Comments on: Australian Net Censorship Catchup

By: Alan G

Alan G — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 06:08:15 +0000

thanks for your post,great info.

By: Fringe

Fringe — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 14:19:21 +0000

Thanks judging by McMenamin’s tripe in the Australian today, doesn’t look like she’s got the message yet, she’s reiterating the same old failed arguments.

I agree cp needs addressing – by a well-funded police force which operates according to our laws, as opposed to groups of hysterical folks who fail to understand the limitations imposed by the nature of the net itself and the certain disaster which will ensue if there’s a black list – perhaps they haven’t bothered to investigate wikileaks.org and note the leaking of the thai, finnish and danish black lists – if they did so they’d be well aware of the counter-productivity of their (giving them the benefit of the doubt) well intentioned support of Conroy’s ridiculous filters.

By: Naomi

Naomi — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 08:57:15 +0000

Fantastic catchup, I think you covered all the major issues and problems and this would be a good article to refer anyone who doesn’t understand just how insidious and dangerous the government’s “protect the children” seemingly-noble filter idea is.

I’m Christian, btw, but I spend many occasions burying my head in my hands in shame at how thoughtless other Christians are being. I support realistic ideas that will stop child pornography. This filter is not one of them.

By: Filtering wrap up: Ludlam will push on in February, The Devil Within - Somebody Think Of The Children

Mon, 02 Feb 2009 12:30:25 +0000

[...] Kadaitcha’s filtering catch up [...]

By: Fringe

Fringe — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 15:40:25 +0000

Under Conroy’s stupid proposals, one filter would be mandatory, and the other would be opt out. There’s a well-organised opposition here to the government’s retrograde idiocy, and it will probably prove impossible for them to push their putrid legislation through the Senate.

This Labor government has been a big disappointment – it’s turned out to be controlled by a mob of wowserish Christian conservative bigots who have hooked up with some odd public intellectuals preaching new ‘pseudo-ethics’. The result is an intellectual regression reminiscent of the days when Lady Chatterley’s Lover and Portnoy’s Complaint were banned – these moralising dickheads are straying even further into 1984 territory with internet ‘thought-crime’, assuming everyone is guilty and must be protected against themselves – more overtly, they pontificate that it is for the sake of the children – who are of course, the responsibility of parents, not government. I think it’s a simple case of projection – the wowsers bleat loudly because it is they who have secret very odd perversions which they may imagine others share. Religious freaks and fascists classically have sexual problems

Technically though, the government’s proposals are ridiculous – for filters to work in the way it envisages, internet speeds would be slowed manifold. Germany is looking at having the same type of filtering – so it’s definitely a creeping problem.

By: billythekid

billythekid — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 13:15:47 +0000

I was amazed when you told me about this. It’s absolutely ludicrous to cocoon yourselves in a bubble thinking if you don’t see it, it doesn’t happen. Even if it does happen and it’s not what the Christian righties like, who cares a f**k? Adults should be able to access any information they like, in the knowledge that if it’s illegal/immoral then it’s their life/soul that’s on the line. Just because something has the potential to cause harm/distress doesn’t automatically mean it should be banned.

Is there going to be any kind of get out clause on this? An ‘opt out’(or opt-in) scheme?

For all Australia is a first world country at the forefront of modern civilisation along with most of Europe and the USA this is an astounding suggestion. See you in the dark ages OZ…

btk