AlexPGP's Corner

A practice translation of two paragraphs of a blog post at F. Desouche, quoting a Dutch correspondent on a recent case in the Netherlands, in which a site owner was held criminally responsible for comments left by visitors to his web site:

D’autre part, si certains articles s’avèrent en effet insultants, pourquoi le MDI n’applique-t-il pas le même traitement à www.maroc.nl ? Sur ce forum, des textes bien plus offensants sont postés quotidiennement. Des posteurs se félicitent ou se réjouissent quand des soldats néerlandais (ou américains) sont tués en Afghanistan. Et disent prier pour qu’il y en ait encore davantage. D’innombrables commentaires, extrêmement insultants à l’égard des Pays-Bas — pays où ces gens sont nés — sont publiés régulièrement. Aucun de ces messages n’a été l’objet de poursuites judiciaires. Pas le moindre post. Pas plus que le webmaster ou le modérateur. Et il y a peu de chance qu’aucun le soit.

Besides, if certain articles prove to be in fact insulting, why doesn't the MDI1 handle www.maroc.nl the same way? On that forum, much more offensive texts are posted daily. Posters congratulate themselves and express delight when Dutch (or American) soldiers are killed in Afghanistan. And they pray for even more deaths there. Countless comments that are extremely insulting with regard to the Netherlands – the country where these people were born – are published on a regular basis. None of these messages have been the object of prosecution. Not the least post. Not even the webmaster or the moderator. And there is little chance that anyone will do so.

Revenons à l’article du Telegraaf : « L’orientation (politique) du site a été décisive. ». Le MDI s’érige donc en juge de l’orientation d’un site, et de savoir s’il est ou non acceptable. Selon quels critères ? On trouve des motifs pour “liquider” un site qui n’est pas “dans la ligne”…

Let us return to the Telegraaf article: "The (political) leanings of the site were decisive." The MDI has now set itself up as the judge of a site's political leanings and of whether they are or are not acceptable. By what criteria? One finds grounds for "liquidating" a site that does not "toe the line"…

UPDATE: In response to my original closing line ("I am not sure about my translation of 'Pas plus que le webmaster ou le modérateur' (given the context, this should read "Not a single webmaster or moderator"). Am I missing something?"), I've incorporated suggestions from a comment by LJer ethershai. I've also corrected some minor errors I found on my own.

Cheers...

[1] Meldpunt Discriminatie Internet, which describes itself as "the Dutch complaints bureau for discrimination on the Internet."