[LINK] Labor will make ISPs filter porn on Net

[Howard Lowndes]

Rick Welykochy wrote:
> Glen Turner wrote:
> 
>> Rick Welykochy wrote:
>>
>>> ....Even if it were
>>> possible to implement the filtering as described, the filter should
>>> be opt-in. Broader Internet communications must be the default in
>>> a free and open democracy. What is Beazly thinking?
>>
>>
>>
>> Beasley is thinking of the christian fundamentalist vote.
>> SA's election shows it is roughly the same size as the vote
>> of the environmental movement.
> 
> 
> Well, the fundamentalists will have to be satisfied with an opt-in
> system if they also want a democracy. And who says they would not
> be happy with an opt-in system. Do they even know the ramifications
> of one or t'other? I highly doubt it.

Get real Rick.  Can you imagine the fundamentalists accepting that an 
"opt-in" to anti-porn filters is the way to go.  We all know that the 
religious nutters know exactly what is the best thing for the public and 
they will be sure that the public get it - IOW, everyone gets filtered 
with no "opt-out".

> 
> Perhaps the best solution is to provide a toothless system that
> kinda works, make it opt-in and then spin it to be much much more
> than it really is. Isn't that they way pollies sell their crap
> ideas to us? And the 95% of us that are non-thinking sheep simply
> lap it up and return to the footy screen. As we all know,
> they'll never ever be able to implement a filtering system that
> works, i.e. meets its specified requirements. It is probably (a)
> a non-computable problem; and (b) so subjective in its decision
> making that it would never make all users happy.
> 
> 
> 
>> What concerns me if the effect of this on science in Australia.
>> It's pretty plain that science is now using the Internet as part
>> of scientific instruments. This particularly benefits scientists
>> located in Australia (as otherwise they'd not be located in
>> Australia at all -- they'd need to move where the action is at
>> CERN or Stanford or MIT or...).
>>
>> Filtering and the use of the Internet in scientific instruments
>> simply isn't compatible.
> 
> 
> Opt-out if science requires it.
> 
> The important thing is that any such filtering can be opted out.

No, the important thing is that there should not be filtering that the 
user cannot control, and the "opt-out" or "opt-in" options are just too 
coarse to be of any value.

> I strongly feel that the default behaviour of any Internet connection
> is unfiltered, and an opt-in system be used for the minority
> (fundamentalists!) who want it. Beasly is best advised to balance
> selling-out on our basic values simply for a some votes with basic
> democratic principles.
> 
> Earlier I said to bring on New Labor. I think its time to sell of most
> of them for scrap and migrate the remaining quality few that are
> still thinking independently of Liberal to a new startup called
> New Labour. "We put yoU into LaboUr" :)

I agree.  I despite the use of the American spelling in the Australian 
political context.  Mind you, that goes for a lot more things American, 
but it's best we don't go down that path...

-- 
Howard.
LANNet Computing Associates - Your Linux people <http://lannetlinux.com>
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-- 
Flatter government, not fatter government; abolish the Australian states.