Read + Write + Report
Home | Start a blog | About Orble | FAQ | Blogs | Writers | Paid | My Orble | Login

Tales From The Other Side - Alternative Culture to enlighten a mediocre mood

 
Alternative Culture and ideas, ready to be injected into your Reality.

Internet - Tales From The Other Side

Link Pingbacks

March 2nd 2008 06:45
People who have linked to my blog.

Discovering Australia

Ratified.

Left Wing Conspiracy

009.org Blog.

Windswept's Devient Art

Davidlian Says

Polyphasers


Dude who I can't really read.

Have you linked to my blog, yet had me forget about you?

Don't hate my shithouse memory - JOG IT, and send me a comment.
75
Vote
Add CommentsAdd Comments
[ Link ]
Posted By: Brenton - Category: Internet
   


Is Wikipedia Biased?

January 10th 2008 10:32
Evil Wiki
Some People See Wikipedia Like This - But is it Really True?

Shinzo Abe and Geoffrey Blainy have one thing in common. History. And the desire to express it in a way that is more beneficial to their own personal ideal world views.


George Orwell once lamented today’s view of an exclusively subjective truth. While he acknowledged their would always be discrepancies to popular belief and fact, he stated that there was value in the belief that there was such thing as an objective truth, and, more importantly, it was a truth able to be found and known.

An Encyclopedia is a collection of factual information ranging over a range of subjects (or a detailed look at a specific topic – encyclopedia botancia for example looks at plants) Wikipedia attempts to be an encyclopedia of everything worth knowing about. That Wikipedia purports to provide factual information demonstrates the acceptance that Orwell’s proposal – that an objective truth exists and can be known – is true. So if there is an objective truth to be presented by Wikipedia, who controls what that truth is?

Wikiscanner may provide some answers. This tool lets us know who is editing what on Wiki, and may give us hints into the mind of a Wiki controller. A number of more interesting changes have been listed at Damos article HERE.

Despite Wikipedia’s democratic nature, it is estimated that a majority of articles are created and maintained by a highly active minority of users. The question we have to ask – of those minority who write for the majority – do they have, in general, an agenda?

Conservapedia is a Wikipedia substitute. Now, it has bugger all credibility, however, the story behind it is worth a look. The rationale behind the creation of Conservapedia is that is it a well needed antithesis to Wikipedia’s Left wing bias.

Ignoring the fact that dipping small children in ink and letting them run around on giant hills of paper would make more intelligent content than one finds on Conservapedia, is the sites criticism of Wikipedia fair? Is it widely overrun with biased left wing criticism?

As far as I can see, yes. And no. There is a slight left lean in Wikipedia, but this is consistently being straightened out be editors. More importantly I don’t see this as a systematic process of disinformation, but a reflection of a number of the editors of Wikipedia.

For one thing, Conservapedia criticises Wikipedia for a lack of Patriotism. This is true. Wikipedia is made to represent a world view. To represent a world view, one simply cannot take a patriotic stand, where one view is dominant above others. If one is to remain neutral, one must accept all different countries and culture as having neutral values. The same can be said of Conservapedia’s criticism of the non Christian focus of Wikipedia. If we accept Christianity as the only truth, that marginalises all other views, rather than exploring them.

There are some matters aside from Wikipedia’s intentional lack of content promoting one group’s view as superior. First of all, the very concept of Wikipedia gels more with left wing philosophy than with right wing. Left Wing philosophy often promotes grassroots democratic action, relying on communal action, working together for a better future. Right Wing philosophy tends to support more of an Authoritarian rationale where those whom possess power and ability create or facilitate the creation of high quality material in a controlled environment. Logically, if you attract people whom are impressed by the left leaning 'Grass Roots' Democratic rationale of a project, you are likely to attract left leaning people.

Secondly, Wikipedia is dealing in truth, and by its nature is compelled to dispel untruths and distortions of fact that have been produced by powerful authoritarian figures. As anti-authoritarianism is generally regarded as a left wing thing, this could explain some of the association of Wikipedia as a ‘lefty’ thing.

Ultimately the critics of Wikipedia are more entertaining their own prejudice when they accuse it of overwhelming bias. When anything that does not define a strict allegiance to your belief is ‘biased’, balance in itself is regarded as dangerous. While Wikipedia is in itself filled with issues that may warrant criticism, I can happily suggest that systematic left wing bias is not one of these.
95
Vote
Comments (3)Comments (3) Add CommentsAdd Comments
[ Link ]
Posted By: Brenton - Category: Pop Culture, Internet
   


Your Popsicle’s Melting

October 18th 2007 12:45
Café Press is a nifty little webpage. Using its tools you can set up pages to sell merchandise with your own designs on it.

