‘Save The Net‘ campaign

[Aurion ZR6]

Save The Net

The Federal Government is planning to force all Australian servers to filter internet traffic and block any material the Government deems ‘inappropriate’. Under the plan, the Government can add any ‘unwanted’ site to a secret blacklist.

Testing has already begun on systems that will slow our internet by up to 87%, make it more expensive, miss the vast majority of inappropriate content and accidentally block up to 1 in 12 legitimate sites. Our children deserve better protection - and that won't be achieved by wasting millions on this deeply flawed system.

Save the internet Sign the petition HERE

[ToyotaFreak]

Signed.

I've experienced this in another country, and this isn't a good thing. On one occasion, some images hotlinked from imageshack got blocked on a gaming forum (Was nothing inappropriate, unless photos from Gran Turismo 4's photo mode is considered as pornography.).

Edited December 13, 2008 by ToyotaFreak

[Westy87]

For crying out loud, IM AN ADULT! I deserve to look at WHAT I want WHEN I want ';..;'

I dont think they should be blocking content to protect kids and have every one else loose out too.

[Kenneth]

signed... i dont need the government tell me what i should and shouldnt look at...

turning into abit of CHINA now are we?

[SuperDave]

Toymods has been having a good argument over this also. Not many people are actually aware that they can get free net nanny style software from their ISP's, as it currently has to be supplied by law if requested. This mass filtering seems like a ploy to scare people into accepting a lower level of filtration, which the government most likely wanted anyway. It's what big corporations do all the time when they want to sack say 5000 people. They announce they want to sack 10,000 people, the unions/public are up in arms, so they then compromise to 5000 like they wanted. If they announced 5000, then they would be under pressure to lower it. I've signed the petition also as we can't just let the government turn China on us (no offence to China).

I'm actually curious to know if there is anyone in this country that actually wants this mass filter?

[chicaboo]

As adults, you should all be aware that filtered content isn't porn, or not just porn. This may cover political content (most likely just that), and other forms of news or current affairs that may affect your lives in various ways. The less you know, the less you can protest about other future reforms that affect you. The government putting this out as a service to protect your children (or letting you think it is just about that), is a gross abuse of your rights (and intelligence)...

Don't worry about the price of laptops in schools ppl, your own social security and freedom of information is potentially at threat by sticking your heads in the sand by ignoring this. I am not politically motivated, but reading the replies above indicate a high level of naivity towards the potential depth of what could be potentially taken away from you (human rights, etc...).

Gav.

[spillige]

can we rally? and if so will there be beer?

[chicaboo]

You can research that on the net, if they still let you... :P

[Ascendant Rice]

can we rally? and if so will there be beer?

ill bring a case of vb :) and maybe a heinekeg

Edit: signed

Edited December 14, 2008 by Ascendant justice

[lateralus]

As adults, you should all be aware that filtered content isn't porn, or not just porn.

oh, that's alright then :P

[chicaboo]

Eh??

[Simo]

They should just block out gay porn.

[Leroy]

The fundamental problem with this style of filtering is the primitive way in which it censors dangerous material.

Rather than seeking out the root of dangerous material and blocking it, it is just an over active net nanny that blocks out search terms.

For instance, you may want to join the Lesbian Association of Australia - but because 'Lesbian' is associated with pornography, you will not get any search results unless you know exactly what you are looking for (potentially a bad example, but I hope you get the idea).

On the other hand, since the Bill Henson fiasco, and that paedophile that was released into public life in Queensland (Dennis someone??), people seem to think Australia needs to begin a crackdown to prevent these people sharing their illegal wares.

I think its safe to say that the majority of files are now shared on a p2p basis - so implementing a net nanny to stop your child from stumbling on dodgy images is not going to stop the distribution of these files in the first instance.

[Keisari]

It will be just as trivial to share child pornography after the implementation of the filter as before. I'd rather not post a how-to, but anyone who has even a modest understanding of how file sharing works could probably figure it out, and it would be immune to the filter since keywords would not need to be involved (yes, internet existed before google!).

I think this whole sell about child porn is a REALLY cynical moral ploy, probably suggested by religious conservatives trying to peddle their moral package deals (eg: abortion, homosexuality, other forms of pornography, drugs etc). If I were a victim, I'd probably be deeply offended.

Jack: "Hey, the filter will be great! No more child porn floating about!"

Jane: "Well, I don't think the filter is such a great idea actually..."

Jack: "What?? You're PRO-child porn?!?"

Jane: *facepalm*

Further, the blacklist will be handled by foreign governments with foreign agendas, though no doubt our own government would reserve the right to a piece of the action.

Edited December 17, 2008 by Keisari

[quantum]

news report

Australia's largest ISP, Telstra, and Internode have said they will not participate in the trials. The second largest ISP, Optus, will run only a scaled- back trial of just the first tier while iiNet, the third biggest provider, has said it will participate simply to show the Government that its scheme will not work.

LOL iiNet....my fav isp

[Leroy]

Was given a message earlier today (on the 'white screen of death' in my browser):

"At the request of your country's government, this website has been blocked."

Have said trials begun then?

Edited December 26, 2008 by Leroy

[Rolla Boy]

Filter out all the spam pop ups that no body wants...

Leave the porn lol...

[xoom]

Australia's largest ISP, Telstra, and Internode have said they will not participate in the trials. The second largest ISP, Optus, will run only a scaled- back trial of just the first tier while iiNet, the third biggest provider, has said it will participate simply to show the Government that its scheme will not work.

lets just say those in the industry are not too amused by the BS that the government is pulling ..... in all honest i have no idea what they are expecting this filter to crack down on ...... after reading how its going to work from a technical perspective i can think of atleast a dozen ways around it ..... and thats without sitting down and really thinking about it ..... like thieves these people looking for illegal content if they want it bad enough they will find a means to get it .....

i mean the funny thing is lets put aside the agenda of "stopping kiddy porn" for a sec as this is just a surface agenda to make the topic appeal to people i dont understand what the government will achieve by doing this ..... oh besides crippling the internet to slower speeds ..... i mean i knw people say they can then control wat we c and dont c and wat we can access yada yada yada but seriously they arent that far off it now and they didnt have to do anything to achieve it .... rather silly behaviour

i also have a feeling as usually is the case in the private sector the "management" have been sold some technical solution by some "consultant" based on hopes and dreams and now the industry is left with trying to make it happen and the poor people are going to suffer from it ..... those that are in IT will understand where im coming from with this.

[SuperDave]

Was given a message earlier today (on the 'white screen of death' in my browser):

"At the request of your country's government, this website has been blocked."

Have said trials begun then?

Trials haven't begun. So what are you owning up to?

I already thought the ISP's blocked the black list of sites already....