Petition

210, it's up 10 in a few days at this rate we'll be half way there by the time is closes

Let's keep pushing this though, we never know it might pick up some unexpected momentum

(19-09-2011 09:35 )continental19 Wrote:  I was thinking, do you think it's worth me writing to the Prime Minister about this? Now I don't no if this has already been done, but I was thinking about writing a damming report On Ofcom and explaining the situation that we're in. Now I don't mind doing this at all. If some of you could help me maybe draft a letter that would be great.
Let me no what you think? Thanks everybody.

To be honest, no. If hes doing his job he wont have time to read the hundreds of petitions and letters that get sent in. Ones with very large numbers of signatures get selected for photoshoots, the rest get dumped on some junior civil servant or sent to the relevant department - DCMS in this case.

What might be more productive would be to find some sympathetics MPs. Lib Dems perhaps, pity it is too late for their conference. They will be desperate to differentiate themselves from both Tories and Labour and show off their libertariant principles. Downside is they are also into womens rights, but presented right it could get one or more sponsors. Grassroots membersupport would be even better. The Tory party is run by the MPs, Labour is run by some central committee, and Lib Dems are run by local activists. It must drive their coalition partners crazy because the party leadership cant just snap their fingers and deliver up a lot of zombie supporters who will do what they are told.

There are several possible approaches:
Legal - Ofcom exceeds its legal manadate, ignores surveys
Business - Fails to issue undersandable guidelines, drives businesses to the wall
Arbitrary - Applies rules inconsistently, plays favourites, victimises channels
Free Speech - Ofcom decides what is and is not permitted, favourites, vindictive
Proportionality - Action is out of all proportion to complaints, offence or risk
Cost - A huge amount of money is wasted on unnecessary censorship
Financial Control - Ofcom does not know how much it spends on this
Outdated - Applies censorship levels that are 20 years out of date
Alternatives - Harder material is available in newsagents, on the internet, on DVD, mobile phones and by satellite.
Punative - punishes channels that dare to challenge it
Inconsistent - strong violent material is available on TV without restriction, some religious channels peddle intercommunity hatred, some fleece vulnerable viewers for donations. Ofcom should concentrate on real harm
Definition - Who defined what constitutes harmful and offensive material?
Arab Spring - Why do we have an out of control State Censor when condemming repressive agencies abroad

Thats a long list, best to pick a few that match the MPs onw interests.

BTW - MPs dislike communicating with people from outside their constituency. They might make exceptions that relate to committees they sit on. They usually insist on an address, that they then send an acknowledgement or update to. Dated, but thats how they do things. Pressure groups on the other hand are more flexilbe. There must be some calling for less waste in the public sector, freedom, etc.

eccles, good list. One bone though - I don't beliive OFCOM's censorship is 20 years out of date. It's more akin to the Hayes Code of the 1930s. As OFCOM are by law supposed to apply generally accepted standards, they've clearly ignored the last 20 years of liberalisation in accordance with Britain's progressive standards of taste and decency that definied the 'status quo' OFCOM inherited but, which they have subsequently obliterated by pampering to the whims of illiberal, narrow-minded, hyper-conservative minorities.

Well I've made the effort and signed this petition....Too rightly so..Lets stick a rocket up the arses of those old fashioned out of date idiots who claim to understand what the general public need !!! NOT....Next thing U know they will discover that Marathon chocolate bars are called Snickers!! Oh look everyone us tossers at OfCom are so f***ing trendy and hip....Please Ofcom wake up it is actually 2011 not 1911!!! Don't try and justify yourselves by being old fashioned and so out of date...I can only imagine there is nobody on thier panel that is under the age of at least ....lets say...70..Please everybody get behind this cause. OfCom just make me....Mart Tilly-Fan...

(19-09-2011 22:53 )eccles Wrote:  

(19-09-2011 09:35 )continental19 Wrote:  I was thinking, do you think it's worth me writing to the Prime Minister about this? Now I don't no if this has already been done, but I was thinking about writing a damming report On Ofcom and explaining the situation that we're in. Now I don't mind doing this at all. If some of you could help me maybe draft a letter that would be great.
Let me no what you think? Thanks everybody.

To be honest, no. If hes doing his job he wont have time to read the hundreds of petitions and letters that get sent in. Ones with very large numbers of signatures get selected for photoshoots, the rest get dumped on some junior civil servant or sent to the relevant department - DCMS in this case.

What might be more productive would be to find some sympathetics MPs. Lib Dems perhaps, pity it is too late for their conference. They will be desperate to differentiate themselves from both Tories and Labour and show off their libertariant principles. Downside is they are also into womens rights, but presented right it could get one or more sponsors. Grassroots membersupport would be even better. The Tory party is run by the MPs, Labour is run by some central committee, and Lib Dems are run by local activists. It must drive their coalition partners crazy because the party leadership cant just snap their fingers and deliver up a lot of zombie supporters who will do what they are told.

There are several possible approaches:
Legal - Ofcom exceeds its legal manadate, ignores surveys
Business - Fails to issue undersandable guidelines, drives businesses to the wall
Arbitrary - Applies rules inconsistently, plays favourites, victimises channels
Free Speech - Ofcom decides what is and is not permitted, favourites, vindictive
Proportionality - Action is out of all proportion to complaints, offence or risk
Cost - A huge amount of money is wasted on unnecessary censorship
Financial Control - Ofcom does not know how much it spends on this
Outdated - Applies censorship levels that are 20 years out of date
Alternatives - Harder material is available in newsagents, on the internet, on DVD, mobile phones and by satellite.
Punative - punishes channels that dare to challenge it
Inconsistent - strong violent material is available on TV without restriction, some religious channels peddle intercommunity hatred, some fleece vulnerable viewers for donations. Ofcom should concentrate on real harm
Definition - Who defined what constitutes harmful and offensive material?
Arab Spring - Why do we have an out of control State Censor when condemming repressive agencies abroad

Thats a long list, best to pick a few that match the MPs onw interests.

