4 ms·

Aren't both versions freely available? Seems strange to call something censorship when nothing has been censored.

inglor_cz 4y ago
Replacing one copy with another in your own device is a fairly intrusive act. We don't have a word for it yet, given that classical censorship developed in the era of printed books, when such activities were technologically impossible. But I would say that it falls under penumbra of censorship because of the intent. And the intent is to remove certain speech from average reader's view without the reader's consent. Censorship does not have to be total in order to be censorship. Even in authoritarian states, small oppositional media outlets may be tolerated, so that foreign accusations of media control can be rebuked: "Hey, look at Radio X, we are definitely not censoring them." But their reach is carefully kept limited.
- justinclift 4y ago
  > We don't have a word for it yet "Computer Fraud and Abuse" seems like it would cover it? :) Here in Australia, maybe "Unauthorised access with intent" too. Would need real lawyers/court to figure it out though.
  - op00to 4y ago
    You didn’t buy a book. You bought a license for the content that can be revoked at any time. You also licensed the ebook provider to remove or alter the content as they see fit. Don’t want changing books? Pirate your ebook or buy a paper book.
    - account42 4y ago
      > You didn’t buy a book. You bought a license for the content that can be revoked at any time. Odd, when I look at a Kindle book on Amazon it shows a button to "Buy now". > You also licensed the ebook provider to remove or alter the content as they see fit. It is good that at least the EU has started to recognize the concept of informed consent. Clicking agree on a multi-page contract when that is the only way to access content that you (or someone else) have already paid for is not it. > Don’t want changing books? Pirate your ebook or buy a paper book. Those are the immediately available options, but that doesn't mean we have to just accept digital "purchases" being whatever the seller wants them to be while still trying to lure in people by making it seem they are buying something.
    - cykros 4y ago
      They should do it with the Holy Bible. Then it can really be the "living word" of God.
      - gregw2 4y ago
        They do. NIV 1984 is not todays NIV. (But having once reviewed a swath of inclusiveness edits via side by side comparisons first hand out of intellectual curiosity about what is going on, it was kinda a nothingburger was my takeaway.)
        smsm42 4y ago
        NIV is a translation though. Having different translations is a normal thing. Having different originals not so much.
      - inglor_cz 4y ago
        The really explosive edit would be to introduce a LGBT-friendly Quran.
        ogennadi 4y ago
        My casual reading of the Quran found nothing pro- or contra-LGBT. Perhaps the Hadiths are another matter...
        account42 4y ago
        You have to understand, LGBT-friendly today means that there are forced diversity inclusions at every corner so noone can possibly not see the progressiveness.
        justinclift 4y ago
        Probably no chance of it being converted to comic book format, to reach different audiences either. ;)
    - DanielBMarkham 4y ago
      Books have been around for centuries. You can't redefine the term because lawyers. If anything, that kind of ninja editing of intellectual history is fraud on a civilizational scale. Doesn't mean you can sell license subscriptions or whatnot, but what you sell has to match up with what the buyer thinks they're purchasing.
smsm42 4y ago
Not "freely", as it is under copyright. The copyright holders may allow you to access the unbowdlerized version, at additional effort with separate payment. Or they may one day decide otherwise and your access is instantly gone. Unless of course you go to samizdat...

Replacing one copy with another in your own device is a fairly intrusive act. We don't have a word for it yet, given that classical censorship developed in the era of printed books, when such activities were technologically impossible. But I would say that it falls under penumbra of censorship because of the intent. And the intent is to remove certain speech from average reader's view without the reader's consent. Censorship does not have to be total in order to be censorship. Even in authoritarian states, small oppositional media outlets may be tolerated, so that foreign accusations of media control can be rebuked: "Hey, look at Radio X, we are definitely not censoring them." But their reach is carefully kept limited.

justinclift 4y ago
> We don't have a word for it yet "Computer Fraud and Abuse" seems like it would cover it? :) Here in Australia, maybe "Unauthorised access with intent" too. Would need real lawyers/court to figure it out though.
- op00to 4y ago
  You didn’t buy a book. You bought a license for the content that can be revoked at any time. You also licensed the ebook provider to remove or alter the content as they see fit. Don’t want changing books? Pirate your ebook or buy a paper book.
  - account42 4y ago
    > You didn’t buy a book. You bought a license for the content that can be revoked at any time. Odd, when I look at a Kindle book on Amazon it shows a button to "Buy now". > You also licensed the ebook provider to remove or alter the content as they see fit. It is good that at least the EU has started to recognize the concept of informed consent. Clicking agree on a multi-page contract when that is the only way to access content that you (or someone else) have already paid for is not it. > Don’t want changing books? Pirate your ebook or buy a paper book. Those are the immediately available options, but that doesn't mean we have to just accept digital "purchases" being whatever the seller wants them to be while still trying to lure in people by making it seem they are buying something.
  - cykros 4y ago
    They should do it with the Holy Bible. Then it can really be the "living word" of God.
    - gregw2 4y ago
      They do. NIV 1984 is not todays NIV. (But having once reviewed a swath of inclusiveness edits via side by side comparisons first hand out of intellectual curiosity about what is going on, it was kinda a nothingburger was my takeaway.)
      - smsm42 4y ago
        NIV is a translation though. Having different translations is a normal thing. Having different originals not so much.
    - inglor_cz 4y ago
      The really explosive edit would be to introduce a LGBT-friendly Quran.
      - ogennadi 4y ago
        My casual reading of the Quran found nothing pro- or contra-LGBT. Perhaps the Hadiths are another matter...
        account42 4y ago
        You have to understand, LGBT-friendly today means that there are forced diversity inclusions at every corner so noone can possibly not see the progressiveness.
      - justinclift 4y ago
        Probably no chance of it being converted to comic book format, to reach different audiences either. ;)
  - DanielBMarkham 4y ago
    Books have been around for centuries. You can't redefine the term because lawyers. If anything, that kind of ninja editing of intellectual history is fraud on a civilizational scale. Doesn't mean you can sell license subscriptions or whatnot, but what you sell has to match up with what the buyer thinks they're purchasing.

smsm42 4y ago

Not "freely", as it is under copyright. The copyright holders may allow you to access the unbowdlerized version, at additional effort with separate payment. Or they may one day decide otherwise and your access is instantly gone. Unless of course you go to samizdat...