Digs.
There's a line that's usually crossed when a statement of opinion enters a territory that would vaguely be considered defamatory. I suppose that a lot of things can be said, but I don't understand why an expression of opinion would be considered to be malicious and worthy of legal action to be taken against it. Nonetheless, we'd always take the context of the situation into account in order to measure the brevity of the statement made.
Keeping that in mind, I don't see why Jeff Ooi and Ahiruddin Attan should be sued. And a part of me doesn't appreciate it that certain people insist that those who need to express themselves must be responsible about what they say. It might be weak, but I believe that we say what we do simply because we do, be it online, in private, or publicly. At times, it might even spark off a healthy debate, or at least garner some cheap laughs. Or even try to capitalize on shock value. Freedom of expression is limited, which is certainly understood. I'm even quite sure that we're grateful of what we can get here. But it seems extreme to punish those who would stand to share their own views so indiscriminately; the means may be debatable, but it's so sad to see two blokes with something to say being given so much shit for it.
There's a certain amount of disbelief that needs to be taken when accessing anything via alternative means...you've got to take it with a pinch of salt. It's bad enough that the mainstream media in Malaysia already needs the vetting of the Government; now the alternative media is threatened. There might come a time when what we say and do online is policed. It'd be more than uncomfortable to learn that a situation like that would be inevitable.
I don't believe everything I read. But to paraphrase the Rolling Stones, it's good to get a fair share of the views. It's good to know that there're people who're as cynical as I am when it comes to certain things. And it's good to know that there're people who're willing to share more than what we're feeded in the mainstream. The onus is on our interpretation of what we digest, on what we believe. I think there're more than a few of us who mindlessly accept what we read from alternative sources; it's not as if we're believing it for the sake of it being alternative.
Who's more foolish? The fool, or the fool who follows him?
It's such a funny little country sometimes.
Keeping that in mind, I don't see why Jeff Ooi and Ahiruddin Attan should be sued. And a part of me doesn't appreciate it that certain people insist that those who need to express themselves must be responsible about what they say. It might be weak, but I believe that we say what we do simply because we do, be it online, in private, or publicly. At times, it might even spark off a healthy debate, or at least garner some cheap laughs. Or even try to capitalize on shock value. Freedom of expression is limited, which is certainly understood. I'm even quite sure that we're grateful of what we can get here. But it seems extreme to punish those who would stand to share their own views so indiscriminately; the means may be debatable, but it's so sad to see two blokes with something to say being given so much shit for it.
There's a certain amount of disbelief that needs to be taken when accessing anything via alternative means...you've got to take it with a pinch of salt. It's bad enough that the mainstream media in Malaysia already needs the vetting of the Government; now the alternative media is threatened. There might come a time when what we say and do online is policed. It'd be more than uncomfortable to learn that a situation like that would be inevitable.
I don't believe everything I read. But to paraphrase the Rolling Stones, it's good to get a fair share of the views. It's good to know that there're people who're as cynical as I am when it comes to certain things. And it's good to know that there're people who're willing to share more than what we're feeded in the mainstream. The onus is on our interpretation of what we digest, on what we believe. I think there're more than a few of us who mindlessly accept what we read from alternative sources; it's not as if we're believing it for the sake of it being alternative.
Who's more foolish? The fool, or the fool who follows him?
It's such a funny little country sometimes.
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posted by funkyhippopotamus at
11:23:00 am
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