Virgin: First UK ISP to block Pirate Bay

[Nigsy]

Virgin Media is first UK ISP to block The Pirate Bay - The Inquirer


Now I'm not that bothered about this, but how come our government can't jump on kiddie porn websites so quickly??

 

[Dwarf]

A perfectly valid point.

 

[z3r010]

A clever move by Virgin - get some good press and save a little bandwidth in the process, I wouldn't imaging that it would be too hard to bypass for the hardcore TPB users though.

 

[TypeR]

I just found the work around on google in under 15 seconds. :shock:

 

[Dwarf]

Whatever restrictions ISPs (and others) impose, there are always people who find ways around it/them.

 

[kado897]

It's strange. I've never had the slightest desire to use The Pirate bay.....until now

 

[TypeR]

It's strange. I've never had the slightest desire to use The Pirate bay.....until now

You're not the only one...

"However, since that ruling reports that traffic to the site has actually increased. In fact, yesterday’s traffic beat The Pirate Bay’s best ever UK user number by a margin of over 12m extra unique visitors."

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/virgin-media-blocks-pirate-bay-but-site-traffic-rockets/095444

 

[pparks1]

^ I never touch sites like these. It's just an invitation for spyware, malware, trojans, rootkits, viruses, worms and the like.

 

[kado897]

^ I never touch sites like these. It's just an invitation for spyware, malware, trojans, rootkits, viruses, worms and the like.

Not to mention copyright material.

 

[MadSupra354]

I'm not that bothered. I haven't pirated software in a long time, and if I wanted to there are other ways of doing so besides Torrents. Like TypeR said, there is a way around it anyway. No big deal.

 

[burtie]

A bit late aren't they? Any smart user probably stopped using TPB a long time ago...its most likely only used by novices and people who do not really know what they are doing.

What I don't understand is that TPB don't actually host any copyright material, they just provide links just like a million other sites and even google or any other search engine.

I think this is more of a publicity move to say "hey look at us we are tackling pirates" as TPB are just an easy target because of their well known name or "brand". If they really want to go after pirates they need to look and dig a lot deeper than this. Why not go after the main hardcore people who actually rip and upload the copyright material in the first place instead of targeting teenagers in their bedrooms who download the odd song, album or film? Its a bit like police arresting someone for having a £5 bag of drugs in their pocket instead of going after the ones who are making the drugs in the first place.

As already noted above there are easy ways around this if people really want to go there...what concerns me is the implications of censoring the net.

 

[pparks1]

^ I never touch sites like these. It's just an invitation for spyware, malware, trojans, rootkits, viruses, worms and the like.

Not to mention copyright material.

Well, there is always that. From a right/wrong standpoint, many people are indifferent regarding copyright material...but I don't think anybody really wants the above stuff that I mentioned.

 

[pparks1]

What I don't understand is that TPB don't actually host any copyright material, they just provide links just like a million other sites and even google or any other search engine.

In all fairness though, I don't create any child pornography or actually take child porn pictures, but if I stand around in a school yard and hand out flyers with links to where you can get all of the child porn you want, don't you think I should be stopped or controlled?

 

[burtie]

What I don't understand is that TPB don't actually host any copyright material, they just provide links just like a million other sites and even google or any other search engine.

In all fairness though, I don't create any child pornography or actually take child porn pictures, but if I stand around in a school yard and hand out flyers with links to where you can get all of the child porn you want, don't you think I should be stopped or controlled?

Without a doubt yes, if that was the case. But do TPB offer links to child porn? I don't know because I have never visited the site and I would not look for it anyway but it was my understanding it was just music films and games they linked to?

I think we can all agree that anything relating to child porn SHOULD be taken down.

 

[Skulblaka]

This "block" is easily circumvented, not much point in this but advertising to others about existence of TPB.

 

[seekermeister]

Virgin Media is first UK ISP to block The Pirate Bay - The Inquirer


Now I'm not that bothered about this, but how come our government can't jump on kiddie porn websites so quickly??

We don't need the government to jump on any kind of websites. At most, they should have a law preventing ISP from being able to access them...like Virgin did here.

 

[Trucidation]

The uselessness of this measure is only slightly redeemed by the fact that it probably didn't cost (taxpayers) much, if anything.

FFS, TPB is close to a decade old; this news is like trumpeting the success of plugging one of many leaks in a dam. One of the older and perhaps more visible leaks, granted, but still just one. And not much of a plug at that, either, considering that a trivial workaround can be found in seconds as posted above.

 

[lehnerus2000]

No re-election funds in it

Now I'm not that bothered about this, but how come our government can't jump on kiddie porn websites so quickly??

The MPAA, RIAA and their UK equivalents, don't pay politicians to block "Kiddie Porn".

 

[pparks1]

Without a doubt yes, if that was the case. But do TPB offer links to child porn? I don't know because I have never visited the site and I would not look for it anyway but it was my understanding it was just music films and games they linked to?

I don't believe they distribute child porn, i just used that to make a point.

It's software, music and movies that are shared on TPB. But of course, many don't see an issue with taking these things for free and that's really the crux of the issue. The excuses are always the same. 1). they already have enough money 2). I'm a poor college student and simply cannot afford it now. 3). I'm out of work and cannot afford to pay for it at the present time. 4). it's not the same as shoplifting, because I don't prevent somebody else from getting it by downloading a copy.

I think we can all agree that anything relating to child porn SHOULD be taken down.

Sure, but there are some like myself who feel the same about pirated software, movies and music as well. If others are expected to pay for something, and have to pay for something to obtain it, another person should not be able to attain it free of charge by using their computer.

it's a matter of principle to me. if you think that movies today are terrible and thus not worth paying for...then simply skip the damn movie. Don't support the movie companies and studios at all.

I do realize part of the piracy issue is a lack of content availability in certain regions. And while it does suck that you might live in an area where you cannot buy something, I don't feel "taking it for free" from the Internet is acceptable because of the above.

I'm biased towards there not being piracy, as I currently work for and have always worked for commercial software companies. Years and years ago, I too obtained software that wasn't on the up and up. But over the past 10 years, there has been such an explosion in free software and open source applications that I find no need for most commercial software apps myself anymore. In the rare case that i find the free alternative to be unacceptable for my use, then I then accept that I must be willing to pay for the commercial alternative.

 

[BomberAF]

Virgin Media is first UK ISP to block The Pirate Bay - The Inquirer


Now I'm not that bothered about this, but how come our government can't jump on kiddie porn websites so quickly??

I don't go looking for the sites but I would imagine that I am sure they do.

I do know that some sites are in fact operated by the police and find out the people who are using them when they access the sites.