[Gllug] BBC Open Source

[Sean Burlington]

Wulf Forrester-Barker wrote:
> Sean <sean at uncertainty.org.uk> wrote:
> 
> 
>>Pretty much everyone has a TV - and to deny someone a TV is to
>>exclude them from a big chunk of society.
> 
> 
> Not me and I don't feel particularly excluded, especially with excellent
> Internet access at home and work not to mentioned good old face to face
> contact with people ;-)

you are not denied a TV - you chose not to have one - this is different

I doubt most of the people imprisoned as a result of not having a TV
license have the advantages you list to compensate.

> I doubt there are many people in Britain who really can't afford a TV
> licence if they want one, although they might have to cut down on the
> fags, booze or other entertainment indulgences. I suspect a lot of
>

have you ever tried to live on benefits for any period of time?

I have - and I can promise you that the basic benefit level income does
not cover proper heating or replacement clothing let alone fags and booze.

Of course there are those on benefits who do these things, but they
either miss out on food or supplement their income in some way.

But in a way this isn't the point - just because somebody could have
paid the TV license by sacrificing one of a very few luxuries they enjoy
 doesn't justify putting them in prison.

Watching TV without a license is just not enough of a crime to justify
tearing families apart - and the ASBO like legal nicety of saying the
crime is non-payment of fines does not alter the reality.


> I do enjoy the BBC's radio and website output and would be willing to
> pay a small sum for them if it came to it (although don't go giving them
> any ideas!).

I don't mind paying for it

I do mind that people get locked up for not paying it.

-- 

Sean

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