[Infowarrior] - Even the Navy Can't Censor the Internet

[Richard Forno]

(from Risks-l)

Even the Navy Can't Censor the Internet
<Lauren Weinstein <lauren at VORTEX.COM>>
Thu, 30 Aug 2007 07:48:44 -0700

  http://lauren.vortex.com/archive/000279.html

I frequently make the assertion that it's impossible to successfully censor
the Internet by trying to remove materials that have already been posted
publicly after they've attracted attention.  What's published is published,
what's done is done.  The genie won't just refuse to go back into the
bottle, he'll stick his tongue out at you as well -- or worse.

You may recall the international brouhaha a couple of weeks ago over the
Navy pulling from YouTube all copies of an (originally relatively obscure --
now infamous) amateur music video posted by a user named "PUMPIT01" and
produced on the aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan (CVN76), as described in
http://tinyurl.com/2tuzdz and many other stories.

The video in question ("Women of CVN76") has been variously described as
being removed due to security violations (brief shots of utterly innocuous
reactor-related areas), "inappropriate use of safety equipment," and other
explanations.

The real reason for the Navy's "reaction" is clearly just plain old ordinary
embarrassment, especially since the ship's CO has a cameo role in the
amusing production.

But my point here isn't to post a video review, but rather to emphasize that
for all the noise about deleting the video, it of course remains easily
available with but a minimum amount of effort.

You may feel that the inability to effectively "recall" posted materials is
a blow for freedom, or to the contrary an information control disaster.  But
either way, it's a fact -- a reality that we can't escape.  And perhaps the
sooner we come to terms with this truth, the less time we'll be wasting at
shadow boxing with useless Internet censorship attempts.  There are far
better ways that we can be spending our time.

Excuse me?  Oh, where's the video?  Like I said, finding a copy is actually
quite simple.

Example: For the sake of the argument, let's say that you did a Google
Search right now for the straightforward query of:

  cvn-76 women pumpit01 "click here"

No magic words.  No secret codes.  Just pretty obvious stuff from the news
stories about the video, plus a little common search sense.  And while any
given search results are often fairly ephemeral, and any particular copy of
material found at any given time may still be removed, well, the Internet is
a big place, and the Lords of Censorship remain essentially impotent, for
better or worse, indeed.

Lauren Weinstein +1 (818) 225-2800 http://www.pfir.org/lauren
lauren at vortex.com