We have to apologize for history now? Shit, this might take a while.
Well I suppose I should apologize because one of my ancestors might have owned slaves. Sorry guys!
I should say sorry about all those wars my country fought in, we killed a lot of people. Condolences to their families.
I guess I should apologize about the empire. Using our superior technology to conquer half the world was a bit dickish of us.
Oh I guess I should say sorry to that caveman my ancestor clubbed over the head. If it wasn't for your mate though I wouldn't be here today so I guess I'm not that sorry for that.
Hmmm did I miss anything? I'd hate to have not apologized for something I was marginally related to.
@Odin: You mock, but you probably shouldn't. Acknowledging the past failures of human institutions (especially obvious dickhead-ery like this) and feeling remorse for them is an important part of advancing our civilization.
The attitude of "well, it didn't happen on my watch" is, frankly, childish and (more importantly) insulting to those who have been harmed by such events.
Empathy costs nothing. Talk is cheap. An apology may mean nothing to you, but it may mean everything to the losing side.
Hurrah! A government that had nothing to do with persecuting Turing has apologized, and a great many people have worked hard at squeezing that apology out of it. Meanwhile, Britain is turning into a police state with cameras in every nook and cranny - how about getting worked up about that instead and doing something worthwhile rather than wasting all that energy on something this stupid? Turing is dead and already honored for his contributions, I doubt if he gives a crap at this point about whether or not he gets a hollow apology from people who had nothing to do with his fate.
@cr0ft:
I don't give two shits about all the CCTV cameras everywhere. Seriously they put them in public areas, if you actually care that they're watching you then you obviously shouldn't be doing what you're doing in public. Next you'll be objecting about policemen going on patrol because they might SEE YOU, or other people GLANCING at you.
"Oooh so scary, big brother is watching me as I walk down a crowded street where fifty other people can see me".
"Oooh nooooo, there's a camera in this street. I'll have to go home to kill this hooker".
"Ooooh noooo these cameras are an invasion of my privacy.... IN PUBLIC".
Seriously if you actually care that they're there then you're either plain paranoid or up to no good. Once you enter a public area you don't have the luxuary of privacy and the government has as much right to look at you as any bystander does.
When they start putting them in our homes and other private places though, that's another matter.
I just dont understand it, In victorian times it was often the norm for the aristocrats and royals to have sex with the same gender. So when did it become a bad thing.
Not that im into that thing. Unless its a bit of girl on girl action :)
Thanks giz for running the original story, and the update. It's pretty great that the political head of a major first world country can man up and offer an apology.
@Ejody: Because his work gave rise to pretty much every gadget on here? Because he's one of the most important influences which gave rise to modern technology?
@Ejody: "Turing, a father of computer science......"
Hmm......I'm pretty sure last time I checked Gizmodo was a computer/technology site........But you know what, you're probably right, something regarding the tragic early death of a computer genius is nothing to mention here.
Amen! A full pardon would have been nice too, but a full and frank apology for the shameful treatment of a genius is long overdue. Turing's part in breaking Enigma is sometimes overstated, but he played a huge part in this incredible achievement and was incredibly badly treated after the war by the government. Who knows what he would have contributed had he not been shunned, banned from classified work, prosecuted and hounded to his death.
This is a good cause, and a tragic story to happen to a good person. And it's great that Gizmodo is writing an article demanding that the world recognize a violation of this person's basic human rights, which led to his tragic and horrible death. But it makes me feel weird inside when I think that the only reason this is here is because... he was a computer science expert...
I can tell by the thread that I'm not the only one who finds this situation strange. I'm not exactly sure why, but it makes me feel odd that I'm supposed to connect with this tragic story BECAUSE this person is a computer expert. I think that makes a lot of people feel that this might be a bit shallow even if there's a good intention behind this.
@Pope John Peeps II: I came across a number of comments on this thread which raise the question "Why only Turing?". Gizmodo did not raise this petition, they are only supporting it. And as long as you can start an online petition for some other person you knew who was wronged, I am sure we too will be drawn towards helping you out.
