mary branscombe  06-25-2002
07:27 AM ET (US)
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I know, I did celebrate - I faxed my MP 3 times and got a response. I just don't trust the government not to try and slip it past and say it's different from this one when it isn't... also, Bob Ainsworth at the Home Office, he of the voluntary ISP quote is the one at the home office collating responses as he's the one my MP wrote to on my behalf.. let's hope the strip-tearing has a good effect. I absolutely don't want to diss the hard work of everyone who contacted their mp - or the organising and inspiring that Danny did! - I think I was just sounding an early note of caution.
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Danny O'Brien 06-19-2002
05:56 PM ET (US)
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While it's always dangerous to get too complacent, there's a danger in not celebrating what victories you do glean.
1. Whatever comes back in the Autumn, we'll have advanced warning. When the Home Secretary admits that his department "blundered", and implies that the previous Home Secretary dropped him in it by failing to consult with the concerned parties, you can be fairly sure that it won't be in this form.
2. Opinion on that particular minister is a) he was misremembering his brief, and b) he's about due to be torn off a strip by the Home Secretary. I'm looking into current practice, and while it's complex, it seems to be something like this. In a nutshell: ISPs are *permitted* to hand over data to govt deparments in order to prevent crime, but they generally don't (they tell whoever it is to come back with a warrant and a copper). It's certainly not like the RIPA Order, where they'd be *forced to* by law. Very different.
3. Hugh is David Blunkett's son, and you're right, he did brief his father. But who told Hugh? Who explained the issues to Hugh? Given that Hugh's 22 years old, and a big Net user, we reckon he was just one of the people who grew informed on these issues by people like you putting the order on their blogs, sending the story to slashdot, and generally making a fuss.
God knows I'm infamous for being cynical, but like paranoia, I know when it gets in the way. Convincing you that you can't do a thing to change politics is the first tool in a dictator's bag. If you mentioned this to anyone, posted this on your Website, contacted your MP, take some responsibility , and pat yourself on the back.
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mary branscombe 06-19-2002
03:40 PM ET (US)
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Alas, I don't think we can call it crushing defeat.
1 it's been postponed and may well be back in the autumn
2 one Home Office minister claimed it was only to regularise access that the ISPs already give to government departments on a voluntary basis anyway
3 while writing to MPs certainly helped raise the issue and did ahve a huge impact, it was the Home Secretary's son who seems to have saved the day by explaining the issues to his dad.
Call me cynical ;-(
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bungatron 06-19-2002
01:44 PM ET (US)
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I caught one of these guys on the news last night... it was nice to see an appearance of a strip of O'Reilleys in the background, and I believe a copy of some EJB book. Made a lovely change from legal books and busy offices in the background.
Top marks to the anti-RIP guys!
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