[LINK] Conroy vs Google

[David Boxall]

On 30/03/2010 5:23 PM, Rick Welykochy wrote:
> Jan Whitaker wrote:
>
>>> Senator Conroy has conceded that greater transparency is needed in
>>> terms of how content ends up on the blacklist, but last night he
>>> again refused to make the blacklist itself public, saying it would
>>> provide people instant access to the banned material.
>>
>> This one was actually made ridiculous by a caller who pointed out
>> that if the filters really worked 100% as Conroy claims, they could
>> easily publish the list because the items would be blocked. So what's
>> the harm? '-)
>
> This thought crossed my mind until a fellow from EFF spoke
> and mentioned he agrees with the secrecy. I thought further ...
> if the list is public it would allow the following:
>
> (*) those in Australia who know how to bypass the filters (of
> which there will be many) could use/abuse the list;
But Conroy says the filter is perfect, so don't you worry about that.

> (*) outside of Australia, 
... it's somebody else's problem.

> ... If the
> filter legislation is rammed through parliament, there must be a
> mechanism to find out if a given site is block[ed] when it becomes
> apparent there has been a mistake or some sort of unwarranted
> interference. Without that safeguard, we have truly lost a basic
> democratic freedom.
>
> But! One can always find out if a site is blocked by comparing
> access through the filter and access via a proxy through another
> country. Hmmmmm .... good idea for a web-based Australian Filter
> Check Service :)
>
> e.g.
>
> Enter suspect URL here: [ ]
>
> result: yup, that site is blocked in Australia or nope, fine.
>
> Probably a few lines of script.
> ...

Excellent idea! Not only for us, though.

Is that 404 error genuine? Is your government blocking access to 
information without informing you? These are questions that citizens in 
every nation should ask. These are questions that everyone needs to be 
able to answer.

-- 
David Boxall                    |  All that is required
                                |  for evil to prevail is
http://david.boxall.id.au       |  for good men to do nothing.
                                |     -- Edmund Burke (1729-1797)