I has one shirt with an image of a Popsicle on the front pocket. On the back pocket it had the phrase ‘your Popsicle's melting’.

Your Popsicle's melting
The offending image


Popsicle
When I went to my page to retrieve the written image, I found this image too was flagged as inappropriate. Perhaps my artistic talent was good enough for this to be considered a strong likeness of the Popsicle brand specifically?


Now, I didn’t really think too much of this design. It was cute, but nothing special. And certainly, I thought, not controversial.

How wrong was I? A few months into my Café Press experience I received a letter saying that one of my designs had been canceled.

I was wondering which design could have been construed as offensive. I entertained a few of possibilities. However, this one in particular was never considered. So, why was it offensive enough to be taken off Café Press?

Popsicle is a trademark owned by Unilever. Therefore I was potentially making money off their product trademark.

The history of the Popsicle is a proud one. It was basically made by some dude for his kids. He only ever put a patent on it after a few years at their insistence. He later sold the trademark.

And now? Now that same word, Popsicle, is being used to crush down a fifteen year old’s design, lest he make money of a word that has fallen into common usage.

Thank god for capitalism hey?

The great irony - I was in the wrong - I was copying someone else - Beck - the Popsicle line was in a song of his. So it's OK for Beck, apparently.

If Beck wanted off I'd be cool.

Actually if Beck wanted me to give him all my possessions I probably would. He's so great.

PS - My remaining items can be found HERE.
75
Vote
Add CommentsAdd Comments
[ Link ]
Posted By: Brenton - Category: Pop Culture, Miscalany, Internet
   


Pssst, Guess What?

August 26th 2007 13:01
*
55
Vote
Comments (1)Comments (1) Add CommentsAdd Comments
[ Link ]
Posted By: Brenton - Category: Miscalany, Internet
   


The Illusion of Privacy

July 26th 2007 06:54
privacy on paypal


We all want a bit of privacy. Even the most extroverted of us are generally inclined to want to go to the loo withuot an audience. Yet it would seem to be arguable that Privacy is losing it's value, discovering a reduced appeal. The desire of so many to appear on shows such as Big Brother - the ultimate in zero privacy - would seem a testement to this. Further more, those who share every element of their life on the Internet - blogging, Myspace, Facebook, Youtube - freely surrender their privcy.

However, not all loss of privacy is so volountary. A recent article from the Sydney Morning Herald discussed the increasing use of Closed Circut filming of Australian Schools. We are also on film walking down a city street, or at a railway station. We are being filmed at the airport. We are being filmed in the Supermarkets. There are people out in the world who probably know more about us then we could even suspect.

With this in mind, it's easy to consider that the Facebook crowd might not be so much surrendering privacy, but giving in to the fact that it's all an illusion anyway.

Where does it go from here? Could you wake up and find your face suddenly selling phones on Bus Seats, with an insulting message? Yes. It's happened before.

The 'Flickrgate' controvery, over Virgin mobile using Creative Commons lisenced photographs from Flickr (without giving notice to the original photographers) is a lesson in the unpredictability of an age where every shiny surface is a mirror, and playing 'spot my own face on somebody eles website' isn't even a novelty any more.

Consider your own feelings about this. Have a think about how privacy is possible when your every moment is captured. And if you prefer to mull it over in the fresh outside air, don't forget to smile for the cameras.

IMAGE
40
Vote
Add CommentsAdd Comments
[ Link ]
Posted By: Brenton - Category: Politics, Internet
   


Hare Krishna Spam

June 19th 2007 11:30
Gouranga
Gouranga Gouranga Gouranga


I got an unusual Email the other day


[ Click here to read more ]
67
Vote
Read MoreRead More Comments (2)Comments (2) Add CommentsAdd Comments
[ Link ]
   


What is Creative Commonss

June 4th 2007 08:26


The great thing about this video is that because it was licensed under CC on the original creative commons webpage, it has been remixed with the audio


[ Click here to read more ]
47
Vote
Read MoreRead More Add CommentsAdd Comments
[ Link ]
Posted By: Brenton - Category: Pop Culture, Film, Miscalany, Internet
   


And now you can’t control your thugs and anarchists? Oh, diddums…

June 1st 2007 11:18
Crime is in vogue, usually. Ask the music industry. 50 Cent if selling records about being a Pimp, Gangster, etc, blah blah… (but work with me hear – you do think he’s just a tosser right? Anyway, tangent…), and countless other artists are busy promoting themselves as killer, thieves, vandals and drug users. The Music Industry doesn’t really seem to care what effect these kind of glorifications may have on the views and actions of wider society.

