3 ms·

UK is becoming more Orwellian by the day. Not sure if I really want to spend the rest of my life here when we're ran by nutjobs.

pmlnr 5y ago
It's not just the UK, is the whole world: "Privacy activists oppose EU plans for a GDPR-compliant Whois v2" - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28892013 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28892013
- rektide 5y ago
  And the Orwellian aspects aren't just trying to change their fucked up little places, they're trying to redefine how the whole internet has to operate, demanding the world's information system caters to them. Even with projects like GDPR, we're trying to build some pro-citizen rules. But we've still done nothing to defend or enable individuals, to grant them powers & rights to operate independently & freely online. There's no bill of hosting rights, that I'm aware of, anywhere on the planet. I want to see a nation step up & try to enhance & promote speech & data of it's citizen's in an supernational context. Our citizens have a right to have their words online! We are actively building & encouraging hosting solutions to enable that!
  - userbinator 5y ago
    The US would've been the only nation to have the resources and attitude to want to do something like that, but currently it seems to be taking an Orwellian path of its own too.
    - rektide 5y ago
      Any random country could declare a slew of user rights. The country doesnt have to use big-stick behavior to insist upon rights: they can just tacitly support every unlocking, jailbreaking, right to repair, pro consumer move that comes along. Dont litigate for change, just provide a bastion of defence for the segment of the population working to spring free from the top down consumerization the world has fallen into passivity into.
all2 5y ago
We'd be glad to have you in the US. I'll continue to offer that so long as the 2nd Amendment stands (I presume the possession of lethal protective measures are a bulwark against infringements of other rights... we'll know if I'm correct in the next 10 or so years).
rich_sasha 5y ago
Plenty of places going totally bonkers. I wonder if the world always seems like this in real time. When I first learned about the Cuban Missile Crisis, it was described as a bit of a mild thriller with a happy end, much ado about nothing. But it must have seemed like apocalypse about to happen.
tweedledee 5y ago
I presumed Orwell was inspired by the UK and not the other way around
- dTal 5y ago
  Orwell was inspired by - directly referencing, really - the Soviet Union. It's set in the UK for ironic contrast.
  - tweedledee 5y ago
    In 1984 I’d say he was more inspired by his time working for the UK government in Burma. Particularly the use of propaganda to control the population.

pmlnr 5y ago

It's not just the UK, is the whole world: "Privacy activists oppose EU plans for a GDPR-compliant Whois v2" - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28892013 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28892013

rektide 5y ago
And the Orwellian aspects aren't just trying to change their fucked up little places, they're trying to redefine how the whole internet has to operate, demanding the world's information system caters to them. Even with projects like GDPR, we're trying to build some pro-citizen rules. But we've still done nothing to defend or enable individuals, to grant them powers & rights to operate independently & freely online. There's no bill of hosting rights, that I'm aware of, anywhere on the planet. I want to see a nation step up & try to enhance & promote speech & data of it's citizen's in an supernational context. Our citizens have a right to have their words online! We are actively building & encouraging hosting solutions to enable that!
- userbinator 5y ago
  The US would've been the only nation to have the resources and attitude to want to do something like that, but currently it seems to be taking an Orwellian path of its own too.
  - rektide 5y ago
    Any random country could declare a slew of user rights. The country doesnt have to use big-stick behavior to insist upon rights: they can just tacitly support every unlocking, jailbreaking, right to repair, pro consumer move that comes along. Dont litigate for change, just provide a bastion of defence for the segment of the population working to spring free from the top down consumerization the world has fallen into passivity into.

all2 5y ago

We'd be glad to have you in the US. I'll continue to offer that so long as the 2nd Amendment stands (I presume the possession of lethal protective measures are a bulwark against infringements of other rights... we'll know if I'm correct in the next 10 or so years).

rich_sasha 5y ago

Plenty of places going totally bonkers. I wonder if the world always seems like this in real time. When I first learned about the Cuban Missile Crisis, it was described as a bit of a mild thriller with a happy end, much ado about nothing. But it must have seemed like apocalypse about to happen.

tweedledee 5y ago

I presumed Orwell was inspired by the UK and not the other way around

dTal 5y ago
Orwell was inspired by - directly referencing, really - the Soviet Union. It's set in the UK for ironic contrast.
- tweedledee 5y ago
  In 1984 I’d say he was more inspired by his time working for the UK government in Burma. Particularly the use of propaganda to control the population.