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The vast majority of people have no NEED to use IE6, and the vast majority of web developers have no need to support IE6. In fact, I's say there is ZERO requirement for ANY web developer to EVER support IE6 at this point. Anyone who says otherwise is making excuses or lying.

That's nice, but back in the real world many of my client's clients* use IE6. I'm currently enhancing their web-based application and dropping IE6 support is not an option.

* Including one particularly large client.

(did I just feed a troll?)

Hopefully public pressure (e.g. the ideas on the "Your Freedom" Government run website for suggesting laws to scrap: here and here) will cause the Digital Economy Act to be scrapped.

Aside from public pressure, there is also a possible review in the Lords so there are a few chinks of light in the sky.

Hopefully public pressure (e.g. the ideas on the "Your Freedom" Government run website for suggesting laws to scrap: here and here) will cause the Digital Economy Act to be scrapped.

Aside from public pressure, there is also a possible review in the Lords so there are a few chinks of light in the sky.

Whilst online polls are obviously unreliable, I don't think that the existence of an obvious joke topic means that it's unreliable. Just because people are obviously giving a joke vote to an obvious joke entry doesn't mean that their other response to serious entries will be untrue.

And whilst the vote doesn't reflect what the population as a whole think, one can look at it in context: at least out of all the laws being proposed, this is a law that's near the top.

And never mind about accuracy, the point is that the Government is under more pressure to include a law that seems to be one of the most popular to repeal. They can't claim "But online polls are inaccurate", because in that case why did they launch the site in the first place?

(PS, I can't find such an idea anyway - http://yourfreedom.hmg.gov.uk/@@search?text=thermodynamics only shows ones with a small number of votes. Possibly the moderators remove the entry anyway.)

Well why not try and assit this process along by actually doing something, we should all vote on this proposal:

http://yourfreedom.hmg.gov.uk/repealing-unnecessary-laws/digital-economy-act

At least then the govt might start to get the message that this is massively unpopular with the public and not just ISPs, think about it!

The current government has promised to repeal stupid laws, and this is one that's getting a lot of votes on their site for suggesting laws to repeal.

For anyone interested, it's at http://yourfreedom.hmg.gov.uk/repealing-unnecessary-laws/digital-economy-act .

Currently on the top 5 of most commented, with one of the highest ratings at 4.9, with 1304 votes.

Except that Nick Clegg is relatively young, experienced in the ways of Europe, and heads a minority party which is not governed by any corporate interests. He is also in charge of a commission to find and eliminate pointless laws from the Statute Book. The Lib Dems are open to arguments about protecting the interests of small businesses and the individual, and have a good campaigning record on the subject. Therefore, rather than get despondent, lobby your MP now, contribute to the website UK Government Your Freedom website without being a dick.

OK--perhaps it will have little effect on anybody taking decisions, but it won't take more than a few minutes of your time, and if it can drive stories in the press etc, so much the better.

1. Create an account at that rather lame new government site about repealing unneccessary laws to save money.
2. Search for Digital Economy Act, or go to http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=site%3Ayourfreedom.hmg.gov.uk+digital+economy. Vote up some of the many threads that you find. Comment in support of each of these threads.
3. Start your own thread asking for the repeal of the Digital Economy Act.

We discussed chemtrails before here. Looks like somebody was ANNOYED: http://yourfreedom.hmg.gov.uk/restoring-civil-liberties/remove-the-chem-trails-over-our-skies

People sure are idiots!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (is what he/she would say)

Probably like everyone else on the site, you didn't bother to look and see the other FIFTY SIX requests for the same thing.

That's why this site is failing. There's no duplication checks, and each request is specific. I'd have thought a better way is to be able to submit a request, and have others submit 'parts' to that act, which visitors can agree on a one-by-one basis. Still make it open, but better moderated. Now where do I know a decent moderation system?

Hm. There's gotta be a way to discourage politicians from making new laws.

I've heard it suggested that every law should automatically expire after a fixed period, such as one year or five years. Not only would the legislature be kept busy with votes for the laws that obviously should be kept ("Uh oh, armed robbery is going to become legalized on Wednesday..."), but it would limit the damage from laws that spend frivolously, are poorly thought out, or are motivated by special interests.

Quoting the coalition agreement:

We will impose ‘sunset clauses’ on regulations and regulators to ensure that the need for each regulation is regularly reviewed.

(Available from here)

Admittedly, it lacks detail (like so much of the agreement; I guess that's what happens when you try to write a government manifesto in three days), but it's at least vaguely promising.

Actually, concerning capital punishment in the U.K., I find it curious that the members of Parliament can give lengthy speeches on the inequity of the death penalty, and indeed to call for European and British intervention globally, when public opinion appears to be in favor of the penalty. I took a brief look at "Bring Back the Death Sentence" on the suggestions website, and the majority of comments indicate either complete or conditional support for the death penalty.

For quick reference, here's the page on the repeal of the Digital Economy Act:
http://yourfreedom.hmg.gov.uk/repealing-unnecessary-laws/digital-economy-act

Please add your votes/comments.

One of the big ones on there is Ethical and impartial accountability of the police, does that meet your non-single-issue criteria?

How about it being illegal to crack DRM?

http://yourfreedom.hmg.gov.uk/restoring-civil-liberties/copyright-law-restrictions-on-fair-use-circumventing-drm

See also government transparency: http://programmeforgovernment.hmg.gov.uk/government-transparency/

Including Open Source Software and Open Document Standards.