Censorship in library system of leftist sites in Canada

[Domitan]

I was in the public library (London, Canada) last week to check my email and check a number of sites. I was able to access DU, Americablog, and other sites. However, when I tried to access HuffingtonBlog.com, it said that it was inaccessible due to being an "extreme" website. I could not get into Buzzflash.com due to it being a "hate" website???!!?!?!? Interestingly, right-wing sites such as FreeRepublic, Instapundit and others were not censored as far as I know.

I'm going to write to the public library system to ask for their reasoning for this inane site blocking as well as the lack of balance (that is if they're so concerned about "politically sensitive" sites).

[wli]

1. seriously ominous

Canada's silently going down the US route? Go figure.

[nine23]

2. By all means: write the library and be fucking relentless...

Public libraries in Canada are generally administered on the local level (ie. rules/regs, internet blocking, etc.). Last time I was in London it didn't exactly strike me as a hotbed of conservatism - quite the opposite, actually - so it probably comes down to one dickhead/freak system administrator who's some kinda' church lady/nazi off-hours.

By all means, RAISE FUCKING HELL; it may have simply gone unnoticed until you came along, or is very recent programming on said church lady/nazi's part. (London's a liberal university town is it not? Jeezus...)

Keep us fellow Canucks updated; we'll help in any way. (Shit like this REALLY pisses me off; it's probably against library policy but some lone fuck employee is getting away with it...FOR NOW)

In fact, you should have posted this in the Country: Canada section...threads stick around longer and you could achieve some momentum/help from other Canadians. You still can...start another thread over there.

[Domitan]

3. I'm going over the library later

to check to see if more sites are being banned. The more unjust names there are, the more ammo we have.

[nine23]

4. And while you're there...

...go to "library lady"'s information desk and inquire as to who made these decisions. (One person? Board of Directors? A "community" that exists only in one lone freak/nazi/programmer's mind?)

As I stated earlier, libraries are administered on a local level, and London is a very liberal town. Raise a stink, and you'll have a whole community behind you. And keep us posted. (I'm in Vancouver...trust me, if I was there I'd be heading to the library with you.)

[evermind]

5. What's the betting these "decisions" are taken by a default configuration

in a piece of software imported from the US?

Would be interesting to know what software they use and who is configuring it...

[Bassic]

6. Well that can't be good, give em hell....

[applegrove]

7. I heard that the Huffington site was built up by someone who works

(worked) for some right wing site. When it was up - I noticed no Globe & Mail but the link to canadian newspaper was the National Post. Then they changed to the Globe & Mail & dropped the National Post. Globe & Mail is the Granddaddy of Canadian Newspapers. National Post is the Right Wing upstart. Glad to see Huffington Post got it right in the end.

Board of directors eh? Curious. I wonder what the corporate sponsorship is like for our libraries.

In other media events the right wing stole CTV's late night talk show host so they could use him as a vehicle to attack the Liberals. Nobody watched. CTV filled in his spot with Jon Stewart! I feel sorry for the comedian. But :rofl: