Error 451: The Government Has Censored This Content

[TaoPhoenix]

I'm not denying that.  What I'm saying is that people say that *he* meant the story to be about censorship, not that *I interpret the content of his writing to have themes of censorship* or something similar.  The two are *very* different- one being quite logical, and the other being quite abhorrent to me.

-wraith808 (June 26, 2012, 09:31 PM)

Maybe then he wasn't telling the whole context on what he meant when writing it. If it was just about the vacuousness of TV, it wouldn't include the big plot element of the Firemen teams wearing sexy Salamander jackets.

[IainB]

...
...The Machine Stops is worth a read and available for download here.
[/i].

-40hz (June 27, 2012, 07:06 AM)

Meant to say thanks for this link. I had been looking for E.M.Forster's classic just recently - for my daughter actually. The link you provide is great, as it can give you a copy in several formats and for several different reading devices.
I was well into reading SF from the age of 9 or so, but I think I first met The Machine Stops as required reading in Eng.Lit. at secondary school. It is an excellent SF short story.

[Renegade]

Just saw that link now...

And they have "The Right to Read":

http://manybooks.net...uthors/stallman.html

Excellent essay. THAT should be required reading in secondary schools.

[ewemoa]

And they have "The Right to Read":

-Renegade (July 01, 2012, 06:25 AM)

When I originally read this I had not appropriately absorbed:

It was also possible to bypass the copyright monitors by installing a modified system kernel. Dan would eventually find out about the free kernels, even entire free operating systems, that had existed around the turn of the century. But not only were they illegal, like debuggers—you could not install one if you had one, without knowing your computer's root password. And neither the FBI nor Microsoft Support would tell you that.

Not even 10 years since publication and already people have been in a position to not (by default anyway) have administrative access on devices they purchase! (e.g. Android devices)

[Renegade]

And they have "The Right to Read":

-Renegade (July 01, 2012, 06:25 AM)

When I originally read this I had not appropriately absorbed:

It was also possible to bypass the copyright monitors by installing a modified system kernel. Dan would eventually find out about the free kernels, even entire free operating systems, that had existed around the turn of the century. But not only were they illegal, like debuggers—you could not install one if you had one, without knowing your computer's root password. And neither the FBI nor Microsoft Support would tell you that.

Not even 10 years since publication and already people have been in a position to not (by default anyway) have administrative access on devices they purchase! (e.g. Android devices)

-ewemoa (July 01, 2012, 06:56 AM)

It's terrifying just how much of "The Right to Read" has turned out to be truly prophetic.

[ewemoa]

We appear to be at the mercy of the strategy of organized groups convincing large numbers of ignorant folks to accept things which are then forced on the rest of us...Of course, we are also sometimes those ignorant folks...

[Renegade]

We appear to be at the mercy of the strategy of organized groups convincing large numbers of ignorant folks to accept things which are then forced on the rest of us...Of course, we are also sometimes those ignorant folks...

-ewemoa (July 01, 2012, 08:07 AM)

+1