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"Google, the world's most popular search engine, has quietly deleted more than 100 controversial sites from some search result listings. Absent from Google's French and German listings are Web sites that are anti-Semitic, pro-Nazi, or related to white supremacy, according to a new report from Harvard University's Berkman Center.
It will be interesting to see the complete list of sites and determine if they're still available from other general search databases and/or the Internet Archive.
You can find additional details on the Berkman Center site. [cyber.law.harvard.edu]
However, you have to remember that many many countries in the world still exist under a very orwellian set of rules ditchated by their government. China has very restrictive access to the internet, and the entire country of saudi arabia exists behind a firewall.
For some countries what is considered 'news' is not what private reporting citizens do stories on, but is instead what their government tells them is news.
Personally, I was upset when google added arabnews.com to their news crawler, because this is not 'news' it is a government propaganda site.
Sometimes americans forget how very special and unique their freedom of speech is in this world. The very internet itself is a reflection and creation of our ability to freely express ourselves.
However, if google wishes to become bedfellows with orwellian-type facist governments for a few extra coppers in thier pockets, then so be it.
it just leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
sorry.. im getting a little steamed..
A lot of folks have very strong feelings about all this from a lot of different angles.
Personally, I'm of two minds: Yes, freedom of speech is a wonderful thing. But who's to say when someone is stepping over the line and starting to take all this too seriously. The only real definitive way to know is when they start acting on their beliefs, and then it's too late.
Of course, that's the reason the ACLU decided to fight on behalf of the KKK's right to speak in public about their beliefs. That's the reason Freedom of Speech is such an important thing to us here in the States. It's like they say - "I may not agree with everything you say, but I'll defend your right to say it."
As for the pornography issue, I've got a site that was refused from a search engine listing (not Google) because it had "adult content". It never even occurred to me that the word would be considered too "adult". As a matter of fact, I don't even remember what the word was now. I do remember it was a word I used in my high school biology class report on the human reproductive system - in a Catholic school, nonetheless. The nun teaching the class never batted an eye, though I stumbled over the word (several words actually <G>) when reading the report.
The important thing to keep in mind is that this is like everything else that's immoral or illegal. If folks are going to do it, read about it, write about it, etc., they're going to find a way. People who are that determined can't be stopped simply by Google's refusal to list the sites.
