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Aussies Hit the Streets Over Gov't Internet Filters
mask.of.sanity writes "Outraged aussies will hold simultaneous protests across Australia in opposition to the government's plans for mandatory ISP internet content filtering. The plan will introduce nation-wide filtered internet using blacklists operated by a government agency, away from public scrutiny. Politicians and ISPs will join protesters in the streets to voice their opposition to the government's plan, which has ploughed ahead, despite intense criticism that the technology will crippled internet speeds and infringe on free speech. Opponents said the most accurate filter chosen by the government will incorrectly block up to 10,000 Web pages out of 1 million."
Also known as 1 in 100, or 1%? Granted, 10,0000 sounds a lot better, but it's a bit disingenuous...
So Australia, you voted in a Labour government, thinking you were going to get a moderate, left of centre government? A change from the Neo-Liberal (see Thatcher and Reagan) fiscal policies of the right.
But what you got is a bunch of socially right-wing, authoritarian cock-wads, who think the solution to any social problem is making new laws. As a Brit, I have to say this sounds disturbingly familiar.
If it's not Stephane Dion declaring that he's "Tough on crime, tough on the causes of crime," Australians electing a Tony Blair clone, or the Canadian Prime Minister ripping-off speeches from John Howard; it continues to amaze me how the Commonwealth leaders copy each other.
I'm going to transform myself into a mighty hawk. Either that or I'll just go and work at Dixons, haven't decided yet.
Because if you say it's 1:100 there is a greater chance the "Joe the Plumber" types will infer that perhaps as much as a dozen sites could be hit.
But it's not a dozen, it's tens of thousands out of millions, which helps reinforce exactly how immense the web has become to people who perhaps aren't as skilled as you at visualizing ratios.
Sorry for the AC post, I usually don't have enough to say to bother registering, but my meds just kicked in and I'm feeling lucid today =P
If I remember correctly, the very same filter was used to deny access to www.lapsiporno.info/ (childporn.info). The only problem was the the blocked site was not about child porn per se, but about the child porn filter. Thus the filter was used by the Finnish police to silence their critics! "Very handy" if you happen to be the authorities and don't care about such things as freedom of speech.
OpenAustralia.org is your friend.
Everything I needed to know about life, I learnt from Blake's Seven
have you heard of darknets?
I'm inclined to take a cynical view of government too, but how do you explain King Jigme Singye Wangchuck of Bhutan who oversaw reforms to transform his country from an absolute monarchy to a democracy?
The Federal Government is trying to do exactly that. However, they need the agreement of all State Attorney Generals to make a change to the ratings system (to introduce an R18+ games rating), but the SA Attorney General is refusing to support the move, in the name of "protecting children".
Didn't have much time to react. The USA PATRIOT Act kept getting voted down in Congress. After 9/11, it was pushed again and made it into law in less than 48 hours.
Those that sought blood after it became law were apprehended, given orange jumpsuits, and placed into tiny rooms.