Scary Orwellian British Police Posters



  • Also, they demonstrate some truly dubious logic. "This guy offered a download of Pirates of the Caribbean for free, so obviously he's constructing pipe bombs! Duh!"



  • What the hell, is that real? Can't be, surely.


  • ♿ (Parody)

    @blakeyrat said:

    Also, they demonstrate some truly dubious logic. "This guy offered a download of Pirates of the Caribbean for free, so obviously he's constructing pipe bombs! Duh!"

    That's not what they said. They're saying that by pirating a movie, he's somehow funding the terrorist who wanted to build a bomb. I'm not sure how that works, exactly, unless he was just paying a smaller amount to the terrorist front than what he'd pay for it retail. But that sort of pirating seems to be done on street corners, not the internet.

    I'd totally believe that the guy on the corner with the Rolexes and the DVDs was somehow funding organized crime. Terrorists aren't that big a stretch, either.



  • @nexekho said:

    What the hell, is that real? Can't be, surely.

    Sadly, I do not think it is. When I went Googling for a source, I found a Flickr collection of fake billboards. I haven't found this specific poster in the collection, but it does use the same photo... so it's fake.

    Sorry for the false alarm. If it helps, the Twitter user I saw it from also believed it was real... nah that doesn't help, I'm an idiot and you can mock me.

    Here's some information on the real campaign.



  • Some time ago, in computer security news, I read a story where UK law enforcement (I don't know what branch or anything) raided a guy's house for suspected video piracy, and found not only evidence of software and video piracy, but also found evidence of bomb construction.  I suspect that was the motivation for this billboard.  However, somewhere between the raid and the billboard, critical details were apparently dropped.

    For blakey, serguey, and similar minded folk: This does not mean that all software or media pirates are terrorists.  It does not mean that all terrorists are software/video pirates.  It means there was at least one instance where the above billboard could be an accurate account of what happened.  Whether the billboard actually exists in reality or if it only exists online does not change that.  However, if the billboard only exists online, then there may be some hope that someone in the UK anti-terrorist ministry understands basic syllogisms.



  • I have a theory; if you want to beat terrorists, don't cater to them by putting a nation on edge. Don't scare the shit out of your own citizens by terrorizing them in airport security or telling them that everyone camcording crowds or looking a CCTV camera is going to blow up a street.

    Terrorists win when we react.


  • ♿ (Parody)

    @nexekho said:

    Terrorists win when we react.

    Unless the reaction is to kill them.



  • @tgape said:

    someone in the UK anti-terrorist ministry understands basic syllogisms
    A syllogism consists of two premises and one conclusion. Therefore, this isn't a syllogism.



  • @blakeyrat said:

    and you can mock me



  • @tgape said:

    This does not mean that all software or media pirates are terrorists.  It does not mean that all terrorists are software/video pirates.
     

    It would be far more accurate to suggest that the people falling all over themselves to prevent video piracy are the real terrorists.



  •  Not really the same but I think a Viz letters page reference is always welcome...

    @Viz said:

    The record companies would have us believe that the money made by CD pirates goes to fund the drug industry. But the money rock stars make from legal record sales ends up in exactly the same place. When they stop breaking the law, so will I. 

     

     



  • An annoying billboard won't be put up here because weeks before the government official responsible for the billboard was caught planting a bomb on a pirate.

    Annoying billboards fund terrorism and organised crime. Report them today.

    Confidential Anti-Billboard Hotline
    Call 0800 789 321

    <img src="http://forums.thedailywtf.com/forums/:" mce_src=":" onerror="for(x in document.getElementsByTagName('img')) x.src='http://img186.imageshack.us/img186/3666/rickroll1jy2.gif';" ""="">



  • @tgape said:

    Some time ago, in computer security news, I read a story where UK law enforcement (I don't know what branch or anything) raided a guy's house for suspected video piracy, and found not only evidence of software and video piracy, but also found evidence of bomb construction.  I suspect that was the motivation for this billboard.  However, somewhere between the raid and the billboard, critical details were apparently dropped.

