I didn't sign on the petition to close down STOMP but there were adequate Singaporeans who did just that to force a response from the MDA as of the following,
You may be aware of an ongoing petition to shut down STOMP. While it is not for MDA to influence the editorial slant of sites, we would, as the media regulator of Singapore, take firm action if any Internet content provider is in breach of the Internet Code of Practice. These typically cover content that is against public interest and/or content that promotes racial and religious hatred or intolerance.
“As users of the Internet and as part of our efforts to promote responsible online behaviour, netizens can and should continue signalling to content providers the standards that we expect of them, so that they can in turn heed these calls. Should you believe that STOMP, together with other class-licensed and individually licensed sites merit stronger regulation, we invite you to propose how the standards should be tightened.
“Let’s build a healthy online environment together.”
Basically, what the MDA said was 'No! And fart off,' and even went on to invite potential morons to sharpen the knife to be used for butchering themselves in the future. No doubt, there would be enough that to fall for it. Hook, line and sinker. Once the MDA has a 'better' regulating framework assembled by yourselves, it would be applied towards STOMP (as if they really care) as well as any other websites you prefer to survive and that probably included the websites belonging to the same people who rallied for STOMP to be closed down. To me, it's clear as the sky who stands to benefit most from this. In fact, I wondered for a few seconds if that post was put up on purpose, and the website was petitioned to be closed down by themselves. 自导自演自爽
That suggestion might be far fetched but it has been that easy when it comes to Singaporeans. We just need to get a couple of people to toilet-rush to campaign for all 'illegal' street hawkers to be exterminated, constantly show how evil are 'illegal' gambling dens in our drama serials so as to magically turn the same unhygienic or evil people suddenly clean if they are willing to yield to the right people. Better yet, a few old men going for China boobs with retirement money to freeze out the CPF account for generations of Singaporeans later. The rule is: -You don't give them an excuse. But Singaporeans never learn.
I don't mean that regulation is a bad thing. Sure, it is good. At any level, at any cost, some may argue: to an extent a local child grows up without developing the spatial ability to cross a busy road without the aid of a pedestrian crossing or judgement of which a particular overseas street hawker to avoid without the 'D' label clearly displayed over the counter. In the olden days, without vast regulations or the internet, people knew which hawker they shouldn't patronize, which street should be avoided at night at all cost or which tree had the best durians to be pick from. Today, we need reviews and now, we need someone to close down a site which we swore never to go back to anyway. Some of us would close down SMRT if they would have their way, despite the fact that they drive and don't use their outrageously poor service of late, at all.
At the end of the day, it is apparent to me that STOMP's competitors will be rubbing their hands in anticipation. So would the MDA, checking their nets every minute for the big catch. I wonder how many people who signed the petition actually know. "Let's build a healthy online environment together." I'm going to cringe till Winter.
> The rule is: -You don't give them an excuse. But Singaporeans never learn.
ReplyDeleteEither many Singaporeans really don't learn, or the PAP IB trolls are a growing team. Either way, Singaporeans lose in the long run. Too bad, I wonder where that PISA Critical Thinking went to.
IMHO, it is strange that folks still don't understand that given an internet filled with an unlimited amount of content, and the stiff competition to increase "eyeballs figures" to justify the monetary worth of an online site, the best way to "kill" a site is to ignore it.
Entrapment!
ReplyDeleteIf the National Library at Stamford cannot be saved from the axe by community movement and petition, what hope is there for any petitions or the like
ReplyDeleteBelow is an urban myth:
DeleteRumours have it that a certain old library building contained archives of old publications, including stuff published independently before a NEWSPAPER AND PRINTING PRESSES ACT (NaPPA) was originally enacted.
What happened prior to NaPPA? Please use your "critical thinking" skills which Singaporeans are supposed to have to research for details.
Rumours have it that folks hired to do background research for one old man's yet-to-be-written books found archives of (pre-NaPPA) publications that critic the ruling team's policies and their executions. And that one old man was surprised to hear about these historical archives which contradicted his version of history (his-story).
And technically unrelated: around that time, there was an announcement that the old library "had to go" to make way for a new highway.
It did make way for a new highway - the Stamford Tunnel.
DeleteDon't close Stomp. I can do a cheaper, better and faster job editing it.
ReplyDelete