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What's interesting, is that by following the “spirit” of this ruling, Governments could be held accountable for individual criminal acts of their citizens.
So, say a mayor could in theory be held responsible for a burglary that happened in their own town.
If I were those lawyers, I would use this angle in court… maybe start filing charges against public officials. We'd see how quickly this ruling is overturned.
Posted by: Troy Peterson |
February 24, 2010 9:02 AM -
Troy, The analogy is not accurate. Mayors don't have total control on towns they govern. Unless mayors have absolute power on things like my schedules or where I should go at certain times, else I don't think it's reasonable that they held responsible for citizens' crimes - mayors are given very little power actually in citizens lives.
However, Google does have total control on YouTube. They can determine who and what and when. With that power, I think they need to hold responsible on certain levels.Posted by: Wayne Lai |
February 24, 2010 9:25 AM -
A shame for Italy and for me as Italian.
The Google employees named and condemned have nothing to do for it but in Italy the executives can be held responsible for the company and called to rulings.
Schools in Turin seems to make quite some noise, in a previous case some student shared some copyrighted videos and were found not guilty of Piracy because they didn't make benefits out of it, basically the court ruled that without intention to sell and generate profits, there is no piracy.
one more reason not to go back to Italy!
Posted by: Lorenzo |
February 24, 2010 9:27 AM -
Of course, if Google is willing to share the power with netizens - like we are granted to delete videos we think detestable on YouTube, then Google should NOT be held responsible for this alone - this becomes every user's responsibility.
Posted by: Wayne Lai |
February 24, 2010 9:29 AM -
Wow…the sentence they've received is just too extreme for the situation. It would warrant a public announcement/apology of some sort…but jail time?
Posted by: NookSurfer |
February 24, 2010 9:30 AM -
Wayne,
Google does not have control, at least not immediate, the amount of videos uploaded is way above the control any company can exerc in their contents.http://www.webpronews.com/topnews/2009/05/21/youtube-upload-rate-reaches-20-hoursminute
In May 2009 YouTube announced they were getting 20 hours of video uploaded every minute, this is 1200:1 ratio and I guess it is even higher now. Google can control and cancel them once notified and this is what the law requires: a prompt response from the platform holder (Google, Bing!, Vimoe, YouTube) whenever some of the videos are in infringement with the law.Also the government is responsible for the crimes done by the citizens it is its duty to govern the society in a way to reduce and prevent crimes. It is not as easy as deleting a video but security is and will always be a major discussion point for all elections and candidates.
Posted by: Lorenzo |
February 24, 2010 9:38 AM -
Wayne,
it is different, users are responsible for their uploads, Google is simply a platform and allows for reporting of inappropriate contents.If Google was to give me or any other user the rights to delete your posts or videos, then this would be against your freedom of speech.
NookSurfer,
under Italian law, if you have a warrant for less than three years in jail but a clean criminal records you do not have to serve. This will however appear on their criminal records and should they be convicted again by any of the hundreds of new cases that will appear in the next few months, well, they will have to go to jail. .Posted by: Lorenzo |
February 24, 2010 9:49 AM -
But a load of crap from this Italian court.
Posted by: Khürt |
February 24, 2010 9:56 AM -
What I am trying to say is Google should do more than just react passively (after the damage is done). They cannot just pick the things that are beneficial for them (like total control on YouTube content) and try to rid the things that are detrimental to them. They decide to hold the power, then they should have greater responsibility.
Google can control the upload limits whenever they want - they can just limit total upload per day to X GB and please try to upload the next day if threshold values are met. Of course they won't do this because the more content, the more beneficial to them. But they do have the power to change this if they want to - this what I mean absolute power.
Government is responsible to reduce the crimes, I agree. But a mayor should not go to the jail for a burglary on a grocery store by other citizens. However, if someone killed a person in the mayor's party house, then that would be another issue, because the mayor do have control on who gets into his party house.
I think the Italian government is doing a good job of raising this issues - we cannot just allow website owners feel free to host anything they want and blame users when problems come. Of course, I disagree Google employees got all the responsibilities, I am just saying Google must do something more than just being reactive and blaming users.
Posted by: Wayne Lai |
February 24, 2010 10:00 AM -
Wayne,
I know we have mentioned Google a few times, but it is really just a content provider, same as Yahoo!, Vimeo, or any other online sharing platform, same here with RWW and our comments.Yes it is as you say, they have total power and they can all allow, disallow, block, limit user to post content, but imagine you just got a message saying: “Sorry Wayne, you have posted two comments today, please come back tomorrow to post a new comment!” It just doesn't make sense.