Alan Turing because Giz is a gadget blog and has always stayed true to its roots. I don't feel Giz is trying to make people connect to anything, they are just professing their support for righting the unjust done to a person they love and respect. Nothing shallow in that.
@Pope John Peeps II: rexsjain is right. "the only reason this is here is because" it's a geeky blog. for geeks, about geeks, and geeky things.
if you don't connect with stories about computers experts, or care about their lives and contributions to our world, why are you reading Giz?
@FooSchnickens: Actually, UK has a law stating that the government is bound to give at least a detailed written answer to any petition gathering 500+ signatures in the span of a year.
Not much, okay, but more than you could hope for in many other countries.
09/11/09
Well I suppose I should apologize because one of my ancestors might have owned slaves. Sorry guys!
I should say sorry about all those wars my country fought in, we killed a lot of people. Condolences to their families.
I guess I should apologize about the empire. Using our superior technology to conquer half the world was a bit dickish of us.
Oh I guess I should say sorry to that caveman my ancestor clubbed over the head. If it wasn't for your mate though I wouldn't be here today so I guess I'm not that sorry for that.
Hmmm did I miss anything? I'd hate to have not apologized for something I was marginally related to.
09/11/09
09/13/09
The attitude of "well, it didn't happen on my watch" is, frankly, childish and (more importantly) insulting to those who have been harmed by such events.
Empathy costs nothing. Talk is cheap. An apology may mean nothing to you, but it may mean everything to the losing side.
The Internet makes me sad.
09/11/09
09/11/09
I don't give two shits about all the CCTV cameras everywhere. Seriously they put them in public areas, if you actually care that they're watching you then you obviously shouldn't be doing what you're doing in public. Next you'll be objecting about policemen going on patrol because they might SEE YOU, or other people GLANCING at you.
"Oooh so scary, big brother is watching me as I walk down a crowded street where fifty other people can see me".
"Oooh nooooo, there's a camera in this street. I'll have to go home to kill this hooker".
"Ooooh noooo these cameras are an invasion of my privacy.... IN PUBLIC".
Seriously if you actually care that they're there then you're either plain paranoid or up to no good. Once you enter a public area you don't have the luxuary of privacy and the government has as much right to look at you as any bystander does.
When they start putting them in our homes and other private places though, that's another matter.
09/11/09
Well, they're already doing it in Baltimore.
[www.baltimoresun.com]
09/11/09
09/11/09
Not that im into that thing. Unless its a bit of girl on girl action :)
09/11/09
09/10/09
EOL
09/10/09
09/10/09
09/10/09
09/10/09
09/10/09
09/10/09
09/10/09
Hmm......I'm pretty sure last time I checked Gizmodo was a computer/technology site........But you know what, you're probably right, something regarding the tragic early death of a computer genius is nothing to mention here.
09/10/09
09/10/09
09/11/09
09/10/09
09/10/09
09/10/09
09/10/09
09/10/09
09/01/09
if turing = prosecuted unfairly
and if address = UK
then
put "signature"
end if
EDIT: Thank you CS101!
09/01/09
08/31/09
I can tell by the thread that I'm not the only one who finds this situation strange. I'm not exactly sure why, but it makes me feel odd that I'm supposed to connect with this tragic story BECAUSE this person is a computer expert. I think that makes a lot of people feel that this might be a bit shallow even if there's a good intention behind this.
09/01/09
Alan Turing because Giz is a gadget blog and has always stayed true to its roots. I don't feel Giz is trying to make people connect to anything, they are just professing their support for righting the unjust done to a person they love and respect. Nothing shallow in that.
09/01/09
if you don't connect with stories about computers experts, or care about their lives and contributions to our world, why are you reading Giz?
08/31/09
Not to say it isn't for a worthy cause, though.
09/01/09
Not much, okay, but more than you could hope for in many other countries.