Controlling The Internet One Country At A Time
I wrote yesterday about Kevin Rudd’s Labor Government’s proposal to build the Great Firewall Of Australia (as named by Des Walsh), and its potential for misuse.
I misnamed the post, and called it:
‘How To CensorThe Internet One Country At A Time’.
As Des Walsh says, this isn’t an issue just for Australia, it is significant for citizens of any democratic country…
In a dangerous development, opponents of the proposal are being accused of being pornographers, or supporting pornography.
‘Exploding Toast’, writing earlier, today paints all people who oppose this as ‘the great unwashed’, and labels them as pornographers.
I have no idea who Mr/Ms Toast is, and I wouldn’t consider labeling them as anything, simply because I don’t know them from Adam.
I won’t mention the fact that there is no responsibility taken for the post – identifying the author isn’t easy either.
Anyone commenting on public issues should have the decency to be transparent enough to at least identify themselves!
For them to label any thinking Australian as a pornographer for objecting to this proposal is both offensive, and slanderous.
I guess that such ill thought rhetoric is to be expected with emotionally charged issues like this one, but it hardly furthers the Government’s cause.
Maybe, after a rational debate, I might be persuaded that the ISP filtering proposal could be the way to go, but to be labeled a pornographer simply because I oppose the proposal as it stands simply reinforces my fear of how this legislation may be used in future.
The ill informed author listed arguments in favour of the proposal after his/her rant about ‘pornographers’, but they somehow got lost in the noise…
As a parent, I have always monitored my children’s internet access, as well as the sort of movies and television that they watch.
This is my responsibility, not the government’s.
Do you hear that ‘Toast’? Protecting my children is a responsibility that my wife and I gladly accept. It is the responsibility of all parents, I might add.
While others may like to live in a ‘nanny state’ which helps people evade their responsibilities, I don’t!
Australia seems to have become a “not my fault!” nanny state in recent times.
If the government wishes to assist parents and enlist their help in the fight against pornography, assisting with education programs and client side filters would be the easiest way to go.
The one thing the situation doesn’t need is ill informed propagandists labeling anyone with an opposing view as ‘the great unwashed’ or ‘pornographers’.
James Purser writes on the topic here!
A Facebook group, open to Australian members of Facebook, has been formed around this issue.
Yes – I agree. It’s like medicating the whole population for the benefit of a few, like Fluridation. Creeping inroads into our (few) remaining freedoms. No government, to my knowledge, has ever relinquished power – see the sunset clauses on the anti-terrorism acts. Even though the minister denies that it isn’t a creeping Chinafication of Internet control nevertheless – It is. Like John Howard brought Thatcherism to Australia, I fear now for a dose of Blairism.
Thanks Ian, great comment.
I suspect that Peter Garrett’s ‘joke’ to a radio journalist before the election about the Labor party changing their policies once in power was closer to the truth than they wanted us to believe.
Also, the labeling of people who disagree with the proposal as pornographers, and supporters of pornography, is rather scary, and as Des Walsh says, Goebbels smiles…
Allan
Allan,
Sadly, it appears this has been Labor policy for quite some time.
See http://alp.org.au/media/1107/mscoit190.php.
I have written up a proposal that I think would be more acceptable to most Australians. I believe it has a chance of effectively achieving the stated objectives without unduly restricting civil liberties. Consumers would be free to adopt filtering policies of their own choice or none at all. In this way, they could directly register protest at an ACMA classification decision. For more information about my proposal, please refer to
http://broadbannedrevolution.blogspot.com/2008/01/alternative-policy-3-classes-of-feeds.html
Jon Seymour’s last blog post..E-mail to Senator Fielding
G’day Jon,
I object to being labeled a pornographer simply because I disagree with the policy proposal.
I have posted a link below that reports on a British study showing that the filters are easily circumvented, costly, and slow performance by up to 78%!
A really nice number considering the existing standards of service!
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,22999659-2,00.html
Greetings Mr. Cockerill, and thank you for your reply,
I am indeed the author of the article you referred to, my name is Damian TOAST O’Neil and a short biography and details are on my website.
Firstly, I accuse nobody of being a pornographer and label no one as such. My main point was that the initial commentary on the matter was reactionary, ill-informed, and indeed contrary furthering the ultimate goals of all concerned; which include both protecting children as well as ensuring freedom of speech.
I’m sure you read some of the initial responses to this proposed legislation and were appalled as I at the reactionary, polarizing high rhetoric that made it onto the blogosphere. My advice to the EFF, if you want your points taken seriously by anyone, I sincerely suggest you employ a media liaison officer without delay.
I welcome your comments and look forward to further vigorous debate.
Damian TOAST O’Neil’s last blog post..Government?s new Internet protection proposal decried by the great unwashed: ?Won?t somebody please think of the pornography??
Yes, I was appalled at some of the responses to the proposed legislation, including yours I might add.
You had some points that may have been quite valid in any other debate, but the trash that you began with totally invalidated your argument in my eyes!
As for your ‘bio’, yes, it is on your Home Page, But there is no hint of who you are on your post, nor is there any clear navigation to your home page!
Please note I am not connected to the EFF.
Allan’s last blog post..Does Freedom Of Speech Equate With Watching Child Pornography