I think that the flagging and reporting is the best compromise we have, as users, to provide a better service to everyone while being guaranteed our the freedom to post content live and without delays.
The law requires platforms to moderate the flagged content and will hold them responsible if they do not review the flagged items within a reasonable delay.
For mayors and governments, sure, I am 100% with you on this.
Posted by: Lorenzo |
February 24, 2010 10:14 AM -
Lorenzo,
Why can Google delete users videos when they want to? Isn't that against user's freedom of speech?
If Google can do it, why can't we?
The answer is that Google chooses this way. They own the website so they can control everything they want - creating laws on this domain. They provide a close platform and they are the ONLY party to have the power to moderate YouTube. They do this for their business benefits. Great, now a bad video is uploaded and caused damage to the victims. Couple hours later and after two thousands views, Google pulled it out. We call this responsible power? If they don't want to get blamed and they don't want to be held responsible, or if they feel they cannot fulfill such great responsibilities, then they probably should share the power or stop accumulating such great power.
Wikipedia is a great example. Jimmy Wales should not be held responsible for contents on wikipedia because he already delegated powers to users. He is not the only God.Posted by: Wayne Lai |
February 24, 2010 10:23 AM -
Lorenzo and Mike,
I understand your arguments and I actually agree on what you said. It's just impossible to monitor everything. That's why intuitively I don't want Google employees got punished in Italy like this.
I am just thinking that since Google realizes that it's impossible to monitor every upload, why not just share the power to users like what Wikipedia has done? If 10 viewers report the video is bad, the the 11th viewer should be able to pull it off. We can help Google to monitor, why not share? Afraid of losing profit?Posted by: Wayne Lai |
February 24, 2010 10:32 AM -
Wayne,
I take your point, but would then be responsible in that case?The video was up for 2 months before being flagged for review and then removed in a few hours, so we can assume this would be the same if the users had the power to flag and delete the video.
Would every user that watched the video be held responsible for seeing the video and not flagging it up for deletion?
Posted by: Lorenzo |
February 24, 2010 11:24 AM -
It isn't clear why Italy would rule against Google. For uploading a video? That's been happening for years, it's called data transfer. You've given us like half a story RWW…
Posted by: Bryon |
February 24, 2010 11:38 AM -
This is just an attack on freedom and the freedom of the new internet based media, by the old established powers of government and old media. When the Russian revolution took place the first thing they did was attack and take control of the media, because before the internet it was easy to take control of a whole country by taking control of the centralised media. Governments don't really like the internet look at China, and look at the attempts which governments keep making to reign back the freedom of the internet and get it back under control.
Posted by: KenThis |
February 24, 2010 12:10 PM -
@Wayne,
True, Mayors don't have ultimate control over their citizens, but that's not the point.The point is that the court is ruling against the Google Execs after the fact.
They're implying that Google should have known ahead of time and therefore is held responsible for not preventing it from happening in the first place.So, my argument still stands. Sorry.
Posted by: Troy Peterson |
February 24, 2010 2:59 PM -
If Google was not guilty, then why did RapidShare?
Law shall not be selectively applied because of who violated or who benefited. Google shall not be guilty because it is big, many many people believed it and benefited from it? There shall be a better reasoning.
Posted by: bonelyfish |
February 24, 2010 7:47 PM -
The fact the amount of videos uploaded on youtube is so HUGE to be uncontrollable this doens't mean Youtube (and google) is absolutely out of any responsability.
In the article nobody mentioned the video was uploaded in september and removed in late november, nobody mentioned it was absolutely horrific and in despite of several report the video was still available online for over 2 months.
I do really believe this time the sentence of the court was right and balanced, they considered the singular case and persecuted it according to italian laws.
I really do not understand why in the article it's written that googlers were not anyhow involved in the video itself. They were not charged for anything concerning the video, people who shot it was arrested and sentenced for what they did. Googlers were charged only because they allowed the spread of the video for over 2 months. Only AFTER the italian police was involved they took the video offline, which it means they totally ignored any report from users and were forced to action. Is this right?Also, nobody mentioned who brought google in judge: a no profit association working to protect people affected from Down's syndrome. Do you really think they didn't ask google to take down the video before going legal? do you really think they didn't try to have a feedback from the company before investing thousands of euros in a legal procedure? Come on: google is just bullshit this time.
