A Microsoft executive told MPs today that forcing software companies to install internet content filtering technology with high-security settings as standard to all computers would send the UK back to the "dark ages".
The idea of forcing companies such as Microsoft to pre-install high security content filters was raised today at a Commons culture, media and sport select committee hearing on protecting children from harmful content on the internet and in video games.
Asked what he thought of the idea, Matt Lambert, head of corporate affairs at Microsoft, admitted that internet content filtering technology already provided by the company as standard with its software products was "not widely used".
But Lambert rejected the idea of a mandatory setting of content filters to a high security level, arguing that it would block too much content that posed no risk to children.
Lambert said a better solution would be for parents to be better educated about what their children are looking at online and what content filters are available.
He added that Microsoft runs a schools programme aiming to educate children about internet content and online safety.
"There has been low takeup but intriguingly there is not low awareness of it ... parents are not acting," he said.
"Setting [filtering controls] at a high level is the equivalent to blocking the internet ... it would be living in the dark ages in my view."
Lambert was responding to a suggestion made by another witness before the culture select committee today, who had said filtering software should be pre-installed at a high security setting.
John Carr, the executive secretary of the Children's Charities Coalition for Internet Safety, said that the industry could not be expected to be some sort of "moral arbiters" or "priests" for the public, deciding which content should be screened.
"In school the headteacher sets the standards surrounding internet content," Carr added. "It should be the same in the home ... there is no way we can legislate from the centre.
"The public policy challenge is in helping parents to understand the internet and in turn help children. Parents feel at sea about what to do. Safety software should be pre-installed and set to a high level."
Stephen Carrick Davies, the chief executive of Childnet International, a charitable body that promotes online safety for children, told the committee that one problem with policing the internet is that the concept of harmful content is difficult to define, unlike obviously illegal content such as child abuse images and websites.
"Illegal content is easy [to define and regulate] while harmful is difficult," said Davies. "We need to recognise there is 'grey'. There is black and white but also grey."
He also pointed out that legislation against such a "grey" area could result in curbs of freedom of expression and that in a web 2.0 world of user-generated content it can often be young people themselves - those often seen as "passive victims" - who can perpetrate cyber bullying online.
Davies suggested the answer might lie in a three-pronged approach. He said this strategy would involve self-regulation by the industry; empowering, supporting and educating schools; and making sure that parents help children so they are savvy enough and "equipped just as how they are when they walk down the high street".
Wednesday 27 February 2008
Worried staff attack BBC jobs plan
BBC Manchester staff have raised concerns over plans to cut entertainment production staff while the corporation is advertising for more senior executives in London.
The number of series producers in the BBC Manchester entertainment department is due to be halved, from 18 to nine, and the number of assistant producers cut from 15 to eight.
In addition, the number of production managers is being reduced from eight to five.
Some Manchester staff under threat of redundancy are angry that the BBC controller of entertainment commissioning, Jon Beazley, sent them an email last week saying he would be advertising for more executive producers because his London-based department had so much work on.
In an email announcing that independent production company Silver River has hired the executive editor, factual entertainment, Alan Brown, to be its creative director, Beazley went on to say: "As you know, there's huge activity across the department with major projects underway like I'd Do Anything, Dragons' Den and, of course, Sport Relief is imminent on March 14.
"So you're aware there is an advert going in the press next week for executive producers as we need a couple of extra senior people on board to manage the wealth of work that we have at present."
One Manchester insider said: "The foot soldiers are being cut here but more chiefs are being hired at the top. It seems odd if we're as busy as Jon says."
It is understood that Beazley is looking for executive producers who can go out and win more business for the department.
The north-west is supposed to be a key part of the BBC's increased commitment to the regions.
The corporation is planning to move around 1,600 production and broadcasting staff to its new north-west base in Salford Quays by 2011.
Bectu official Helen Ryan said: "It seems insensitive to send such an email out to staff when they've recently been told they're potentially at risk of redundancy."
A BBC spokeswoman said: "We announced job losses back in October 2007 in entertainment both in London and Manchester which took into account future business levels.
"These losses did not include any reduction at executive producer level and the advert we are about to run is for executive producers on a fixed term basis to manage the current portfolio of entertainment shows. We are looking internally and externally to fill these positions."
The number of series producers in the BBC Manchester entertainment department is due to be halved, from 18 to nine, and the number of assistant producers cut from 15 to eight.
In addition, the number of production managers is being reduced from eight to five.
Some Manchester staff under threat of redundancy are angry that the BBC controller of entertainment commissioning, Jon Beazley, sent them an email last week saying he would be advertising for more executive producers because his London-based department had so much work on.
In an email announcing that independent production company Silver River has hired the executive editor, factual entertainment, Alan Brown, to be its creative director, Beazley went on to say: "As you know, there's huge activity across the department with major projects underway like I'd Do Anything, Dragons' Den and, of course, Sport Relief is imminent on March 14.
"So you're aware there is an advert going in the press next week for executive producers as we need a couple of extra senior people on board to manage the wealth of work that we have at present."
One Manchester insider said: "The foot soldiers are being cut here but more chiefs are being hired at the top. It seems odd if we're as busy as Jon says."
It is understood that Beazley is looking for executive producers who can go out and win more business for the department.
