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I don't understand why a technological country like Germany poses so many obstacles to American IT companies. It could be that Germany is sincerely concerned ab

by transpy 12y ago

I don't understand why a technological country like Germany poses so many obstacles to American IT companies. It could be that Germany is sincerely concerned about the limitations that need to be imposed against e.g. Google, so that it doesn't get too powerful, or maybe Germans are just jealous that they aren't really thriving in IT.

Mithaldu 12y ago
What you interpret as attacks on companies, is seen by germans as defense of real and individual people. We have a lot of institutions that would make americans shiver in fright, but give us germans a nice warm feeling because we know that there's someone actually looking out for us. We have a nationally recognized group for the protection of customers. We have a group for the protection of children from bad influences in media, like hate speech or glorification of violence. We have a government office for the protection of the unemployed, which makes it possible for them to continue living a dignified life and helps them reintegrate into the working community. We have strong laws protecting employees from capricious acts by employers. We have a state program to protect the elderly when they cannot work to support themselves anymore, by enabling them to live a dignified life. We have state health insurance and laws in place to ensure that a german citizen would have to actively break the law to not be protected by affordable health insurance. Just to name a few. All of this protects every one of us and means that we're free to help and aid one another without having to worry about giving too much or empowering a potential adversary. It also increases everyone's quality of life; for example education is at a comparably high level for everyone, and we don't have cities who need to think hard about homeless, because we don't have epidemics of homeless. We don't care about having giant IT companies which could buy small countries. We're glad to have everyone have a good chance at a decent life.
- transpy 12y ago
  Ok then, in that case it's sincere concern about the well-being of it's citizens. Some of the things you mention are laudable (unemployment insurance) while other are questionable, nanny-state measures (protect children from bad influences), and other don't seem to be working (hate speech is rampant in Germany). I don't think protecting citizens against bad e-mail service counts as a critical protection measure, it rather falls into the nanny-state measures category and comes across as technologically backwards.
  - Mithaldu 12y ago
    I don't think you'll ever see this, but have an answer nonetheless: You're jumping to conclusions a bit. > nanny-state measures (protect children from bad influences) Putting age labels on things is all fine and good, but if kids can go to any store and legally buy things like the Doom series, or Manhunt, without requiring their parents, then that's a bit of a farce. All germany has done in that respect is to force stores to actually check ages, and not publicly advertise things with certain contents. Adults can still get anything they like, and give it to their children if they feel like it. > and other don't seem to be working (hate speech is rampant in Germany) Honestly curious, how so? I won't deny we still have some bad elements, and every one in a while (once a year or so) a politician may say a dumb thing and get lambasted to hell and back; but i don't think we have anything comparing to the outright white power hitler fetishist groups in the usa, or Glenn Beck, or Westboro Church. > I don't think protecting citizens against bad e-mail service counts as a critical protection measure You seem to have misunderstood. Citizens aren't being protected against "bad email service". Citizens are being protected against a being entirely blocked out of ever reaching human contact when they have legit grievances against a company doing business with them. Read the very top post where the court's stance is explained.

by transpy 12y ago

Mithaldu 12y ago

What you interpret as attacks on companies, is seen by germans as defense of real and individual people. We have a lot of institutions that would make americans shiver in fright, but give us germans a nice warm feeling because we know that there's someone actually looking out for us. We have a nationally recognized group for the protection of customers. We have a group for the protection of children from bad influences in media, like hate speech or glorification of violence. We have a government office for the protection of the unemployed, which makes it possible for them to continue living a dignified life and helps them reintegrate into the working community. We have strong laws protecting employees from capricious acts by employers. We have a state program to protect the elderly when they cannot work to support themselves anymore, by enabling them to live a dignified life. We have state health insurance and laws in place to ensure that a german citizen would have to actively break the law to not be protected by affordable health insurance. Just to name a few. All of this protects every one of us and means that we're free to help and aid one another without having to worry about giving too much or empowering a potential adversary. It also increases everyone's quality of life; for example education is at a comparably high level for everyone, and we don't have cities who need to think hard about homeless, because we don't have epidemics of homeless. We don't care about having giant IT companies which could buy small countries. We're glad to have everyone have a good chance at a decent life.

transpy 12y ago
Ok then, in that case it's sincere concern about the well-being of it's citizens. Some of the things you mention are laudable (unemployment insurance) while other are questionable, nanny-state measures (protect children from bad influences), and other don't seem to be working (hate speech is rampant in Germany). I don't think protecting citizens against bad e-mail service counts as a critical protection measure, it rather falls into the nanny-state measures category and comes across as technologically backwards.
- Mithaldu 12y ago
  I don't think you'll ever see this, but have an answer nonetheless: You're jumping to conclusions a bit. > nanny-state measures (protect children from bad influences) Putting age labels on things is all fine and good, but if kids can go to any store and legally buy things like the Doom series, or Manhunt, without requiring their parents, then that's a bit of a farce. All germany has done in that respect is to force stores to actually check ages, and not publicly advertise things with certain contents. Adults can still get anything they like, and give it to their children if they feel like it. > and other don't seem to be working (hate speech is rampant in Germany) Honestly curious, how so? I won't deny we still have some bad elements, and every one in a while (once a year or so) a politician may say a dumb thing and get lambasted to hell and back; but i don't think we have anything comparing to the outright white power hitler fetishist groups in the usa, or Glenn Beck, or Westboro Church. > I don't think protecting citizens against bad e-mail service counts as a critical protection measure You seem to have misunderstood. Citizens aren't being protected against "bad email service". Citizens are being protected against a being entirely blocked out of ever reaching human contact when they have legit grievances against a company doing business with them. Read the very top post where the court's stance is explained.