Strange name calling

May 2nd, 2012

As a former IT professional in the construction industry I was shocked to read Steve Rotheram MP’s comments in the Western Mail (Coffeebreak Quotes of the Day, April 25).

Mr Rotheram said: “Having worked on building sites, believe me, some of the strangest characters I have ever met in my life are in Parliament. It’s a very strange place.”

Is Mr Rotheram trying to suggest that people on building sites are strange? The construction industry has been the backbone of Wales, providing the many jobs and facilities needed in Wales. Mr Rotheram’s apparent contempt for the construction industry is shared by his newly found Labour colleagues at Westminster.

In 2007 the Labour Government proved it was under the thumb of the trade unions by forcing most sub-contractors to become employees. This meant that during the downturn from 2008 they had to be made redundant because there was not enough work and equally as they had lost their status as sub-contractor they couldn’t easily work for someone else, as they could prior to 2007.

Mr Rotheram has been campaigning for new internet trolling laws. Would he expect these to be used on people calling others “strange” online, or “deranged” as he has on Twitter?

Source: The Western Mail

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Police do have powers to act over online ‘trolling’

April 26th, 2012

It was with sympathy that I read about the abuse faced by mother Bridget Agar, who was targeted by Facebook trolls who set up a fake account in her late son’s name to taunt her (“Grieving mother’s disgust at messages in dead son’s name”, Derby Telegraph, April 19).

Known as ‘Sockpuppet trolling’, after the cottonmade glove characters one operates with one’s hands, this type of troller is common on the internet but more often than not for good rather than bad.

For instance, one can follow the Downing Street cat on Twitter or, in my case, people can become a fan of my family’s pedigree Yorkshire terrier on Facebook, where with me acting as a “Sockpuppet troller”, Sammie talks about the funny things he gets up to.

It is clear, though, that the dark side of Sockpuppet trolling exists and, for Bridget and others, little is often done about it.

There are laws to deal with the harmful variety, however, as old as the Malicious Communications Act 1988 and as recent as the Communications Act 2003.

The police have no excuse for receiving taxpayers’ money and then doing nothing while the public suffer abuse, which they seem more likely to prosecute if it is one of their own – as they did with Gavin Brent, from Flintshire, in 2008.

Source: Derby Evening Telegraph

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Internet trolling

April 24th, 2012

As the founder of the Trolling Academy, I felt I had to write to concur with the comments of Alan Francis from Llanelli, who wrote in criticising the fuss regarding the comments of surgeon, Brendan O’Riordan.

While it might seen shocking hearing him say he was “slaughtering” patients, in context one can see it was not made in bad faith. One can see his comments no different to a member of the public saying they are going to see a nurse to be “stabbed” when going for a blood test.

In criminal law cases in the UK it is necessary at trial to prove “mens rea” (ie guilty mind) to show that someone intended to do something. I instead think this should have to be proven before trial on the basis of whether an act was made in good faith or bad faith. If the former was true there would be no criminal prosecution, only an option for civil action if the person was harmed.

One cannot compare Mr O’Riordan’s remarks with those of Liam Stacey, sentenced recently for his racist comments on Twitter. Nor can they be compared with the actions of Sean Duffy from Reading, who perpetually harasses grieving families however many 13 week sentences he is subject to.

We need some common sense in dealing with Internet trolling. If we all faced prosecution for the offensive things we said in the real world, then the prisons would be crammed full!

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Residents need strong local voice

April 20th, 2012

It was with concern I read the letter from Coun Stuard Gregory of the Abercynon ward (‘Why do we need roadside trees?’, April 12).

Many people know I often ask “why should a councillor from Abercynon decide what happens in Llantwit Fardre?” This is because I have a business in Abercynon and live in Llantwit Fardre. His letter proves that I am right to think this.

Coun Gregory calls the newly diverted A473 the Llantwit Fardre bypass. It does not bypass Llantwit Fardre but travels straight through it!

Furthermore he complains about the planting of trees off the bypass, yet the whole point of this was to offset the carbon emissions the road created, and to replace the ones felled in the process of building it.

Seeing as Coun Gregory knows little about Llantwit Fardre, why should he decide our planning applications, for instance?

It is my view that the only people that should be part of the decision-making on planning are the residents near the site, the developers and others how might directly face a detriment or benefit from the development.

Councillors sitting in ivory towers in Clydach Vale know nothing about our local communities and the ‘margins of appreciation’ as it is called in Europe, should lie with those who the planning application affects, and not politicians who should mind their own business and not interfere in others’ lives.

Source: Pontypridd & Llantrisant Observer

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VAT on hot takeaway food will hit valleys jobs

March 29th, 2012

As the elected town councillor for Treforest and Llantwit Fardre resident, I must express my concern for the local economies in these areas follow George Osborne’s budget.

Mr Osborne has decided to put VAT on hot takeaway food. Llantwit Fardre and Treforest are dependent on takeaways for local jobs and ‘exports’ to other wards use the home delivery services. This will hit us more.

Can local Conservative councillor, Joel James, who is standing for re-election, tell us whether he supports this hike in goods prices? His party is in effect creating an inflation rate of 5% on hot foods.

