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Dismal Failure of Internet Filters In Australia
An anonymous reader writes "The Sydney Morning Herald is reporting that the Australian Broadcasting Authority (ABA), the department responsible for implementing the insane Internet regulatory framework put in place by the current government, is about to drop a number of Internet Filtering packages due to their ineffectiveness. The full article is available here. There is also news that the Minister for Communications, Senator Richard Alston (whom The Register has labeled the Worlds Biggest Luddite :) ) is awaiting a review of the law with possible changes to follow. Be afraid Australia, be very afraid!"
For example, he'll happily accept a freebie high end digital plasma screen TV for vital research.
Perhaps Saddam should also try chucking our Prime Minister a similar gift in return for more favourable consideration.
Boffoonery - downloadable Comedy Benefit for Bletchley Park
What would really be more effective in assuring the Australian people don't think impure thoughts would be to implement the Orwellian idea of removing certain words from their vocabulary, such as "freedom," "liberty," etc. Hey, it worked with "Fosters."
Please, you must understand that I say "unwashed kangaroo-riding yokels" with the utmost respect. You should hear what I have to say about the French!
I'll form my OWN solar system! With blackjack! And hookers!
Our government is way too incompetent to implement any effective forms of censorship. Just look at their recent record on things like refugees, Iraq and the like. They can't even lie very well :)
Woah. Just hold on a minute there boy. What you are suggesting could bring down society as we know it.
I suppose next you'll be suggesting we take responsibility for our actions.
These laws (if they get passed) will be treated the same way we do most laws here in OZ. We'll just ignore them and carry on business as usual.
I always find it hilarious that these things come from Canberra, the distribution centre for pr0n in Australia.
Were I you, I'd be more worried about the fact that the Australian education system seems to have failed you miserably. The only website you need to worry about reaching is this one.
Be afraid Australia, be very afraid!
Now they won't be able to see the vids of their New Zealand neighbors with their sheep.
Anyone care to explain how an ISP makes money because their users download a lot ??
When they charge 15 cents per megabyte for people who download more than their (300MB/1GB/3GB - choose your poison) cap.\
And then have the gall to define a megabyte as 1,000,000 bytes , a-la hard disk manufacturers.
Ka-Ching!!
You are in a twisty maze of processor lines, all alike.
There is a lot of hype here.
I always find it hilarious that these things come from Canberra, the distribution
centre for pr0n in Australia.
But that is why this legislation IS coming from Canberra.
Many a federal politician's mail order pr0n business has gone bust due to the
availability of "free" online pr0n.
http://jesus.everdense.com/
My favourite bit is the "opt out" of filtering for over-18s - as much an admission of the intent to masturbate as calling down to the front desk of the Hilton and saying "Yeah, hi, how do I get porn on this TV?"
Indeed! :-)
Hmm - and here I was thinking of going to Australia for grad school (at UNSW in Sydney) ... If I can't easily download pr0n in the lab while waiting for a gel to run, I may have to reconsider ...
Me? Debunk an American myth? And take my life in my hands?