What is mostly annoying me is that everybody is too busy shouting “freedom freedom” to just stop for a second and analyze the particular situation.
Google made content spreading their core business, they are involved in the process and as any other company they have a part of responsability in it.Posted by: Jasha |
February 25, 2010 12:05 AM -
I apologie for the Italian Government.
They all talk to collect votes and to maintain their privileges.
Creating good laws is miles away from their intentions.
I'd like to make it clear I did not vote for them.Posted by: Fabio FLX |
February 25, 2010 8:07 AM -
Why is it that “people need to be allowed to create, and websites allowed to host, content” is translated into “people need to be allowed to defame and libel, and websites that had nothing to do with creating such defamation and libel must be allowed to host this content for profit, without sharing any of the revenues with content creators, and while expecting utter immunity to any sort of liability that might arise”?
If people want to create and host defamation and libel — let 'em. Let them pay $50 for a web domain and shared server space, and let them take responsibility for their publication.
Frankly, I am ready for a new Internet that returns to the days where people who want to make a statement also stand behind their statement. Google finds the time and manpower to have a human review each and every AdWords ad that gets published — why do they lose their way when it comes to YouTube videos?
Posted by: Gregory Kohs |
February 25, 2010 8:34 AM -
Dear all, this is another example of the smelling climax of totalitarian regime that Berlusconi is bringing in Italy. This attack to the freedom in the web comes in a frame of repression of freedom of speech and expression. Berlusconi controls the 6 main TV of Italy, so all the TV information, part of the press (1 big newspaper that is so pro-Berlusconi that remembers the Pravda, many radios) but still doen't control the web. Being aware of the increasing importance of the web, is now trying to control it, his government is trying to emanate teo laws, mainly the so-called “Decreto ROMANI” (from Mr. Romani, member of the government with authority on the communications). Some less than half of the Italian people hate him and is just looking forward to send him home (or jail where he should be) but through the control of the TV's channels allows him to brainwash the biggest part of the italian population, that simply doens't know what is going on n the country (if you take your information from the TV channels in Italy you will never know what from outside Italy you will easily know about all the crimes he is accused, of all the lies has been proved he usually says…in the facts we are in a mediatic dictatorship. So PLEASE help the honest Italians, write to the Italian Consulates, to Italian authorities, to your authority complaining about the Italian situation…..
HELP ITALY TO RETURN A FULL DEMOCRACY!Posted by: Paolo |
February 25, 2010 9:01 AM -
“Do no evil” is bullshit.
How many company does what they think is evil in the first place? Its the victims to consider it evil. Practically it is equivalent to “do anything you think its right.”
Moreover, doing nothing is an evil.
Reality is. Google is a listed company that generates revenue from information flow. Freedom is a by-product. Revenue and marketshare are the main goals. When put on the balance, revenue always win.
Posted by: bonelyfish |
February 25, 2010 9:19 AM -
As always italian press and many italians don't know their own legal system.
We are NOT a common law country, only the Supreme Court of Cassation (court of last resort) and only in some specific circumstances can bind future decisions by lower courts.
I'm saying that if this is really an attack brought against the freedom of internet, the real battle will be fought in the Court of Cassation in 2 or 3 years.Posted by: Doi |
February 25, 2010 10:30 AM -
This is just a pretext to control the net, Berlusconi already controls press and televisions, internet is the missing piece to grant him total domination on Italy's information and turn Italy into a full dictatorship
Posted by: Alex |
February 26, 2010 12:49 AM -
I'm italian. Our government tries in many ways to stop freedom on the net. They tried to transform blogs in press with a scandalous law.
Not only Berlusconi try to do this but also Prodi with the Prodi-Levi law.
There isn't a famous italian politician that can preserve freedom in Italy. We have no chance.
Italian public TV (RAI) is controlled by “Comitato di Vigilanza RAI”. This “Comitato” is controlled by government. In all other democratic countries TV controls politicians. In Italy not.
Now with the help of association “Vividown” they try to mask this dictator act against Google and freedom in a fast help to people with the syndrome of down. This is a scandal.
Please help us speaking about this things from outside. Thanks to everyone.Posted by: fiore |
February 26, 2010 2:42 AM -
First some facts!
- The video was online for about two months.
- People sent thousands of requests for removal.
- Google ignored all of them and removed the video only after a police request.
- The prosecutors accused Google of negligence.On the other hand, any company can send a DMCA letter for a “supposed” copyright infringement and my blog is taken down immediately.