The north-west is supposed to be a key part of the BBC's increased commitment to the regions.
The corporation is planning to move around 1,600 production and broadcasting staff to its new north-west base in Salford Quays by 2011.
Bectu official Helen Ryan said: "It seems insensitive to send such an email out to staff when they've recently been told they're potentially at risk of redundancy."
A BBC spokeswoman said: "We announced job losses back in October 2007 in entertainment both in London and Manchester which took into account future business levels.
"These losses did not include any reduction at executive producer level and the advert we are about to run is for executive producers on a fixed term basis to manage the current portfolio of entertainment shows. We are looking internally and externally to fill these positions."
Pakistan bans YouTube over anti-Islamic film clips
Pakistan's government has banned access to the video-clip website YouTube because of anti-Islamic movies posted on the site, an official said yesterday.
The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority told the country's 70 internet service providers that the popular website would be blocked until further notice.
The authority did not specify what the offensive material was, but a PTA official said the ban concerned a trailer for an forthcoming film by Dutch politician Geert Wilders. The film portrays Islam as a fascist religion prone to inciting violence against women and homosexuals.
The unnamed official said the PTA had also blocked websites showing the controversial Danish cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad. The drawings were originally printed in European newspapers in 2006, but were reprinted by some papers last week.
The PTA urged internet users to write to YouTube and request the removal of the films, saying that the authorities would stop blocking the video-sharing site once that had happened.
Pakistan is not the only country to have blocked access to YouTube. In January, a Turkish court ordered the site to be blocked on account of video clips that allegedly broke the law by insulting the country's founding father, Kemal Ataturk.
Last spring the Thai government banned YouTube for four months because of clips regarded as offensive to the country's revered monarch, King Bhumibol Adulyadej.
Moroccans were unable to access YouTube last year after users posted footage critical of Morocco's treatment of the people of Western Sahara.
The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority told the country's 70 internet service providers that the popular website would be blocked until further notice.
The authority did not specify what the offensive material was, but a PTA official said the ban concerned a trailer for an forthcoming film by Dutch politician Geert Wilders. The film portrays Islam as a fascist religion prone to inciting violence against women and homosexuals.
The unnamed official said the PTA had also blocked websites showing the controversial Danish cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad. The drawings were originally printed in European newspapers in 2006, but were reprinted by some papers last week.
The PTA urged internet users to write to YouTube and request the removal of the films, saying that the authorities would stop blocking the video-sharing site once that had happened.
Pakistan is not the only country to have blocked access to YouTube. In January, a Turkish court ordered the site to be blocked on account of video clips that allegedly broke the law by insulting the country's founding father, Kemal Ataturk.
Last spring the Thai government banned YouTube for four months because of clips regarded as offensive to the country's revered monarch, King Bhumibol Adulyadej.
Moroccans were unable to access YouTube last year after users posted footage critical of Morocco's treatment of the people of Western Sahara.
Monday 25 February 2008
Attainment - A
Effort -1
Punctuality -1
Submission and quality of homework -1
Ability to work independently -1
Quality of writing -1
Organisation of Media folder -2
Oral contributions in class -2
Contribution to the debate team -2
Extra-curricular work (film projects etc.)-3
Standard of Module 5 blog-2
Standard of Module 6 blog-3
b. Make a list of three achievements (www) and three targets/areas for improvement (ebi) over the next half-term.
www:
Effort -1
Punctuality -1
Submission and quality of homework -1
Ability to work independently -1
Quality of writing -1
Organisation of Media folder -2
Oral contributions in class -2
Contribution to the debate team -2
Extra-curricular work (film projects etc.)-3
Standard of Module 5 blog-2
Standard of Module 6 blog-3
b. Make a list of three achievements (www) and three targets/areas for improvement (ebi) over the next half-term.
www:
- completed independent study
- learnt a lot of theorist
- captain of debate team so done research
EBI:
- do more work for med 6
Sunday 24 February 2008
Wednesday 13 February 2008
Summary of sheets
Subcontinental drift:
- rise in artistic output of second and third generation Asians, we are undergoing a cultural and artistic revolution:
- music- Asian identity beening expressed by artist such as Cornershop, Talvin Singh, Asian Dub Foundation etc, as they have become more mainstream, they are no longer placed under the catergory of 'Asian Underground'.
- T.V- 'Goodness Gracious Me' being the first Asian comedy on BBC was very successful. Films such as 'Bend It Like Beckham' and 'East is East' have recieved much support and acknowledgment from mainstream.
- musical- 'Bombay Dreams' was a success in the west end, demonstrating that Asians are expanding into high culture as well as other ares of the media.
- Nitin Sawhney is an example of the new hybridity.
The colour of money
- 7.9% of the UK population is made up of people from ethnic minorities and the advertising industry is not representative of this.
- 2001 census shows that ethic minority communities have grown by over 50% since the last census in 1991 but are still not targeted in advertising
- British Asians are seen as aspirational, hard working and economically powerful.
- younger generations are brand conscious, technologically savvy and proud of their culture
- Although targeting the ethic minorities may increase profits, some people feel it is best to leave well alone, rather than risk getting the message wrong.
Sunday 2 December 2007
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