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Aussie Censorship "Live Trials" Won't Be Live
Xiroth writes "In what could be the first step to backing down on the plans to censor the Australian Internet, Communication Minister Stephen Conroy has made it known that the live trials of the Government filter will not, in fact, be live, instead being downgraded to a closed network test. Given that this would provide no further information than what Government tests have already provided, this may prove to be a face-saving measure before the plan is quietly scrapped. Nonetheless, concerned Australians are encouraged to attend protests planned for this weekend to ensure that the Government gets the message."
Speaking as an Australian - I would rather this than the "freedom" the US people strive for where the most immoral things are allowed to survive in the name of individual rights.
Speaking as another Australian - I built a Time Machine, would you like to use it for getting back to 1930's Germany?
Far be it from me to be rude normally, in this instance your commentary has stirred me to it - Sir, or Madam, you are an ignorant idiot.
A Man's ethical behavior should be based effectually on sympathy, education, and social ties -- Albert Einstein
At no time, in any document, media interview, or Parliament Question Time, has Senator Conroy EVER fully answered any question regarding "unwanted" content. There had been a vague definition offered, but there has never been any SPECIFIC definition offered. Conroy refuses to inform us any further as to his definition of "unwanted" content.
As for your other comment - There are some very good reasons for Censorship. The implementation of censorship is usually the problem. In this case, as is usually the case for censorship, it is the MINORITY that decides what the majority is allowed to see. My issue is when this minority is allowed to censor what they like, and the majority cannot intervene in anyway.
Thank you for your flame. It has allowed me to explain myself further.
...My Sig Sucks...
In fact, they've already indicated that they're looking to ban illegal but morally grey information such a euthanasia methods. Independent special interests in the Senate such as Senator Xenophon and Senator Fielding have indicated that they're interested in banning sites where the legality hasn't even been settled, such as gambling websites and hardcore pornography.
The biggest concern, of course, is the potential censoring of political speech. Euthanasia, in fact, falls under that, as the Greens and Democrats have indicated their support for legalising it - in fact, if memory serves, as a precautionary measure a Greens state senator read out methods of euthanasia in parliament under the protection of parliamentary privilege with the knowledge that the proceedings of Parliament must be recorded and be made freely available to the public, rendering the government unable to block the publishing of the material. If material regarding euthanasia and other controversial topics is blocked, could that not soon lead to the blocking of political speech of minor parties and political activists that wish to overturn the bans on the material?
Meh, get the girlfriends to come along too - it's not like this isn't attracting mainstream attention. The sign-up for the event on Facebook seems to be going reasonably well - here's the Melbourne one, and it's got links to the other capital cities' events too.
There is now also a protest organized for Canberra.
Garema Place, Civic from 12pm-2pm
Make SELinux enforcing again!
I love the viscious attack on the Right because of something that the Left are doing.
This is exactly where the Left/Right methodology breaks down. Many on the Right are actually anti-censorship and are libertarian in their viewpoints. Many on the Left are authoritarian and pro-censorship.
In this country we have more than two major parties anyway. We have Labor (center-left/union focus), Liberal (center-right/business focus), National (center-right/rural focus), Green (far-left/environment focus), Democrat (center-left), Family First (far-right/"family" focus) and One Nation (far-right/rural focus). Even now, the arbitrary divides I have given these parties are merely labels and are not good at describing their policies.
For instance Labor, as one of their first acts of government cut funding to the CSIRO. The Liberal party, as on of their first acts of parliament impelemented tight gun control laws.
Right =/= censorship. Left =/= intelligence. Elements of both sides want to censor and elements of both sides are intelligent (though Conroy is not one of those elements). In Australia it more boils down to the focus and emphasis on the community groups that the politicians listen to. Those on the right listen more to the businesses and church groups while those on the left listen more to the unions and gay groups.
So in short, please do not slander people with your doublethink in future. I know it's cool on slashdot to pay out those on the Right, but pigeonholing them is a very limiting way to look at any group of people.
You couldn't be any more wrong if you tried.
Howard and Rudd are pandering to the religious right. The censorship in question is the type of "think of the children" mentality the religious want to impose on others. There is nothing progressive or liberal in censorship.