Copyright more important than personal privacy? Is this the world you want to live in?
Posted by: rumba81 |
February 26, 2010 5:06 AM -
E' chiaro che la libertà di espressione in Italia, è in profonda e inreversibile agonia.
Posted by: piero |
February 26, 2010 6:33 AM -
1) Mike, what you are saying exactly:
“Copyright more important than personal privacy? Is this the world you want to live in?”
REALLY SAD, we are talking of guys abusing a syndrome affected young guy. Not talking about an important opposition speech against the gov. WTF, google is just bullshit this time and i'm proud of what judges did.
2) In italy (as in any other “democratic” country) there's a deep division between juridical power and political power. What happened is not a “strategy” from Berlusconi to take google down, come on be serious. This is the consequence of neglictance by google according to italian laws.
Posted by: Jasha |
February 26, 2010 6:55 AM
This post originally appeared on the American Express OPEN Forum, where Mashable regularly contributes articles about leveraging social media and technology in small business.
Web forms can be a great asset on your business site. They let you collect pertinent data and contact information from your visitors without exposing your direct e-mail address to the world. They also set specific boundaries on the type of data you receive from customers so that the information fits nicely into a spreadsheet or database as needed.
Building a web form used to require a bit of coding and “wiring” on the back end of your site. These days, there are some great free and low-cost resources on the web that make building and integrating forms into your business website a breeze.
1. Wufoo
Wufoo is a great web-based form generator with a very intuitive interface. Forms are extremely customizable with simple drag-and-drop commands and many style options.
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While you can download and configure your form to function with your own database, you may not want to when you see all the great looking reports and widgets you can generate just by logging into your Wufoo account. By hosting your data with them, everything is DIY, and easily accessible, with no need to hand your files over to a database expert to get your form up and running. In addition to viewing entries on the site, you can configure Wufoo to e-mail or text you when a user completes your form.
A free Wufoo account allows one user to generate three forms with three corresponding reports. Additional forms, users and reports come at a few price points, starting at $9.95 per month.
2. Icebrrg
Icebrrg has nearly identical features as Wufoo, and similar price points for paid accounts. You can host your own files or integrate the forms easily onto your business website and receive notifications when they are filled. A nice feature is that embedded forms are rendered in HTML, and will comply with the CSS styles of your website to match the look and feel automatically.
Icebrrg no longer has a free account, but at $9 per month, you get 10 forms, 500 entries, and 100MB of storage for customers to upload files.
3. Formsite
Formsite has a focus on a few more complex features that not every business may need in a form, but some will find extremely valuable, such as payment integration for credit cards, PayPal, and Google Checkout. They also offer multi-page and “skip/branch” surveys, which allow you to control the flow of questions based on certain rules and user responses.
Formsite has all of the customization, embedding, hosting, and notification options as the sites mentioned above, and their free account lets you create five forms, with 50 items per form.
4. Google DocsGoogle Docs
If you’re already using GmailGmail, Calendar, and other Google Apps for your business, you may want to take advantage of the forms function within Google Docs.
This form generator is pretty bare bones, but the dead-simple interface and integration with your existing GoogleGoogle account make it useful for internal employee surveys or even the daily lunch order.
Once you create your form document, it’s tied to a spreadsheet and data summary that also live in your Google Docs. The data feedback, in the form of a response counter and various charts and graphs, is extremely detailed and easy to read (similar to Google AnalyticsGoogle Analytics), and the timestamped spreadsheet is exportable for whatever your database has in store.
A Google form is embeddable in an external website, but its cumbersome formatting and limited customization means that it probably won’t agree aesthetically with your sites. For now, linking to these forms is a quick and dirty way to gather data on a simple, clean interface.
More business resources from Mashable:
- 5 Ways to Avoid Sabotaging Your Personal Brand Online
- 4 Elements of a Successful Business Web Presence
- HOW TO: Implement a Social Media Business Strategy
- HOW TO: Choose a News Reader for Keeping Tabs on Your Industry
- HOW TO: Measure Social Media ROI
- HOW TO: Use Social Media to Connect with Other Entrepreneurs
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February 27, 2010 | Tagged coupons, Fatcow, fatcow coupons, hosting, shared web hosting, web hosting | Leave a Comment
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February 27, 2010 | Tagged coupons, Fatcow, fatcow coupons, hosting, shared web hosting, web hosting | Leave a Comment
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