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Separation of Church and Microsoft

Posted by kdawson on from the can't-watch-that dept.

theodp writes "Last week, the USPTO published a rather odd Microsoft patent application for Content Ratings and Recommendations, which describes how religious-based communities and other 'subcultures' can use the patent-pending process to prevent their members from viewing undesirable television programs and movies."

5 of 165 comments (clear)

  1. -1 Not Censorship by Arathon · · Score: 0, Troll

    I'm not even going to quote a definition - I've seen this fifty-odd times on Slashdot, and it's always the same old argument. But frankly, I just want to be one of the ones to come in and say "this is NOT censorship".

  2. Re:Am I the only one ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    ...it will be used against (intentional word choice) children/teenagers to enforce a parent/group's own set of values upon the youngster who might not even share them?
    That's called "raising" a child, and it's generally accepted in most places that parents have that right.

    Well, it's understood that parents have so much power over their children that there's not much that can be done to prevent it. Should parents be able to force their children to go to church? Some people would say yes and some people would say no.

    I'm in the "no" camp myself - if the kid really doesn't want to go to church then the parents shouldn't force the kid to go to church. I also recognize that for a lot of people the "joy of parenting" is having another human being that they can lord it over and control. It would be next to impossible to force such people to act in the child's best interest rather than their own - their whole reason for having children was for their own benefit.

  3. Re:Am I the only one ... by be-fan · · Score: 1, Troll

    "My belief/moral/cultural system is superior to theirs."

    At what point can we say that a certain set of beliefs (not necessarily a whole system, but certain ones) are indeed superior? Stupid ideas in religious have been losing the war ever since the Enlightenment. When can we draw the line on certain things? I mean, for god's sake, even the Pope has excepted evolution, can't we call out people who teach their children otherwise for what they're really doing --- lying blatantly to their children about fundamental truths of the world?

    As a parent, I wonder what kind of hot water I'd get myself into if I raised children to believe that 2 +2 = 7, or that the alphabet has 37 characters. I mean, even if it's not illegal, most people would consider such a behavior to be at least very cruel and permanently damaging.

    --
    A deep unwavering belief is a sure sign you're missing something...
  4. Patent the obvious by ak_hepcat · · Score: 0, Troll

    Just turn it off. Heck, unplug it. Snip the cable. Flip the breaker.

    Sell your TV, and read a book.

    --
    Support FSF: Stop thinking with your wallet, and think with your imagination. (cc/non-commercial)
  5. Watch the Movie "Jesus Camp" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    I think the OP is referring to the extreme shown in the movie Jesus Camp, where it shows how certain Christian groups *literally* brainwash their children into being willing to be "soldiers" of their faith. The kids go so far as to say things like they're willing to DIE for their lord and are approaching strangers, unsupervised, to try and convert them at all costs. Then there's the whole homeschooling thing, so the parents can teach them that there's "no proof at all" for biology, etc and that you'd have to be retarded to doubt the circular logic of the Bible. Watch the movie, it's fucking SCARY.