Can he explain how this is going to help the local economy grow when it is common economic knowledge that an increase in prices at this level significantly reduces consumption of those products?

It seems to be that the only firms that will benefit from this budget are the supermarkets for which hot takeaway food is not even 1% of their turnover. Coun James and his party need to seriously consider their economy policy, for which it will be the families of the children on the playing fields of Llanilltud Farerdref that will be paying the price.

Source: Pontypridd & Llantrisant Observer

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internet trolls

March 27th, 2012

AS the founder of the Trolling Academy, I felt I had to write in to respond to Maureen Messent’s suggestion that celebrities avoid venues where trolling is common (Mail, March 23).

I would regard being able to associate with one’s fans on Twitter and communicate with them through mutual exchanges to be a human right.

When Lewis Hamilton became famous and moved out of the country to avoid the British press, there were complaints about his loyalty. And now we are being told that isolating oneself is fine for celebrities!

I know human rights is not a priority for Maureen as evidence by her attack on minorities earlier this month (Mail, March 2).

In this she claimed that the Equality and Human Rights Commission harasses decent people who run companies.

As an employer and company director I have found the Commission very helpful in advising me what the best thing to do is when presented with an equality issue.

If Maureen worked for me and said that other staff should not be allowed to use social networking services to improve relations with our customers and that any equality issue they had was “whinging” then she would be getting her first aural warning from me!

Source: Birmingham Mail

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Elite rugby

March 20th, 2012

I’m sure the whole of Wales share my delight about the Wales rugby team getting us our third Grand Slam.

This was not just down to the leadership of Warren Gatland, nor the natural ability of our players to act as a team in a disciplined way, but the skill of the players also.

The reason our boys are the best in the British Isles is in my view because of regional rugby. The international players have won all their Six Nations grand slams since its introduction, and allowing the elite players to play with people of equal ability has meant the standard of Welsh international rugby has increased.

I, like most people from Pontypridd, will “never be a Blue,” and this is probably the reason attendance at regional matches is at a low, and the attendance at club games patchy. Even if a Valleys region is created I won’t be supporting it. The only rugby team I support in Wales – except the international side – is Pontypridd RFC.

The solution I believe is to replace regional rugby with an elite first division made up of five permanent teams of international players.

These teams would then be “captained” by the top Premiership clubs whose players would join forces with the internationals.

The bottom two captained clubs would have a play-off each season with the top two premiership sides without the help of the international players.

The teams that won would captain the bottom two first division sides and have those teams named after their club, and the losing teams would go back to the premiership.

With this in place my dream of Pontypridd RFC playing European rugby again could be realised, and also by playing with the best then their abilities will improve, as will the internationals’, who will learn from the club players’ rookie-like mistakes.

Source: The Western Mail

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Proved right over using reserves

March 15th, 2012
As someone with a Masters in economics and advocate of New Labour’s choice and competition agenda, it was quite strange to find myself agreeing with Old Labour stalwart Graham Stacey, with regards to the amendments posed to the RCT budget by Plaid Cymru’s leader Pauline Jarman (March 8). I agreed 100% with his view that taking money out of the reserves to fund the budget was not the best thing to do in difficult circumstances.
This is exactly what I said from day one on the Pontypridd Town Council’s Finance committee when I was elected in May 2008, before coming off and opposing it two years ago. The ruling Labour regime didn’t listen even though I warned them (that) using reserves to fund a budget freeze would mean tax rises or more drastic service cuts would be needed – I was proved right.
It was good that RCT has been able to keep its service provision as Graham said. However, this is at the expense of the communities of Pontypridd and Llantwit Fardre. While RCT’s proportion of the council tax precept has been rising, the precepts for these two councils have been falling it real terms. This is why over the last four years the number of playschemes in Llantwit Fardre has been halved, and the funding of the fireworks display and regeneration projects virtually slashed to nothing in Pontypridd.
Is it right that budgets focussed on our local communities are being cut so the rest of RCT can keep their services?f

Source: Pontypridd & Llantrisant Observer

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Justice for Georgia

February 22nd, 2012

I write further to the news that Anthony Buck from Stockport was sentenced to four months in prison following posting racist abuse on Facebook (Echo, February 16).

Would the police authorities like to enlighten me what the difference between this hateful attack on Muslims that was prosecuted under section 127 of the Communications Act 2003 and those vile attacks on the memory of Liverpool teenager Georgia Varley?

Steve Rotheram, MP for Liverpool Walton, says new Internet trolling laws are needed, thus denying Georgia Varley's family legal justice. Credit: Liverpool Echo

It was reported in the ECHO that after meeting Facebook about the abuse, that Walton MP Steve Rotheram was convinced the issue was one of balancing free speech and censorship and that he would put pressure on social networks. Can Mr Rotheram tell me that if the police are willing to send Anthony Buck to prison for four months, Sean Duffy for 18 weeks, and Jamie Counsel for four years, all for flame trolling offences on Facebook, why the law is somehow too weak to bring justice to Georgia’s family?

Source: Liverpool Daily Echo

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Letter to the Sun

February 13th, 2012

NOT all internet trolling is harmful. Websites that make friendly fun of politicians are also trolling. How boring a world where jokes are mistaken for attacks.

Source: The Sun

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