KHUK Posted February 16, 2009 Share Posted February 16, 2009 The internet can be blamed for so many things, but most of all racism. It’s easy to say anything on the internet these days, I think people sometimes forget that real people are behind every computer screen. You forget all your anxieties when using the internet, perhaps you feel more confident to say something that you couldn’t and wouldn’t say to someone’s face. People need reminding that reading words can also conjure up all sorts of images in the minds of everyone regardless of background. Most nations have the great privilege of free speech but that doesn’t give anyone the right to say absolutely anything to anyone, especially racist remarks. Youtube is the pinnacle of this particular topic, one good look at the comments of its users makes you wonder what kind of world we live in today. Maybe you don’t mean what you write sometimes, still, you write it anyway. You might feel some sense of guilt after awhile, but what can you do, you’ve said it and someone has read it. It’s easy to forget about the person behind the screen sometimes, I almost forgot that someone is/will be reading this. Imagine if Youtube wasn’t a website but was in fact a big massive football field with a TV screen in the middle of the pitch. You all watched the same video together and then each of you were individually asked to make a comment on a microphone, live and in front of thousands. If this video was something that you didn’t believe in, disliked or hated it. Would you say so? Would you keep your thoughts to yourself and just say it was good and then pass the microphone to the person in the next seat? If this video featured a person from a country that you disliked, and that same person was in the next seat to yours, would you tell him/her and the thousands listening that you disliked him/her because of where he/she comes from? No matter where you are in the world, remember the people behind the screens, watching, listening or reading. They’re real people. STAMP OUT RACISM! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GKIye Posted February 16, 2009 Share Posted February 16, 2009 I agree 100% !!! Concerning youtube .. they are perfect isn't ? They have HUGE copyright restrictions and rules and they are feeling themselfs happy to FW them to a member who did something wrong ... Ooo man .. copyright issues .. these are sooooo important at the US ... besides these .. watch out and don't show any naked shoulder into your clip because the clip gonna be flagged by a conservative member ... its about time that youtube is getting to know the differences between restrictions at the US and at Europe Its part of the truth isn't ? I believe so But strange enough their members can make comments who are not made into a way normal people do .. even comments with a twist of racism So it looks to Me that the restrictions and policy who is used at youtube and many other websites, in this case US websites, are only concerned about the copyright and adult content issues .. Issues who affects "humans" in religion, race etc etc seems not "that" important to them ... However N* F* L* and many other words are soooo offensive to them .. but besides these anything else can be told and written .. because they have afterall a "freedom of speech" .. Indeed its a SAD truth !!! In Belgium into the past year already 2 cases where made at the National Court about these issues .. and in both cases the person who published the content where condemned for reason that they made a violation by using offensive written content. In Belgium this is condemned in the same way and with the same rules as this should happen when offensive content is being published into newspapers. Important is that the violation happened at a website who provides their content at a server who is located in the country Belgium .. if it happens to a Belgian citizen at a website located outside of the country ... there is nothing much who can be done about it ... In fact stupid .. but those are the real facts We only can hope that attitude itself gonna get some positive vibes into the future .. Maybe We need a new Love, Peace and Friendship Flower Power generation .. such as there was during the 60s Visit and listen @ BW ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jinglemaster Posted February 16, 2009 Share Posted February 16, 2009 Great thread Kris. As someone who is white and married to my black wife for 19 years and counting, we have met a fair share of racisim. We first met in South Africa in the 1980's, in the middle of Apparthied. We could not walk through johannesburg holding hands or we would have been arrested, and possibly shot. I have one memory of us going to see 'Cry Freedom' when it first came out. The day we went the Cinema has just been raided and the film banned. It was after all a depiction of the racism that existed in South Africa at the time. However, apart from their rules at the time we never encountered any actual racism there. It wasn't until we returned to the UK that I became aware of it almost daily. An example of this: I can go to the bank and pay a bill without any questions. Yet when my wife goes to the same bank, she is asked if she has an account. We pushed this one step further by getting her to pay one bill and me another in the same bank, at the same teller. I paid the gas bill without a problem, then she was asked if she had an account by the same teller 10 seconds after me. My wife has enquired about jobs and has been met with great enthusiasm, but when she goes for the interview they are obviously not expecting a black woman to show up. Their ackwardness is apparently all too obvious. Years ago, a company I worked for fired a guy. He was black. The boss told everyone he was getting fired EXCEPT him! As soon as I knew I told him, so when they called him in on the Friday he already knew. Why? He should have been the first to know! He just happened to be the only black guy there and the boss told me that they would get another black guy to replace him, just to prove there was nothing racist! How racist is that in itself? Anyone who judges anyone purely on appearance is a damned fool. Anyone who thinks they are better than anyone else just because of their colour is wrong. People say things to me almost daily that they wouldn't say to me if they knew my wofe was black. Don't worry, I soon tell them at which point they usually try to cover up with the old 'lots of my friends are black'. Yeah? Well you had better them know you are racist then hadn't you! Please, whoever you are and wherever you are. There is an old saying... 'Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never harm me'. Bullsh*t. They do harm. Very much. My message on the end of all this is as follows. 1. Don't be racist against anyone at all. 2. If you are racist, get as far away from me as you can. Whoever you are reading this, please just imagine how you would feel if you were the other person! THINK before you type. Someone may just be offended or hurt by what you may say. What goes around does eventually come back around!