However after years of pushing pimps, hoes, guns, drugs, anarchy, murder and disrespect at consumers, the music industry is suddenly pulling out the morality card


[ Click here to read more ]
47
Vote
Read MoreRead More Add CommentsAdd Comments
[ Link ]
Posted By: Brenton - Category: Pop Culture, Internet, Music
   


History of the Bush Administration

March 7th 2007 09:14
Bush Flowchart
Flowchart of the Bush Presidency


This fantastic little image came from THIS PAGE. It was created by Grey of Wellingtongrey.net. Geeze him up.
69
Vote
Comments (2)Comments (2) Add CommentsAdd Comments
[ Link ]
Posted By: Brenton - Category: Internet
   


Get More Tales on Google

February 27th 2007 11:45
Need some more Tales to keep your day going?

Well fear no more


[ Click here to read more ]
69
Vote
Read MoreRead More Add CommentsAdd Comments
[ Link ]
Posted By: Brenton - Category: Internet
   


Quick plug for Getup.org

February 5th 2007 12:23
Getup are a group who push for progressive change in Australian politics, looking for members to hit the 20,000 mark. Right now they're 85% of the way there. You can join the movement Here.
54
Vote
Add CommentsAdd Comments
[ Link ]
Posted By: Brenton - Category: Internet
   


Skype

January 9th 2007 02:19
Skype
Skype
Tales From The Other Side is now live on air! 7.00 most nights, Brisbane Time, (9.00AM GMT) on Skype, you can listen to the most handsome face on radio, Brenton Clutterbuck, discussing alternative culture, views and ideas. Discussions will also occur with listeners.
You can follow the links to the Skypecast HERE. You do need to have Skype installed on your computer, but never fear – it’s free.

[ Click here to read more ]
78
Vote
Read MoreRead More Add CommentsAdd Comments
[ Link ]
Posted By: Brenton - Category: Internet
   


GoogleZon

January 3rd 2007 00:03
You’ve got to see this video. It’s a kind of future prediction of the fulfilment of the potential of the Internet, and it’s subsequent implosion.
The link is Here.
The video, I found quite frightening and confronting in it’s dystopian message of what could become of the Internet, a thoughtful parable of a basket of promising apples gone horribly sour.
85
Vote
Comments (2)Comments (2) Add CommentsAdd Comments
[ Link ]
Posted By: Brenton - Category: Internet
   


War on Blogs

October 26th 2006 02:23
Bill O'reilly
He's ready to take it to a new level
Inspired by This Post

Oh tally ho


[ Click here to read more ]
79
Vote
Read MoreRead More Comments (2)Comments (2) Add CommentsAdd Comments
[ Link ]
Posted By: Brenton - Category: Internet
   


Myspace; It's not so bad...

October 3rd 2006 01:00
msp
myspace logo
So, this blog is about alternative culture. Only when you immerse yourself in alternative culture, the only true alternative is mainstream culture. Right?

Or, whatever


[ Click here to read more ]
68
Vote
Read MoreRead More Comments (2)Comments (2) Add CommentsAdd Comments
[ Link ]
Posted By: Brenton - Category: Internet
   


Blog Top Text

October 3rd 2005 23:51
Tales From the Other Side is a Blog dedicated to the exploration of alternative culture and viewpoints.

Feel free to drop me a line here
[ Click here to read more ]
54
Vote
Read MoreRead More Add CommentsAdd Comments
[ Link ]
Posted By: Brenton - Category: Internet
   




[ Tales From The Other Side Home ] [ Create A New Post ]

Brenton's Blogs

12161 Vote(s)
377 Comment(s)
139 Post(s)
3952 Vote(s)
17 Comment(s)
66 Post(s)
4365 Vote(s)
45 Comment(s)
57 Post(s)
Moderated by Brenton
Copyright © 2006 2007 2008 On Topic Media PTY LTD. All Rights Reserved. Design by Vimu.com.
On Topic Media ZPages: Sydney |  Melbourne |  Brisbane |  London |  Birmingham |  Leeds     [ Advertise ] [ Contact Us ] [ Privacy Policy ]