BTW - MPs dislike communicating with people from outside their constituency. They might make exceptions that relate to committees they sit on. They usually insist on an address, that they then send an acknowledgement or update to. Dated, but thats how they do things. Pressure groups on the other hand are more flexilbe. There must be some calling for less waste in the public sector, freedom, etc.

Thanks for your reply Eccles, i just feel so helpless, i just want to be doing something thats all, i mean i can talk to my local MP or maybe as you suggested my local LIB DEM MP, i just don't no what to do. I agree with all of what you have mentioned to me, its trying to find the most effective one to choose
I just want to hit the ground running, and i want to see results, i guess I'm not the most patient of people I just thought writing to the PM maybe would make him aware, but i guess you're right, he's got so much shit on his plate, the last thing he wants to, is get involved in is trying to sort out Ofcom? mmmh.
Well i'll give it my best shot and see what i can come up with, and i'll let you no what happens

(20-09-2011 17:28 )continental19 Wrote:  

(19-09-2011 22:53 )eccles Wrote:  

(19-09-2011 09:35 )continental19 Wrote:  I was thinking, do you think it's worth me writing to the Prime Minister about this? Now I don't no if this has already been done, but I was thinking about writing a damming report On Ofcom and explaining the situation that we're in. Now I don't mind doing this at all. If some of you could help me maybe draft a letter that would be great.
Let me no what you think? Thanks everybody.

To be honest, no. If hes doing his job he wont have time to read the hundreds of petitions and letters that get sent in. Ones with very large numbers of signatures get selected for photoshoots, the rest get dumped on some junior civil servant or sent to the relevant department - DCMS in this case.

What might be more productive would be to find some sympathetics MPs. Lib Dems perhaps, pity it is too late for their conference. They will be desperate to differentiate themselves from both Tories and Labour and show off their libertariant principles. Downside is they are also into womens rights, but presented right it could get one or more sponsors. Grassroots membersupport would be even better. The Tory party is run by the MPs, Labour is run by some central committee, and Lib Dems are run by local activists. It must drive their coalition partners crazy because the party leadership cant just snap their fingers and deliver up a lot of zombie supporters who will do what they are told.

There are several possible approaches:
Legal - Ofcom exceeds its legal manadate, ignores surveys
Business - Fails to issue undersandable guidelines, drives businesses to the wall
Arbitrary - Applies rules inconsistently, plays favourites, victimises channels
Free Speech - Ofcom decides what is and is not permitted, favourites, vindictive
Proportionality - Action is out of all proportion to complaints, offence or risk
Cost - A huge amount of money is wasted on unnecessary censorship
Financial Control - Ofcom does not know how much it spends on this
Outdated - Applies censorship levels that are 20 years out of date
Alternatives - Harder material is available in newsagents, on the internet, on DVD, mobile phones and by satellite.
Punative - punishes channels that dare to challenge it
Inconsistent - strong violent material is available on TV without restriction, some religious channels peddle intercommunity hatred, some fleece vulnerable viewers for donations. Ofcom should concentrate on real harm
Definition - Who defined what constitutes harmful and offensive material?
Arab Spring - Why do we have an out of control State Censor when condemming repressive agencies abroad

Thats a long list, best to pick a few that match the MPs onw interests.

BTW - MPs dislike communicating with people from outside their constituency. They might make exceptions that relate to committees they sit on. They usually insist on an address, that they then send an acknowledgement or update to. Dated, but thats how they do things. Pressure groups on the other hand are more flexilbe. There must be some calling for less waste in the public sector, freedom, etc.

Thanks for your reply Eccles, i just feel so helpless, i just want to be doing something thats all, i mean i can talk to my local MP or maybe as you suggested my local LIB DEM MP, i just don't no what to do. I agree with all of what you have mentioned to me, its trying to find the most effective one to choose
I just want to hit the ground running, and i want to see results, i guess I'm not the most patient of people I just thought writing to the PM maybe would make him aware, but i guess you're right, he's got so much shit on his plate, the last thing he wants to, is get involved in is trying to sort out Ofcom? mmmh.
Well i'll give it my best shot and see what i can come up with, and i'll let you no what happens

there is one thing which would make people take more notice..and that is if one or two of the babes signed it,if anything else it would boost moraland encourage the doubters to reconsider signing!

If the channels themselves gave it a mention in their recorded messages or even on screen the numbers would double overnight.

Anyone got any contacts?

Why not just PM the channel's representatives on this forum, and see what response you get (if any).

(20-09-2011 21:05 )aceman65 Wrote:  Why not just PM the channel's representatives on this forum, and see what response you get (if any).

True. With a few notable exceptions I havent noticed them, though to be fair Im not usually looking, and Ben recently said he was so low down the food chain that all he can do is post schedules, not influence content, but your right I should.

216 votes now.

The signatures are dripping in. It's a shame we don't know where the recent ones are from.... Is it here? Or another source. The word is very slowly getting around, but it would be nice to know where, and where else to target.

Has anyone actually sent it to friends of Facebook and the like out of interest? Honestly...

I don't have Facebook, twatter or beebo etc etc, but I have emailed it round. I will mail bomb again soon to make sure