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Sunday, August 21, 2011

A Facebook conversation that illustrates the perils of copying and pasting status messages, or sharing links, without studying closely those messages or links-1

Commitscion Noyon Jyoti Parasara (Class of 2007), who works with Mumbai Mirror, graciously consented to let me reproduce this discussion we had on Facebook earlier this week:


Noyon Jyoti Parasara
Interesting news feature. Indian corruption... congress and all involved


This video is banned in India by Youtube...Please spare some time to watch this video and share as much you can...its an explosive report on Indian corruption which has never covered by Indian Media why? a big question mark..this is self explanatory why Congress not in favour of JanLokpal bill..
Length: ‎6:48
Friday at 12:20am ·  ·  · Share


    • Ramesh Prabhu Is this authentic? Or is this a propaganda clip? Does YouTube actually ban videos in India? Is that possible, Noyon?
      Friday at 10:29am · 

    • Noyon Jyoti Parasara Sir youtube can ban videos according to geographic locations. Certain videos are not available in India.
      Talking about facts.. Vadra is indeed a part of DLF as well as Unitech. There were reports in ET and some DNA.
      Friday at 10:35am · 

    • Ramesh Prabhu First question: Who decides on banning certain videos?
      Friday at 10:49am · 

    • Ramesh Prabhu Second question: Who produced this propaganda film? When there's no "author", what does it say about the credibility of the work?
      Friday at 10:50am · 

    • Noyon Jyoti Parasara It should be a propaganda feature considering it is quite lop-sided. But then sir, propaganda is not always lies...
      Friday at 10:53am · 

    • Ramesh Prabhu I agree. But please leave it to propagandists to publicise their propaganda. Journalists have no business asking people to watch this propaganda film.
      Friday at 10:55am · 

    • Noyon Jyoti Parasara But sir, any such feature is worth watching. Propaganda or not... would you not agree? Even if it just means to know what Propagandists are up to. And what information they can throw forth. To use it in the newspapers is where we could use restraint...
      Friday at 10:59am · 

    • Noyon Jyoti Parasara About youtube - the producer, the govt or the producer can decide
      Friday at 11:00am · 

    • Ramesh Prabhu Sure, experienced journalists, who have a healthy scepticism by training, should watch all kinds of clips (and read all kinds of literature) to be able to better understand the world around them. But they should not publicise propaganda films on sites like Facebook without at least a disclaimer: THIS IS A PROPAGANDA FILM. KEEP THAT IN MIND IF YOU'RE WATCHING IT.

      If there's no disclaimer, people watching this propaganda film will believe what they are seeing -- especially because a journalist is recommending it. Isn't that wrong?
      Friday at 11:03am · 

    • Ramesh Prabhu As for YouTube's banning policy -- can I read an authentic version somewhere? Can you send me the link? I want to see this for myself. I have a healthy scepticism, you see.
      Friday at 11:04am · 

    • Noyon Jyoti Parasara Agreed. Should have added that part
      Friday at 11:09am · 

    • Ramesh Prabhu And the YouTube banning policy link?
      Friday at 11:09am · 

    • Noyon Jyoti Parasara I will check and get a link. I know that they can restrict as I have come across such videos where Youtube mentions it cannot be seen in India. Infact films like Striker were released for free on Youtube. but indians could not watch it.. as the producers had an agreement with youtube. only viewers in US could see it.
      Friday at 11:12am · 

    • Ramesh Prabhu That can happen with "legal" films, like "Striker", but I doubt YouTube has a policy banning clips like the one you are trying to publicise. Please continue the search for the link.

      This is the trap one falls in when one copies and pastes status messages. If you were not sure about the YouTube policy, why did you not act when you saw that line at the top: "This video is banned in India by Youtube"?
      Friday at 11:16am · 

    • Noyon Jyoti Parasara I did not see that line. i just saw the video. I saw it only when you pointed.
      And sir, sometimes you can't fight evil by playing by the rules. :)
      Friday at 11:21am · 

    • Noyon Jyoti Parasara having said that i will try getting to the source of the video
      Friday at 11:21am · 

    • Ramesh Prabhu Don't you see what you are copying and pasting, Noyon? I worry about that. And are you telling me that you are trying to "fight evil" by publicising this propaganda film? I don't get it.
      Friday at 11:22am ·  ·  1 person

    • Noyon Jyoti Parasara The film does have facts. Facts i did not know... i checked that what the video mentioned about his business is not false. How people use those facts is again another matter. And i would like to leave it to them. No censorship.
      Friday at 11:27am · 

    • Noyon Jyoti Parasara But as i admitted, I should have mentioned it is a propaganda film
      Friday at 11:27am · 

    • Ramesh Prabhu Can you send me the links to the facts that you did not know since you checked them?
      Friday at 11:30am


Also read: A Facebook conversation that illustrates the perils of copying and pasting status messages, or sharing links, without studying closely those messages or links-2

1 comment:

  1. I saw this, and completely agree... There are many videos and stories circulating on Facebook that sell propaganda in the guise of divine truth.
    Sad to see many from the media fall into the trap of becoming unwanted/unwarranted mouthpieces with somebody else's axe to grind.

    No one bothers to verify facts anymore.

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