t do this” for a specific reason, that specific reason starts to get less and less specific and apply to more and more cases.

Add to that the fact that banning jihadi videos on one site won’t block them from being hosted elsewhere, AND the fact that banning jihadi videos will do absolutely nothing to actually prevent terrorist attacks, and there is no reason to ban the videos.

]]> By: Anonymous http://boingboing.net/2010/05/06/should-google-try-to.html#comment-780932 Anonymous Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-780932 Google should be reporting everyone who uploads these videos or posts approving comments of them to every state security bureau it can think of including the relevant foreign ones. Taking the videos down just removes the evidence and makes the jihadis move somewhere else. Google should be reporting everyone who uploads these videos or posts approving comments of them to every state security bureau it can think of including the relevant foreign ones. Taking the videos down just removes the evidence and makes the jihadis move somewhere else.

]]> By: watchout5 http://boingboing.net/2010/05/06/should-google-try-to.html#comment-781188 watchout5 Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-781188 I think if you're going about it to "prevent terrorism" it's a total failure. However if by "jihadi" videos you mean asking that fellow Muslims join in violence against people that don't like them? Google should have every right to feel like they could delete them. I'm not in favor of some kind of government forcing them to do so, but I think in the interests of public safety they should at least alert the authorities about the threat of violence, and such crimes should be punished according to our laws. I guess it goes into a gray area if they're doing it in another country, and by the time it's on youtube it's far to late for Google to "prevent" anything. I think if you’re going about it to “prevent terrorism” it’s a total failure. However if by “jihadi” videos you mean asking that fellow Muslims join in violence against people that don’t like them? Google should have every right to feel like they could delete them. I’m not in favor of some kind of government forcing them to do so, but I think in the interests of public safety they should at least alert the authorities about the threat of violence, and such crimes should be punished according to our laws. I guess it goes into a gray area if they’re doing it in another country, and by the time it’s on youtube it’s far to late for Google to “prevent” anything.

]]> By: adonai http://boingboing.net/2010/05/06/should-google-try-to.html#comment-780782 adonai Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-780782 Short answer? No. Long answer? Noooooo. Short answer? No.

Long answer? Noooooo.

]]> By: Phikus http://boingboing.net/2010/05/06/should-google-try-to.html#comment-780281 Phikus Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-780281 They'd have a quicker time yanking them if the movie studios claimed copyright infringement for movies with terrorist plots. They’d have a quicker time yanking them if the movie studios claimed copyright infringement for movies with terrorist plots.

]]> By: Phikus http://boingboing.net/2010/05/06/should-google-try-to.html#comment-780027 Phikus Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-780027 Yeah, censorship is the answer in a free society. Yeah, censorship is the answer in a free society.

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