Mastercard and Visa have blocked Wikileaks but allows KKK.
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Crap Little Monkey Deathstar, so good they built it twice, Thu 9 Dec 2010, 10:25,
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The trouble I have, is the 'Ku Klux Klan' all look the same
why don't they mix it up a little?
; )
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Darklord, Thu 9 Dec 2010, 10:33,
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and?
they're a business, and as such, can do business with who they like. Morally outraged internet users and supporters of Assange won't have an influence on this in practical terms.
If people don't like what Paypal are doing, then they can simply stop using Paypal. It's very simple.
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The Great Architect is still waiting for his account to be deleted on, Thu 9 Dec 2010, 10:39,
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ah, the 'power' of the internet :)
/chocolate teapot
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The Great Architect is still waiting for his account to be deleted on, Thu 9 Dec 2010, 10:48,
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I don't think anyone thinks the links board is a hub of political/renegade empowerment and revolution
Just where a bunch of people post a bunch of crap another bunch of people will find interesting.
(, Thu 9 Dec 2010, 10:52, Reply)
I wasn't referring to the /links board, more the 'general' internet feeling of late in doing stuff like this
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The Great Architect is still waiting for his account to be deleted on, Thu 9 Dec 2010, 10:54,
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Well, even the article isn't saying "boycott them"
and just as private companies can choose who they provide service to, a private individual can choose their supplier of that service. If you wanna use them, do. If you don't, don't. Nothing wrong posting a link or writing an article that tells people that. The wonderful thing about information is that once you have it you can use it or ignore it, but if you never have it you can't make that choice. So from a general internet view, my feeling is more of this sort of thing, regardless of whether or not I agree with it.
(, Thu 9 Dec 2010, 11:03, Reply)
that whole'private individual can choose thing'
is what I was saying above. :)
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The Great Architect is still waiting for his account to be deleted on, Thu 9 Dec 2010, 11:07,
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I know, I know
but the chocolate teapot comment irked me somewhat. I'm not disagreeing with you, just saying that there is good reason to write and post things like this.
(, Thu 9 Dec 2010, 11:15, Reply)
My concern, and it isn't a small one
is that the tyranny of corporations is fast replacing the tyranny of governments. We have forced our governments to a large degree to recognise human rights and let us be free, but we have placed very little limit on what very large, and very powerful companies can do.
When you consider that between them, Paypal, Mastercard, and Visa control 90% of international electronic payments, it is not simply the case of saying "it's their business, they can do what they like". Consider if it were a government taking a similar action and prevented a person from using cash?
We cannot pretend that these companies do not wield power, or that the consumer and these business are on a level playing field. The reality is that they hold a position in electronic commerce of a public trust or utility, and as governments have realised that public trusts and utilities need to be regulated (or more commonly government controlled/owned) for the good of society, so must businesses such as these.
These companies can make capricious, arbitrary and deeply damaging decisions to deny service and in some cases even withhold monies to anyone for any reason.
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Sextant goes to him is emotionally erect, on this day, Thu 9 Dec 2010, 11:44,
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Yeh...
they tried this with all the legal high sites during the 'Miaow Miaow' (as nobody in the street calls it) press hysteria, Paypal and Visa withdrew their services, the sites all just switched to Alert Pay who'd rather have the money than the morals.
Fuck 'em if they don't want the money, somebody else will, and you can always do direct bank transfer if it comes to it.
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..wil, Thu 9 Dec 2010, 12:25,
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