Howard was one of the most RIGHT WING Prime Ministers we have ever seen! It's almost as if you are living in reverse world where up is down and left is right. (Almost like you are down under or something)
Don't forget that in Australia our financial policies and social policies do not match onto the hardline USA system. (Our right wingers aren't small government and our left wingers aren't socialistic)
Socially our centre is right. Economically our centre is left. Confusing, isn't it?
I never put words into your mouth.
You said, "Of the greatest concern is that the list of what is blocked is secret."
Then you quoted the parent to your comment, which said "The biggest concern, of course, is the potential censoring of political speech." and you said "Exactly!"
Thats why I quoted those three pieces of text in my comment. They were cut and paste directly from your comment. Regardless of how closely they may be linked, they are two separate issues.
Australia is a democracy, we will be blocking your access to child porn (and note I'm not saying you want to access it) inter alia, on the Internet, or anywhere else.
Except, of course, you can't. If you think there's any way for you or the Government or anyone else to effectively manage a list to block every single site on the Internet which contains material which is illegal in Australia, you're deluded. Especially if it's in the hands of the Government, who (and this is an insider's point of view), couldn't quickly organise their way out of a paper bag
In Australia censorship is a given.
Well thats your opinion and you're entitled to it. Me, I like to think that it's a given only because thats the way it's always been, which is not a good enough reason to maintain the status quo, and I'll be voicing my opinion at the protest in Brisbane on Saturday.
Taking part in the protests is the first (and very important step). Here is the list of places where protests will be held:
Melbourne:
Saturday 13 December
State Library
12pm-5pm
Sydney:
Saturday 13 December
Town Hall
11am-4pm
Brisbane:
Saturday 13 December
Brisbane Square
11am-3pm
Adelaide:
Saturday 13 December
Parliament
12pm-4pm
Hobart:
Saturday 13 December
Parliament Lawns
11am-1:30pm
Canberra:
Saturday 13 December
Garema Place, Civic
12pm-2pm
Please also consider taking the following actions:
1) Call Senator Conroy's office on 03 9650 1188. Do not be rude, do not swear, just in a very reasoned and rational voice, express your disapproval, and in a few short sentences, say why you disagree. It matters a lot.
2) Write a letter to Senator Conroy, make sure it's between half a page to one page (no more than 400 words). Again, in a polite tone (that doesn't have to be formal, and doesn't have to have letterhead, etc., just your name and address) let him know why you disagree with him. His address is:
Senator Stephen Conroy
Level 4, 4 Treasury Place
Melbourne Vic 3002
3) Write a letter to your local MP. It doesn't matter what party he/she is from, Liberals will use your letter to back up their claims in Question Time, which gives publicity to the whole issue and will bring it to mainstream media's attention. Labor members will also express their criticism, privately, to him. This specially matters if your local MP is a Minister and serves in the Cabinet. To find out who your local MP is click here.
4) Write a letter to Prime Minister Rudd. Let him know that when the Australian people voted him in office last year, they didn't know "Education Revolution" means censorship. Rudd's address is:
PO Box 6022
House of Representatives
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600
5) Donate or become a member of Electronic Frontiers Australia . Right now the EFA is the sole organisation fighting this. They need all the help they can get.
6) Write a letter to your ISP. It doesn't matter if it's the Evil Telstra; on this, we're all together. They are fighting the battle for us right now, but it would help them to know that what they are doing is a good business practice, that you expect them to fight this to the end.
Don't just sit around and do nothing and then complain about how evil governments are. We, the citizens are the ones who allow governments to become evil, by our political apathy. Move! Take Action! Now!
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You are lacking fantasy.
Wenn Austria under Empress Maria Theresia in 1754 published its own "Index Librorum Prohibitorum" (list of forbidden books, a 40 volume work), the index grew so successful and was in so great demand, that Austria in 1777 put the Index on the Index.
It's the same with all lists of things that are forbidden. They give you ideas.
Ah yes... a more recent example:
The Bundespruefstelle für jugendgefaehrdende Medien (the german Federal Control Institution for Media Deemed Harmful to Minors) prohibited publishing its own list of indexed media in 2003. For exactly the same reasons.