Amy Alkon, Child Slaver
I'm in New Hampshire, at NEEPS, the NorthEastern Evolutionary Psychology Society conference, and I was waiting for Kaja, Nando, and Satoshi to come down to go to dinner, so I went into the computer room to hop on the 'net. I typed in a-d-v-i-c-e-g-o-d-d-e-s-s-dot-com, and you'll never guess what came up.
I wrote in the little protest space that I'm a newspaper columnist, and of course I had this word on my site -- in a blog item criticizing the Catholic church for the practice. I'm loath to say it again, lest it reawaken their nanny-ware.
Hmmm...just wait until I post (Harvard linguistics prof) Steven Pinker's talk -- which involved a considerable section on swearing. There's the ghost in the machine and the idiot in the machine, and I've met the latter.
The sad thing about this is that since no one can scan for the actual content of a .jpg, .gif, .tif, .eps - or about eighty other graphics formats, it does nothing to halt the transmission of child pornography, etc., between people who know this.
I call this "gee-whiz disease": the mental condition which causes a halt to all thinking after a first action is taken.
I'm amazed that XM/Sirius is allowed some of its content. So many cars come with those radios it's ludicrous to claim that little Johnny and Susie can't hear Howard Stern - or worse - during the day (which is somehow an evil time to be doing what Howard does).
Radwaste at May 3, 2008 6:34 AM
I can understand why the nanny-ware would block that, my question is, why were they using nanny-ware? Were you at a hotel? a University?
Clinky at May 3, 2008 6:43 AM
Worse.
She's in New England.
We are infested, even in that bastion of freedom New Hampshire, with a bunch of senseless Puritans who recoil in horror that someone, somewhere, might be having fun.
brian at May 3, 2008 7:01 AM
I'm at the Hilton. And hilariously, Nando found a DVD of hardcore 80s porn on top of their TV. I guess there's no nannyware against being very tall, like Nando. Well, not yet, anyway.
Amy Alkon at May 3, 2008 7:50 AM
So the word "pedophile" itself is harmful to children? What pedophile is going to try to lure children by telling them he's a pedophile?
Jim Treacher at May 3, 2008 8:06 AM
Perhaps the Hilton caters to a population of retarded kiddie diddlers?
Amy Alkon at May 3, 2008 8:24 AM
Aha! I wondered where NAMBLA went after they got kicked out of South Park! o_O
Flynne at May 3, 2008 8:40 AM
Won't somebody PLEASE think about the children?!
Gog_Magog_Carpet_Reclaimers at May 3, 2008 9:10 AM
So, I'm guessing all news outlets are blocked as well?
snakeman99 at May 3, 2008 9:24 AM
never underestimate the human need to appear to be seen doing something... This is why I often have to be less clear when I reply to things on the net. When I am using a work PC there is no telling what words they are looking for.
the bottom line is "we'll remeber it for you at wholesale"... The very computer power that allows things like the net to happen, is also the power to control it...
SwissArmyD at May 3, 2008 9:25 AM
Flynne, what do the North American Marlon Brando Look Alikes have anything to do with it?
Seriously, Jim Treacher is right, would you really expect to find the word pedophile on any site where adults were trying to lure children or a site where people were discussing the issue? It sure seems to me that there would be a more accurate way of judging the content of a site quickly and efficiently without getting this stupid. That being said, there are always a few dropped coins that will seek out the nearest crack and fall through it.
Bikerken at May 3, 2008 9:31 AM
No need to drag Marlon in there. FYI, humor works best when it comes from truth.
Amy Alkon at May 3, 2008 10:35 AM
Is there a gideon bible?
jerry at May 3, 2008 10:36 AM
Fucking hell. That headline cracked me up. Brilliant.
Jeff at May 3, 2008 1:45 PM
at a glance, i thought your headline read, "Child Saver"
THE IRONY!
no wonder you're busy, you're all the way over in New Hampshire! best of luck ms. amy(:
Lina at May 3, 2008 9:21 PM
Amy- I take it you are not a South Park affeciando. In a South Park episode a while back, the National Man / Boy Love Association (NAMBLA) held their conference at the same hotel as the National Marlon Brando Look-Alike (NAMBLA) people. Hillarity ensued!
eric at May 3, 2008 9:25 PM
er- North American MBLA...
eric at May 3, 2008 9:27 PM
Whoops! Thanks for the explanation. Marlon was a friend, and I'm a bad idea for an enemy, but I stand up for my friends, even after they're dead.
Amy Alkon at May 3, 2008 9:31 PM
We woke up this morning, and there was old Marlon and Jack Nicholson on TV in The Missouri Breaks...
eric at May 4, 2008 8:41 AM
My favorite was Last Tango in Paris. He was one of the great ones. Never knew him, but from what I have heard, he was a real decent man too.
Bikerken at May 4, 2008 12:27 PM
11 kids by five women says wikipedia, but I've heard as many as fifteen, and Wiki didn't include the daughter I worked with once (she had a Gadfatherly jawline).
This was not an entirely balanced individual man.
Crid at May 4, 2008 12:28 PM
Yes, the nerd police block alot of traffic. I actually hate it when this happens. I find my americanmeth and streetgang websites blocked from hotels often. Doesn't matter to the puritan fucks running the place that I am speaking and writing about the dangers of methamphetamine. Oh well, there is always a solution:
Amy, just use a proxy when you are stuck in some place that blocks websites with nannyware. Just google up 'blocked site access' for a list of proxy sites, and keep a list of these sites handy for when you are in some puritan-infested nannyware location. The proxy blocks the nannyware from actually knowing what site you are on. Don't tell the kids, but it's a great way to get to porn sites from locked down corp environments without leaving a trail;-0
Sterling at May 4, 2008 1:07 PM
Oh, and if the software is filtering text, that's a little tricker. I don't see how they would do that. I mean technically it's easy but shit you couldn't even read an online newspaper.
To deal with this, setup your home or office workstation for remote control, and connect to that workstation with a secure tunnel from whereever your travels take you. Everything you send and receive is encrypted, so even the nannyware is helpless to stop it. Unless it stops you from making the secure connection, in which case, find another less nazi-like hotel.
Sterling at May 4, 2008 1:21 PM
we gotta do something ... this is something ... let's do it!
Norman at May 4, 2008 2:49 PM
I'm actually suprised websense doesn't filter this site out. I think it's a great site but your ability to say what you're actually thinking without putting it through a PC filter usually triggers the websense people. For instance, Volokh.com is filtered and that's not offensive. I'm just hoping this site never gets filtered from me.
Scott at May 5, 2008 7:44 AM
Amy Alkon
https://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2008/05/amy-alkon-child.html#comment-1544498">comment from ScottVolokh.com offends many -- for standing up for the Constitution, and Enlightenment values, and questioning bad laws made in the service of political correctness, just to name a few examples.
Amy Alkon at May 5, 2008 8:19 AM
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