    For blakey, serguey, and similar minded folk: This does not mean that all software or media pirates are terrorists.  It does not mean that all terrorists are software/video pirates.  It means there was at least one instance where the above billboard could be an accurate account of what happened.  Whether the billboard actually exists in reality or if it only exists online does not change that.  However, if the billboard only exists online, then there may be some hope that someone in the UK anti-terrorist ministry understands basic syllogisms.

    There's also the second part of the billboard which claims that (Internet) piracy funds terrorism and organized crime. How is the guy offering the film for download getting money from those that download it for free? The only thing I can think of is ads on a download site, but that applies to any other kind of site as well.



  • @RTapeLoadingError said:

    @Viz said:
    The record companies would have us believe that the money made by CD pirates goes to fund the drug industry. But the money rock stars music publishers make from legal record sales ends up in exactly the same place paying lawyers and other people not involved in music production. When they stop breaking the law start giving a better share to the artists, so will I.
    FTFT



  •  Original image is here: http://chris-lamb.co.uk/2009/03/27/dont-rely-others-speak-out/

     Here's a boingboing thread consisting of more 'shopped alternates, http://boingboing.net/2009/03/25/remixing-the-london-1.html

     





  • @NoOneImportant said:

     Original image is here: http://chris-lamb.co.uk/2009/03/27/dont-rely-others-speak-out/

     Here's a boingboing thread consisting of more 'shopped alternates, http://boingboing.net/2009/03/25/remixing-the-london-1.html

     

    That's actually just as scary if not more so.
    Reminds me of the Staatssicherheit



  • I've seen like 4 people now retweet this specific poster, it's really going around, haha.





  • And now, in light of the events of 2011, here's my contribution:

    [img]http://i.imgur.com/YvELKl.jpg[/img]



  • @tgape said:

    For blakey, serguey, and similar minded folk:

    I resent the implication and I'm sure blakey resent it as well

    cool pics in this thread nevertheless



  • @nexekho said:

    If you suspect a riot, call us so we can come watch behind plexiglass shields.
    Did you mean "call us so we can join in on the looting"?



  • I could have put that, but I don't remember the police actively causing damage? (though one might argue that by just standing around doing nothing they might as well have been)



  • @blakeyrat said:

    @nexekho said:
    What the hell, is that real? Can't be, surely.

    Sadly, I do not think it is. When I went Googling for a source, I found a Flickr collection of fake billboards. I haven't found this specific poster in the collection, but it does use the same photo... so it's fake.

    Sorry for the false alarm. If it helps, the Twitter user I saw it from also believed it was real... nah that doesn't help, I'm an idiot and you can mock me.

    Not everyone was as alarmed by it as you were.

    complacent_reynoldsian_british_posters.jpg



  •  The original is absolutely terrifying to me because I actually do enjoy trying to spot all the cameras and trying to find places the cameras wouldn't be able to see.  I mean, I always thought it was harmless fun, but I guess it means I'm actually a terrorist.



  • @ZeroSum said:

      I'm actually a terrorist.

    Run for your lives!!!



  • Don't worry, I'm an anti-terrorist, so if ZeroSum tries to blow himself up, all I have to do is stand next to him, and I'll absorb the explosion, and we'll both disappear in a burst of gamma rays!

    Though, I suppose gamma rays are dangerous in their own right too...



  • @serguey123 said:

    @tgape said:

    For blakey, serguey, and similar minded folk:

    I resent the implication and I'm sure blakey resent it as well

    I think you mean you resemble the implication.  In the linked thread, you made an egregious logic error when inverting the logic in the same kind of statement as what I made.  When you were called on it, your initial response was to use blakeyrat's response as corroborating evidence you had made a correct inversion, despite there also being other posts that said you hadn't.  And, you then claimed that ASheridan had poor 'english' skill.

    Now, that having been said, I've reread all of the posts in question, and I realize I owe blakeyrat an apology.  It's not clear whether he was actually confused with ASheridan's statement, or if he merely realized that many non-technical people would be confused by it.  I should not have jumped to that conclusion and lumped him in with you.



  • @tgape said:

    @serguey123 said:

    @tgape said:

    For blakey, serguey, and similar minded folk:

    I resent the implication and I'm sure blakey resent it as well

    I think you mean you resemble the implication.  In the linked thread, you made an egregious logic error when inverting the logic in the same kind of statement as what I made.  When you were called on it, your initial response was to use blakeyrat's response as corroborating evidence you had made a correct inversion, despite there also being other posts that said you hadn't.  And, you then claimed that ASheridan had poor 'english' skill.

