One of the reasons I’ve been quiet these past few days is that I’ve been working on a new Website for the journal Index on Censorship which went live over the weekend. The purpose of this post is to send some of my Google karma to their new URL: “indexoncensorship.org“. If you believe in free speech I recommend that you link to it from your own blog or Website too, using either the journal’s title or the phrase “for free expression”. Knowing my luck, this post will end up being the first hit for “Index on Censorship”, rather than their shiny new blog. [UPDATE: As of 21:00 this post is the fifth highest hit on Google UK.]

This also gives me an opportunity to defend Guardian and Index on Censorship online editor Padraig Reidy from those who have chosen to mock his new Damian Counsell-taken byline photo. Even up-and-coming movie superstar James McAvoy aspired to the Reidy look at this year’s Golden Globes™.

Padraig Reidy

James McAvoy off Atonement

James McAvoy

Padraig Reidy off Index on Censorship

If only McAvoy could do the concerned frown properly.