[WikiEN-l] IWF backing down?

[geni]

2008/12/9 David Gerard <dgerard at gmail.com>:
> http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/dec/09/wikipedia-censorship-iwf-reconsiders
>
> This is apparently the *first* IWF decision *ever* to require review.

Not unexpected. The few cases we know who've previously been targeted
have other bigger concerns (rapidshare with about 20 different legal
issues and 4chan is well 4chan) or are not going to make a fuss
because they know the IWF is right.

> My prediction: they've been turned to mincemeat every media interview
> they've done on the subject, we've looked like stars. Everyone
> despises them. They aren't standing up too well under scrutiny. So I
> suspect they'll quietly unblock Wikipedia and not block again without
> at least telling us first.

If that was the case they would have pulled the block at noon.

> The censorship mechanism will stay in place
> - the ISPs feel they aren't free not to sign up to this "voluntary"
> scheme - and probably be refined to see if they can block sites like
> us again without breaking everything as they did this time.

Not all ISPs have signed up. While I feel that the IWF's aims could be
better archived through more international police cooperation  their
overall aims are something most people would support.


> It is possible the IWF will try to make the decision stand. In which
> case, party on.

That effectively gives people a weapon to mess up the traffic to any
site they feel like messing with (the image is on imageshack, it
wasn't on youtube last I looked but would not be hard to get it on
there myspace and facebook would not present major problems) really
any site that allows user uploads is a potential target.

-- 
geni