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Voxjunction Posted February 16, 2009 Share Posted February 16, 2009 Great post, Kris. I've been on the Net for about 12 years now and in my experience the people who stir up trouble are usually the ones that would never dream of coming out from behind their keyboards and making the same comments to someone face to face. I'm sure many come unstuck though as the internet does not grant as much anonymity as people think. Write something naughty and it stays around and can come back to bite years later, even if they think it's disappeared or been deleted. On the other hand, there's the positive side to the internet. I've met some great people from all over the world and it's fascinating to learn about the lifestyle and culture of other people. Wouldn't it be boring if everyone was the same ? As far as the world of voiceover is concerned, I wouldn't have had the confidence to enter this field if it wasn't for the support of industry people from around the world that I've met through boards like BW and the others. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blazin 97 Posted February 16, 2009 Share Posted February 16, 2009 the people who stir up trouble are usually the ones that would never dream of coming out from behind their keyboards and making the same comments to someone face to face. Oh of course! 100% I think websites like YouTube are used the wrong way and disturbing videos are posted up publically for everyone to see. YouTube is one of those websites that really needs to crack down on this becuase it is a growing problem with the internet having so much potential. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kwdservices Posted February 17, 2009 Share Posted February 17, 2009 Oh of course! 100% I think websites like YouTube are used the wrong way and disturbing videos are posted up publicly for everyone to see. YouTube is one of those websites that really needs to crack down on this because it is a growing problem with the internet having so much potential. Not that I agree with any of this, but the problem is that it is free speech. Nothing anyone can really do about it unfortunately as much as I disagree with it :( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GKIye Posted February 17, 2009 Share Posted February 17, 2009 First of all .. I do not wanna throw a stick to anyone ... but the "free speech" to the US policy is the main issue and problem in trying to solve the general problem concerning offensive content of any kind but the problem is that it is free speech I wanna quote myself once again - as written into my earlier reply : In Belgium into the past year already 2 cases where made at the National Court about these issues .. and in both cases the person who published the content where condemned for reason that they made a violation by using offensive written content. In Belgium this is condemned in the same way and with the same rules as this should happen when offensive content is being published into newspapers. We in Belgium have also a "free speech" policy however this isn't 100% understood as equal to written content who can offend 1 person or a group of persons at the time the content of an article in a newspaper is written in such a way that somebody make a complain to it because its against the human rights, eather on National, eather on European level. Human rights are a global issue and adapted to the behaviour of some groups of people "at the internet" it looks to Me to easy that those kind of people can hide them behind the fact of free speech. However this happens very often and I guess into the future this gonna result into a global law aka policy who gonna affect any contributor and any owner to any website worldwide. Visit and listen @ BW ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kwdservices Posted February 17, 2009 Share Posted February 17, 2009 First of all .. I do not wanna throw a stick to anyone ... but the "free speech" to the US policy is the main issue and problem in trying to solve the general problem concerning offensive content of any kind I hope you're not angry with me? I was just saying that in the US, free speech makes us able to say about anything unfortunately and I do not agree with what is said sometimes but we can't do anything about it. I wasn't trying to say I agreed with any of this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jinglemaster Posted February 17, 2009 Share Posted February 17, 2009 Guys, guys. I get the definite impression you are both fighting for the same team. I think one of you may have misunderstood the otehr. I hope I am not interfering here. It is very easy to misread the written word. I don't think anyone was having ago at anyone else. I hope that helps.:biggrinthumb: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kwdservices Posted February 18, 2009 Share Posted February 18, 2009 Guys, guys. I get the definite impression you are both fighting for the same team. I think one of you may have misunderstood the otehr. I hope I am not interfering here. It is very easy to misread the written word. I don't think anyone was having ago at anyone else. I hope that helps.:biggrinthumb: Yea, I'm not quite sure here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GKIye Posted February 18, 2009 Share Posted February 18, 2009 Hi Karl Be sure, don't worry .. I'm not angry .. no problem I hope you're not angry with me? I was just explaining my point of view in my own words .. afterall I'm not a native English speaker or writer .. so as Belgian I'm trying to share my view the best as possible I know these issues are very sensitive to several regions in the World, so not only in the US but many countries on this 3rd rock from the sun do have similar problems The meaning of my point of view was part of my own quote, made into an earlier reply. Knowing this I was willing to share with members that in my country already 2 cases who where published on the internet has been condemned by the National Court of Belgium So my reply was in fact my way to say that already positive actions has been made ... and this can give hope to others JingleMaster : no worries .. I guess We are indeed behind the same team .. the way of saying things is different .. but has both the same goal = Peace and Respect ps : I voted for your :30 edit for the BW contest ... Maybe you can make a duet with Arthur Visit and listen @ BW ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KHUK Posted February 18, 2009 Author Share Posted February 18, 2009 There's been some fantastic replies here so far, I know this is a very controversial topic and I don't want anyone to think that I wrote a one-sided argument. YouTube was just one example of how someone can express their views through video or via a comment. Thank you and + reps for everyone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kwdservices Posted February 18, 2009 Share Posted February 18, 2009 Hi Karl Be sure, don't worry .. I'm not angry .. no problem Oh okay, no problem. Sorry about that Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
THREETEN RADIO Posted February 18, 2009 Share Posted February 18, 2009 Now would be a good time to play "Ebony and Ivory" ? :Z: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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