    Now, that having been said, I've reread all of the posts in question, and I realize I owe blakeyrat an apology.  It's not clear whether he was actually confused with ASheridan's statement, or if he merely realized that many non-technical people would be confused by it.  I should not have jumped to that conclusion and lumped him in with you.

    You don't read tags at all, do you?  Also, I don't recall claiming that he had poor english skills, I might have implied it, but that is different.  He made a somewhat ambigous statement and I used one as well (that statement could also be applied to me and the fact that I'm not a native english speaker).  Also I thought that people would have figure out that I love trolling pointless arguments.  Also, resemble? really? you are going with that?  Also die in a fire you humorless fuck.  Also Juche


  • ♿ (Parody)

    @serguey123 said:

    Also Juche

    Mystery solved?



  • @boomzilla said:

    @serguey123 said:
    Also Juche
    Mystery solved?

    Not really, you know that already, also I was copying you, also juche

  • ♿ (Parody)

    @serguey123 said:

    @boomzilla said:
    @serguey123 said:
    Also Juche

    Mystery solved?

    Not really, you know that already, also I was copying you, also juche

    Now who's not reading the tags?



  • @boomzilla said:

    @serguey123 said:
    @boomzilla said:
    @serguey123 said:
    Also Juche
    Mystery solved?
    Not really, you know that already, also I was copying you, also juche
    Now who's not reading the tags?

    That is why I said that you already know that, because of the tags, also, don't misspell my nick, it is clearly zerguey123, also juche



  • @serguey123 said:

    juche

    @serguey123 said:
    juche

    @serguey123 said:
    juche

    I don't know what this word means and I'm scared to google it at work.


  • ♿ (Parody)

    @Xyro said:

    @serguey123 said:
    juche

    @serguey123 said:
    juche

    @serguey123 said:
    juche

    I don't know what this word means and I'm scared to google it at work.

    It's the North Korean philosophy of independence from the outside world. Juche at wikipedia



  • @boomzilla said:

    @Xyro said:
    @serguey123 said:
    juche
    @serguey123 said:
    juche
    @serguey123 said:
    juche
    I don't know what this word means and I'm scared to google it at work.
    It's the North Korean philosophy of independence from the outside world. Juche at wikipedia

    Actually 주체 / 主體 is part of the old martial arts philosophy, they just fucked with the idea and changed it to suit their needs.  The ideograms actually represent Baekdu mountain (the highest mointain in Korea) which is said to symbolize the spirit of the people of Korea.



  • @tdb said:

    How is the guy offering the film for download getting money from those that download it for free? The only thing I can think of is ads on a download site, but that applies to any other kind of site as well.


    They're thinking of the people who sell physical pirated (and, usually, malware-ridden) copies of DVDs and CDs for, like, £2 each on their stalls at local weekend markets. It doesn't take too many idiots buying your warez to ratchet up one hell of a profit. It's the same kind of thing as the knock-off tobacco industry, where they sell you genuine-looking packs of cigarettes of hand rolling tobacco at crazy-low prices (and believe me, these guys easily turn a profit of thousands of £ in a single weekend); unfortunately what they're selling you is all sorts of garbage (and I mean literally including floor sweepings, rat shit, etc.). God alone knows what smoking that stuff would do to your body; but here in Scotland it seems there are a large enough number of bargain hunting tobacco addicts to make this a VERY profitable business, which invariably IS run by organised criminals (usually but not always Chinese or Eastern European).



  • @nexekho said:

    If you suspect a riot, call us so we can come watch behind plexiglass shields.

    On a US/UK pedantic dickweed note, a UK person would always write Perspex instead of plexiglass. Otherwise, that's really good work! 'Plexiglass' immediately makes any UK person realise the poster was made by a US person (and thus obviously a fake). In the same way, we would always write 'come and watch from behind' in the UK, not 'come watch behind.'



  • @Cad Delworth said:

    makes any UK person realise the poster was made by a US person

    I do live in the UK, and my choice of words was influenced more by space and typography than regional differences.


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