Nikon Z7
Nikkor Z 50mm f/1.1 S
50mm, 1/200 Sec at f/8, ISO64
Post Processed in Adobe Lightroom Classic V14.4
Photo of the Month – July
UK On line Safety Act now in force
Today the UK’s new on line safety act came into force.
The aim they say is to protect children, which we can all agree with, but will it work and is it too draconian.
The act makes it illegal for content that could offend or cause distress, and also bans pornography for those under the age of eighteen. The issue with the act is that it does not define these terms. Pornography is something that could turn on a viewer.
These bans will be controlled through age verification. There are no standards around age verification, no authorised companies, you have no idea what these third parties may do with your data and the risk of security leaks, identity theft and having your sexual preferences use to black mail you are all high risks. Your a teacher at a Catholic school and enjoy gay porn, if that got out, your out of a job.
The question is also will it work. I would think most children know one of there peers who could help them access an anonymous proxy, install a VPN, point them at TOR sites where the content could be god knows what. Getting around this is pretty easy.
The other issue is that it’s putting small sites out of business. They just cannot afford age verification. If your a small forum website that promotes cycling, and allow users to put up pictures of there routes and cycles, you run a risk. One of those accounts get hacked, someone uploads ‘porn’, your on holiday, and do not find out till its been on line for a week. Along come Offcom and your facing Jail or a significant fine. It’s not worth the risk, you close the site and create a Facebook page and let Facebook take the heat. You’re driving people into the arms of big tech and making the internet smaller and more controlled by a small number of billionaires.
The picture at the top of this post I consider clean and none offensive, but will everyone. Anyone now posting material is at risk. How many will close their sites?
The Suffolk Coast – Beccles
Beccles is typical of the slightly larger town you can find in Suffolk.
In places a little run down, as many places were post COVID-19 which accelerated the death of the high street, but places are opening up.
I remember just a few years ago when all there seemed to be on the high streets was instant coffee or corporate Starbucks, there were few independent coffee roasters and few independent coffee shops selling quality, well sourced coffee.
But now coffee roasters and cafes seem to be springing up even in the most unlikely of places.
What the high street will look like in the future now on-line shopping dominates is unknown, but cafes and good coffee seems to one thing that we will be able to find.
Beccles is an old town with lovely old churches and building, well worth a walk around after you have refreshed yourself with coffee.
Reminders of its links to the larger towns and London are all around.
So if you on route to one of the larger cities try a visit, whether a quaint book shop, a delicatessen or locally roasted coffee there will be something for you.