1984 or is it worse already for those in UK?

[filthyjohn]

On the subject of wikipedia, I once edited the page on Sting to say his real name was Gordon Sting, not Sumner, just to wind my mam up. Mind they threatened to ban my IP so I guess disinformation isn't as easy as all that.

[volvosneverdie]

On the subject of wikipedia, I once edited the page on Sting to say his real name was Gordon Sting, not Sumner, just to wind my mam up. Mind they threatened to ban my IP so I guess disinformation isn't as easy as all that.

Actually physicaly laughed out loud at that man.
Quality!


still giggling now.

Beats 'moon dinosaurs' hands down for gigglement.

[jtbo]

I did read today that if I take photo of police in UK it can mean 10 years in prison for me, also I did read that if I don't give my passwords to police if he asks, then it could mean 2 years in prison, when I did read more I found out that I should report persons with more than one mobile phone to officials, also persons with camera that look suspicious.

I don't feel like visiting UK anymore, it could be that my visit would be longer than I was hoping if I take photo and there happens to be police officer on background which I did not notice

How is this possible in modern days, I know it was common in east germany, but modern western society has gone to same level as old world country, it just seems pretty much impossible to me

[workshopmanualman]

It isn't that bad in real life. For one you rarely see a police officer as there are so few of them. If you tried to report somebody for having several mobile 'phones they'd most likely just laugh at you rather than do anything about it. Most of the stories concern what we here term "ars*h*les" who are out to cause trouble - like the photographers who stand outside MI5 etc.. True though we do have an odd immigration policy; let anybody in and then don't hassle them for basic things like taxes. The UK is about average really in terms of what we can and cannot do.

For instance I was in France and was stopped for allegedly speeding. OK I may have been, but the Police that stopped me demanded an instant fine and when I argued they moved their hands down to the sub-automatic machine pistols they were carrying. I paid pretty quickly.

Also Norway is meant to be a nice place, but when I went there I couldn't afford to buy a burger in a fast food place and the people were arrogant beyond belief. America you get strip searched on entry - and there they demand to know your holiday details also, but it is just a formality.

Things are all relative. The UK has problems for sure, but so do we all. Most of the stories in the press are hyped up and are most likely written about people out to cause trouble.

[MJ]

Never heard about the password thing - I'd have no idea what mine was

I guess it's like rules at work - officially you must do this, must not do that, but on the floor things are much more relaxed. It's just worrying when you find out the possible repercussions

[workshopmanualman]

Password? Eek, I live here and have no idea.

However, it is probably "password" if given by somebody in officialdom so we'll be OK then! If it's not, then please deport me; one of the colonies please. Somewhere warm where they drive 5 litre V8's would be fine by me.

[jtbo]

Password thing was that you must give your personal passwords if requested by official.

It is bit different of course there, you get silly laws and nobody obeys them, also police won't draw line right where law book says, but actually is able to use bit of common sense.

In here if law says something then common practise is that, if police sees you doing against what is written to law book you will get penalty which is written in law book and there are no exceptions, no bending of rules at all.

Now imagine how it is when our government copies all those laws you are getting there (which day do all the time in silence), this place is not working too well soon

[workshopmanualman]

Don't forget that sites like this are already monitored to some extent by government agencies, so your anti-government comments have already been noted in your country! Even on the fringes of government the activities of the population are already monitored and recorded; there are joint databases covering just about every possible criminal or terrorist activity, whether you've done that activity or just suspected of being associated with it [like being a neighbour for instance]. This isn't some George Orwell fantasy, but Europe in 2009. I'm sure there are people on this site that feed into such databases [Police, Customs and so on]. Soon here in the UK even people such as waiters will be trained to recognise potential terrorists. And here the UK lags behind other countries such as France or Germany in monitoring their population. Soon all e-mails, texts etc. will be recorded for possible use in the future.

The scary thing isn't that they do this, as e-mail is a recordable medium anyway. The scary thing to me is that some no-life government official, who has no understanding of the real world, could mark any one of us out for investigation should they so wish to do so. God forbid you try to bring in a couple of counterfeit t-shirts to the country after an holiday, exceed the speed limit a little, be called Mohammed, or buy some fertiliser for your garden.

[jtbo]

I'm probably on black list anyway so it really does not add anything to my files

It looks to me that in Europe we are facing end of free world and democracy soon.

I really don't see why there have to be such tight control to everything, why there have to be ton of products that we need which creates pressure to everyone produce more and more...

[workshopmanualman]

Gets worse day by day...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8017896.stm

[volvosneverdie]

Im skint. Might be worth joining a few protest groups?
All the ones whos policies i dont agree with. Then grass them up for the big money.

[jtbo]

Their attempts of getting Internet under control is perhaps to cut out these kind of statements from net?
http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/edwest/blo ... _of_sneaks

Must say that I'm genuinely worried from methods they have chosen to solve problems in country, where were they at time of history lessons?

If this goes on, there certainly will be lot more "antisocial behaviour" in future, which is probably one reason they have put cameras all over the place.

[Ronnie]

Jani, it's not just the UK - it's just that the government here bothers to pass laws allowing it. Security agencies can read your data just as easily as mine. The US National Security Agency has listening stations all over the world. In the past these were for intercepting radio transmissions. These days they tap into arterial data pipes, with hosting country's full knowledge and permission. The NSA also have back doors into Windows OS and I would assume OSX too. They can read anything they want to. The only defence is to run linux and ice all comms with military grade encryption. Personally, I can't be bothered.

[jtbo]

I know, we have special team in Police to just spy people at internet also.

Echelon has been analyzing every call since god knows how long.

We here have still our laws that prevent our government to spy citizens as they wish, there must be some heavy reason until they are allowed to do that, but it seems that EU will tear these laws down soon, if UK government can make it happen. In here it would be bit more serious than in UK as our goverments takes right to spy and control as 'duty to spy and control'

[Chris_C]

These days they tap into arterial data pipes, with hosting country's full knowledge and permission. The NSA also have back doors into Windows OS and I would assume OSX too. They can read anything they want to. The only defence is to run linux and ice all comms with military grade encryption. Personally, I can't be bothered.

Sweet mother of $£"% what has moving to the North done to you? Are you actually wearing a tin foil hat atm?

Granted, I don't have a lot of faith in them either