Wikipedia: the bloggers reaction
Updated on 08 December 2008
A round-up of the blogger sphere's reaction to the news that UK internet users have been blocked from accessing a Wikipedia page.
On the world according to Sjeltur, the blogger writes: "I saw the picture..... I do understand the FIRST reaction of the "I.W.F.".... On the other hand; this is an album cover - which was already controversial at his release in 1976."
"The picture has never been forbidden by anyone/any country/any organization.... A new cover has been used in (for example) the USA....But my main problem is; nothing illegal is happening - and who are those internet providers to decide to block this information?"
The conversation on Metal Underground gives a similar perspective.
Jenny writes: "I can certainly see why people would think the album cover for "Virgin Killer" is pretty risky, and the country has every right to censor it. BUT I honestly don't see the point in doing that now; I could be wrong though."
"I can certainly see why people would think the album cover for "Virgin Killer" is pretty risky, and the country has every right to censor it. BUT I honestly don't see the point in doing that now."Jenny on Metal Underground
To which Hero responds: "Virgin killer original cover was banned in UK so was released under a new cover without the girl and cracked glass. I seem to remember another cover being banned for something similar."
Tony Kennick takes issue with censorship on his blog, commenting that "child sexual abuse is not a nice thing, and this would be a better world if no child ever got harmed.
"However censorship is also not a nice thing and this would be a better world if it never happened either."
Musically.com blames The Scorpions - a viewpoint shared on clicking and screaming.
"I had the misfortune to see the album cover this morning, and it really is very unpleasant indeed," writes Chris Nee.
"Regardless, I'm certainly not pro-censorship and it will remain a key topic over the next few days, and the IWF is probably about to learn that it is exceptionally unwise to agitate the blogosphere."
"All in all I don't think they've accomplished a great deal besides drawing attention to the very image they tried to prevent people seeing by raising the profile of that image."KennyNet.co.uk
He also cites KennyNet.co.uk, where Kenny writes: "Far more people have now seen this image on the wikipedia page than would have if this block was never attempted, this block has attracted a lot of media attention causing the views to that wikipedia page to sky rocket in the past 24-48 hours.
"All in all I don't think they've accomplished a great deal besides drawing attention to the very image they tried to prevent people seeing by raising the profile of that image."
But to one other, the new has posed a challenge: "IN honour of the Wikipedia album cover ban - The Scorpions album cover (Page 14) has been purged from the UK's internets - Anorak has compiled the 20 Best Children On Album Covers Of All Time. None have been banned. Some should just never have happened."
