Technologically illiterate UK porn filter MP gets hacked and threatens reporter

http://boingboing.net/2013/07/24/technologically-illiterate-mp.html

by morphics • 13 years ago

156 48 13 years ago

NicoJuicy• 13 years ago

To bad people deciding the rules, don't have a clue of how it works :s

ordinary• 13 years ago

See here for yesterday's discussion: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6095152

There is no new information in this article.

beaker52• 13 years ago

I may impart what I have come to understand on others, but I will always convey the strength of my knowledge, especially if it is not strong, even if I appear foolish. It is called responsibility. This responsibility is at odds with pride. Understanding and acting in conjunction with this idea should be a pre-requisite for people in political positions.

ukandy2• 13 years ago

Clueless. If the government want to deal with this sticky issue they need technically competent MPs at the helm.

alan_cx4• 13 years ago

How?

As I said in the other discussion, MP's and ministers have no working or practical knowledge of any department they run or over see. That's because we vote for them.

When was the last time a Doctor (of medicine) running Health? Or a teacher or headmaster running Education. Then, would you really like a policeman running the home office? Imagine all the power the police would be flooded with.

Or why is tech different? Why get that right and not the other areas?

Advisers? Ohhhhhhhhhhhh. Not going so well either, is it? Take drugs, we have a whole panel of advisers which both this and the last government just plain ignored because the moron voters are too stupid and screamish to take their advice.

Again, as I have said before, and been called a trite anarchist for saying so, the problem is democracy. We vote in idiots, usually lawyers, expect them to be experts in every area of life, then blame them when things go wrong.

As some point the electorate need to grow up and take some responsibility. Which clearly they can't do because the moron-o-sphere rules.

Like the poor Yanks, we too have the idiot government we deserve, and voted for.

<Sarcasm> That's apparently trite anarchy </sarcasm>

Peroni2• 13 years ago

Out of curiosity, (I'm genuinely not attempting to incite a political debate) what would you consider a more effective alternative to the current structure?

I don't have any solid opinion one way or the other apart from knowing that the current structure is ineffective.

w_t_payne• 13 years ago

Yup. It is definitely our fault (the fault of the electorate, that is). We get what we vote for.

ukandy2• 13 years ago

Despite the inevitable issues, I would still like to see people with relevant experience running these departments.

guard-of-terra2• 13 years ago

Ministers are appointed, aren't they?

What prevents voted-for politicians from approving ministers with working and practical knowledge?

pbhjpbhj• 13 years ago

"Or a teacher or headmaster running Education." //

You were probably thinking of a high-school teacher (?) but ...

[via http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secretary_of_State_for_Educatio... though I remember quite a few, especially as my parents and in-laws were all teachers]

[Michael Gove]

Ed Balls (Labour Secretary of State for Schools 2009-10) according to Wikipedia was "from 1989 to 1990 a teaching fellow in the Department of Economics, Harvard University". So a modicum of teaching experience at least.

[Alan Johnson]

There's Ruth Kelly - "taught at University of Navarra, after she joined the Labour Party in 1990" [Wikipedia again] - Labour SoS for Education 2004-06.

Charles Clarke wasn't a teacher but was President (I think) of the NUS which would clearly give him some insight in to Higher Education. 2002-2004

Estelle Morris - "Morris was a PE and Humanities teacher at the inner-city Sidney Stringer School on Cox Street in Coventry from 1974–92, becoming Head of Sixth Form Studies" [ibid] - Labour SoS for Education 2001-2002. She was apparently the first Comprehensive school teacher to hold the post.

Before that:

Blunket had a PGCE and was "a lecturer in industrial relations and politics between 1973 and 1981". Labour SoS for Education 1997-2001.

Gillian Shepherd "gain[ed] an MA [Oxon] in Modern Languages, after which she became a school teacher and a worked as an Education Inspector for Norfolk County Council from 1963 to 1975". Conservative SoS for Education 1994-97.

tl;dr the majority of SoS for Education in the last two decades have teaching experience of some form. Moreso than I expected TBH. Would appreciate it if someone else considered the SoS for Health postings.

drcube• 13 years ago

Once you have "industry experts" involved in politics it's "corporate lobbyists buying votes" or "revolving door government", or even "regulatory capture". Without industry influence, you get a bunch of ignorant politicians trying to control things they have no clue about. You really can't win.

Stubbs2• 13 years ago

"We live in a society absolutely dependent on science and technology and yet have cleverly arranged things so that almost no one understands science and technology. That's a clear prescription for disaster." - Carl Sagan.

It seems he had several different versions of this quote from different publications, but they're all equally applicable.

I am reminded of the fact though that we voted for this! I wonder if any of the other parties, the fringe parties like the Greens or the Pirate Party could do any better?

robertskmiles• 13 years ago

we voted for this

Not really. Claire Perry was elected as Conservative Member of Parliament for the constituency of Devizes in Wiltshire. Devizes has elected a Conservative candidate in every single election since 1924, so running for election there as a Conservative is kind of a formality.

She was then appointed to the position of Parliamentary Private Secretary to Philip Hammond, the Secretary of Defence. My understanding is she has no official position, qualifications, expertise, or mandate with regards to technology, the internet, or children's welfare.

junto2• 13 years ago

Whilst I agree with you, one should point out that no politicians have the expertise or mandate with regards to technology, the internet, or children's welfare!

Stubbs2• 13 years ago

It doesn't really matter how safe a constituency is, there was an election, we voted, this is what we got.

To change that people will have to change the way people vote. Maybe one of the things the next candidate for Devizes can do is campaign on Claire's lack of understanding of technology and the impact that has on her ability to be an MP.

Fuxy• 13 years ago

We should require all elected officials pass a "basics of technology" test before they are allowed to comment or vote on policies that include these topics.

People who don't know anything about technology should not be allowed to make decisions enact policies on something they know nothing about.

gburnett• 13 years ago

Not even if people vote for them?

groundCode• 13 years ago

Perhaps those in power simply need better (commercially disinterested, emotionally neutral) advisers for topics about which said politicians know nothing.

panacea• 13 years ago

Slippery slope. From there we might start requiring basic knowledge of politics and policies before people can vote! ;]

omni• 13 years ago

https://yourlogicalfallacyis.com/slippery-slope

The whole point of a republic is to elect informed representatives that can make decisions on important topics so that all X million people in the electorate don't have to. It's entirely reasonable to expect the people in charge to know what they're talking about.

hrish2006• 13 years ago

Burn Line: She can't tell the difference between a hyperlink and a screenshot.