'Google... used to argue that explicit material doesn’t violate community values.'

[wolven7]

Found via Grinding: “We tried to come up with comparison search terms that would embody typical American values,” Mr. Walters said. “What is more American than apple pie?” But according to the search service, he said, “people are at least as interested in group sex and orgies as they are in apple pie.”

I'm conflicted. On the one hand, my mind goes, "Oh my god! They gots our Datas!"

On the other hand, their uses for it are Absolutely Brilliant, and will go a long way toward breaking down puritanical hypocrisies.

On yet a third hand (which may, in fact, be a tentacle... I'm not sure...), I can see this being spun out, slippery-sloped if you will, into something terrible. New laws enacted to keep people from looking at things, Chinese-style firewalls for "indecent" materials, enacted by "concerned members of the community."

Because people almost always react Wrong. "The Best Little Whorehouse in Springfield" ('Bart After Dark') taught us that lesson.

Read the article.

Comments

[halafax.livejournal.com]

*sighs*

at the rate we are going, no one will be able to do anything that isnt acceptable by community standards. What does that mean? Well we are all going to be good little citizens, like in the Handmaiden's tale. Same ideals, same beliefs, same everything. The rich stay rich, the poor stay poor. Time marches on.

Or we could end up in a fascist state like in V for Vendetta, the fascist nazi christian ideals swallowing everything it finds offensive, strange, or unsavory. People that delve into magic, non christian religions, or just are not the right type of person will just disappear.

Btw that third appendage could just be big brother standing behind you.

Hide your books, save your favorite web pages, and never let them get your copy of the Koran or the Torah...

*throws cake and wanders off*

[wolven.livejournal.com]

Well, I hope as more of our generations come to power, these things will cycle.

[mendori.livejournal.com]

If there is one thing history has shown us, its that, when faced with constricting social standards, deviant groups will migrate to new locations in order to found new societies where their norms are the norm. The Puritans came to America after being rejected by most of Europe for being to off the norm (even by new Protestant standards), as did off shoots of Catholicism, Protestantism, and even weird Deists. They created a nation of off beat norms, which continued to be so. Even now, we have a culture of norms very different from norms elsewhere (Just look at European attitudes towards sex, nudity, and drinking).

Of course, with unoccupied space on this planet becoming more scarce, it only seems logical that, in the future, space colonization will be spearheaded by groups that current culture views as deviant. This can range from groups that are "fundamentalist" of their religion, or groups that are massively countercultural. Hell, we may even see colonies of BDSM practitioners, Grinders, or Steampunks! Right next to the fundamentalist Protestants that don't want "liberal" educators or "anti-Christian" government interfering in their lives.

[pir8m1k3y.livejournal.com]

and Mormons maybe?

[wolven.livejournal.com]

We'll see. But I've always considered those who view space colonization as a dream to be the freaks, anyway. ;)

[nausved.livejournal.com]

I hate to say it, but apple pie is superior to orgies, and rhubarb is even better. It's so amazingly delicious.

I haven't had a pie in so long.... So good....

[wolven.livejournal.com]

You should make a pie. And then give it to an orgy. *nods*

[lillornyn.livejournal.com]

Did you post in blue, or is that my imagination?

Either way, I'm creeped out both by the reference and the fact that I can't tell one way or the other. ;)

[wolven.livejournal.com]

HAH! No, you're not going crazy.

At least not because of me.

At least not yet.

[techiecl.livejournal.com]

This isn't anything new. In my Business Law class back at Tech, their was a similar case in Utah. The defense one when they pulled the cable TV data and one when the community the pornoshop was in had one of the top ten orders of PPV Porn in the country.

[wolven.livejournal.com]

It's more innovative for the use of Google's metrics.

What was the decision in the case?

[techiecl.livejournal.com]

If I recall correctly, the pornshop was acquited.

[wolven.livejournal.com]

Damn good to know.

[lilsayermonster.livejournal.com]

Speaking of "They gots our Datas!", when we went to Disney, they electronically fingerprinted us. We inserted our tickets in a slot, an oval space turned blue, we pressed out pointer fingers against it, and then it let us in. That has been sticking in my mind constantly since then.

[wolven.livejournal.com]

That's... Really scary.