The ADL and "Cyber-Hate"

Below is a letter from the ADL to the Jewish Weekly. I find it pertinent for a couple of reasons. One is they specifically mention youtube and their vow to patrol both youtube and blogs using youtube viddies.

I have done so in the past; no longer do so as much since the viddies are often quickly made "unavailable";which I had briefly mentioned sometime ago and,not wishing to seem paranoid made no further mention of.

Although, their selection as to WHICH youtube viddies are to be censored is rather bizarre; ie, my blogging of a youtube video of Der Chef attending the opening of a new Art musuem. As well as my blogging a rendition of "Lili Marlene" - which was sung by a male choir in German - the viddy offering a scroll of the full version of the song as writ in German. Both were within a few days rendered no longer available on youtube.

Also, there is the claim of intercepting "real time" conversations. Now this reminds me of a very unusual incident I had experienced some several months ago when I was in chat with a good Friend living in Britain.

We were having a rather detailed discussion of the holocaust claims, and the attendant arrests, trials and convictions of various Revisionist Historians as well as just personal conversation. Quite suddenly my Friend, though appearing still as online, fell rather silent; which was unusual and I was allowed to natter on for a bit.

My Friend, uncharacteristically, just made a few "yes" and "I agree" comments, plus started to ask leading questions of me that were highly unusual since we have been Friends for a few years. It was at that point that I decided to close the chat said good-bye and turned off the computer.

The next day, my Friend asked me online if I were angry and why had I left our chat without saying good-bye.

I told my Friend that I found the questions being asked of me rather silly - my Friend denied asking me anything frivolous. He produced a copy of our chat, which ended very abruptly for him. And, I produced a copy of my own which went on for another 15 minutes; give or take, the gap in time was never figured out; nor had we been able to figure out whom I had been chatting with under his user name.

Now, I am not stating that the ADL finds me and my chats; nor even this blog, particularly important to them; but who knows? juden are a pretty sensitive and paranoid lot.

I am writing of my experience in light of the ADL's latest screed - reproduced here - for the benefit of other bloggers and Folk whom I think should at least be aware that the ADL has decided to take rather aggressive action against what they refer to as "cyberhate crimes".

Letters to the Editor
Jewish Week February 25, 2008

To the Editor:
It is wrong to characterize "old-guard" Jewish groups as slow in recognizing new mutations of anti-Semitism on the Internet, or as being behind the curve when it comes to the proliferation of offensive material on YouTube, Facebook and other social-networking sites ("Anti-Semitism 2.0 Going Largely Unchallenged," Feb. 22).

The reality is that this issue has long been at the forefront of ADL's agenda in working to expose and counter hate. Our cutting edge Center on Extremism devotes a cadre of full-time researchers and analysts to monitoring blogs, social-networking sites,;[n] ews and information sites, and anti-Semitic and racist Web sites. We've exposed sites by and for white supremacists, educated law enforcement about terrorist use of steganography (secret communications woven into the fabric of innocuous Web sites) and cryptography, and intercepted real-time discussions among our nation's most virulent bigots. Our efforts in monitoring hate sites have had significant results, including convictions.

Just as there has been no one antidote to anti-Semitism over the centuries, there is no one method for stopping its proliferation on the Web. That is why ADL is engaged in a multi-pronged approach. We devote substantial resources to train law enforcement on extremists' use of the Internet; work with major Internet service providers to remove anti-Semitic and racist material; and create curricula for educators to help combat cyberbullying. Our expertise is relied upon not just in this country, but globally, and we are the United States' representative on the International Network Against Cyberhate.
For 95 years ADL has been vigilant in the fight against anti-Semitism and all forms of hatred and bigotry. We are proud to be the "old guard" and even prouder to be "on guard" with state-of-the-art research, analysis and response to each disturbing new trend in cyberspace.

Sincerely,

The Anti-Defamation League

http://www.adl.org/media_watch/newspapers/20080225-Jewish+Week.htm