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This won't work. Kids are inventive and can still get around that. Blocking leads to a slippery slope and we may end up blocking much more than porn... , For ex

This won't work. Kids are inventive and can still get around that. Blocking leads to a slippery slope and we may end up blocking much more than porn... , For example, one day they might decide that karate videos should be blocked because... violence. Or, we may wake up one day and find that we can't access the Wikipedia pages about chemistry anymore, because kids can read them and then make dangerous experiments! Reading all those Wikipedia articles can also be an addiction too, (which I seem to have btw...! God forbid from having your kids find a site called Hacker News! ;-)) Instead, how about supervise your kids when they go online?

PKop 6y ago
All so-called addictions aren't created equal. Of course it would work (to some degree). We massively decreased the usage of cigarettes by regulation and taxing. With harsh enough fines and punishments as well as social pressure, decreasing porn usage would be easy to achieve. >Blocking leads to a slippery slope and we may end up blocking much more than porn... , For example, one day they might decide These types of "this" vs "that" decision-making is done all the time. We ban and punish child-porn usage. Various forms of "hate" speech is booted off the internet and "canceled" in culture all the time is it not? We can do it, it's just that many people here don't want to.
- saagarjha 6y ago
  One important difference to note is that people do this in the privacy of their homes all the time, and we certainly will not be banning that. The only thing you would be banning is having a camera pointed at it. The other vices are not illegal only if you record yourself doing it, even child porn.
  - PKop 6y ago
    It would be very easy to regulate the ability to make money easily (platforms, payment systems, public websites/corps) producing this content and therefore decreasing the supply. The bigger picture is the social/cultural conversation around porn usage. It is very accepted, promoted even, by many communities and elements within our society. If there was an honest conversation around this usage would decline. The "no fap" community is an example of this and I think they have had successes changing minds around porn usage as an unquestionable good. This does also get into political viewpoints on public good and individual freedom, and where that line is drawn. >not illegal only if you record yourself doing it, even child porn Don't know what this means. Authorities cannot have knowledge of every instance of law breaking that occurs maybe? Doesn't change its illegality or the punishment if this is discovered.
    - saagarjha 6y ago
      The problem is that is fairly difficult to buy drugs, and we heavily regulate the tools, process, and techniques necessary to produce and consume them. In contrast, every person has the tools to make porn on or attached to to themselves, and putting any sort of restrictions on this would be extremely unpopular from pretty much everyone. By the way, there are a couple of countries that do ban the production and distribution of porn. I would suggest taking a look at how well that works out for them.
      - PKop 6y ago
        >attached to themselves Clear evidence implicating oneself of a crime (if it was made a crime) would seem to me to be a limiting factor in porn usage after regulation. This would stand in contrast to all the other vices that are regulated. The thing itself would implicate. This is all a question of commitment to enforcement... but it surely is possible. >putting any sort of restrictions on this would be extremely unpopular from pretty much everyone. No, but this might reflect the difference in circles you and I find ourselves in. Go on twitter and search for porn ban (or similar permutations) there is a huge contingent supporting this sort of change of culture. I guess I don't disagree than any sort of national referendum within, say, the US in 2020 probably would fail. It wouldn't have failed a few decades ago, I guess the rapid change is something to think about.
- bouncycastle 6y ago
  You've completely missed to counter the main point of my argument.

PKop 6y ago

All so-called addictions aren't created equal. Of course it would work (to some degree). We massively decreased the usage of cigarettes by regulation and taxing. With harsh enough fines and punishments as well as social pressure, decreasing porn usage would be easy to achieve. >Blocking leads to a slippery slope and we may end up blocking much more than porn... , For example, one day they might decide These types of "this" vs "that" decision-making is done all the time. We ban and punish child-porn usage. Various forms of "hate" speech is booted off the internet and "canceled" in culture all the time is it not? We can do it, it's just that many people here don't want to.

saagarjha 6y ago
One important difference to note is that people do this in the privacy of their homes all the time, and we certainly will not be banning that. The only thing you would be banning is having a camera pointed at it. The other vices are not illegal only if you record yourself doing it, even child porn.
- PKop 6y ago
  It would be very easy to regulate the ability to make money easily (platforms, payment systems, public websites/corps) producing this content and therefore decreasing the supply. The bigger picture is the social/cultural conversation around porn usage. It is very accepted, promoted even, by many communities and elements within our society. If there was an honest conversation around this usage would decline. The "no fap" community is an example of this and I think they have had successes changing minds around porn usage as an unquestionable good. This does also get into political viewpoints on public good and individual freedom, and where that line is drawn. >not illegal only if you record yourself doing it, even child porn Don't know what this means. Authorities cannot have knowledge of every instance of law breaking that occurs maybe? Doesn't change its illegality or the punishment if this is discovered.
  - saagarjha 6y ago
    The problem is that is fairly difficult to buy drugs, and we heavily regulate the tools, process, and techniques necessary to produce and consume them. In contrast, every person has the tools to make porn on or attached to to themselves, and putting any sort of restrictions on this would be extremely unpopular from pretty much everyone. By the way, there are a couple of countries that do ban the production and distribution of porn. I would suggest taking a look at how well that works out for them.
    - PKop 6y ago
      >attached to themselves Clear evidence implicating oneself of a crime (if it was made a crime) would seem to me to be a limiting factor in porn usage after regulation. This would stand in contrast to all the other vices that are regulated. The thing itself would implicate. This is all a question of commitment to enforcement... but it surely is possible. >putting any sort of restrictions on this would be extremely unpopular from pretty much everyone. No, but this might reflect the difference in circles you and I find ourselves in. Go on twitter and search for porn ban (or similar permutations) there is a huge contingent supporting this sort of change of culture. I guess I don't disagree than any sort of national referendum within, say, the US in 2020 probably would fail. It wouldn't have failed a few decades ago, I guess the rapid change is something to think about.
bouncycastle 6y ago
You've completely missed to counter the main point of my argument.