LinuxSA Mailing list archives

  From: Rick Marshall <rjm@herzfeld.com.au>
  To  : linuxsa@linuxsa.org.au
  Date: Fri, 28 May 1999 07:23:22 +1000

Re: Opinions on New Internet Bill (While I am still allowed to express

Jamie Lovick wrote:

> On Thu, 27 May 1999, Mark Newton wrote:
> > The solution to the problem of parents not knowing about the net is to
> > educate parents about the net - that's the beginning and the end of
> > the matter.  The fact that the government isn't doing this is a strong
> > indictment of thier incompetence over this whole affair.
>
> To choose an example, AOL is the US actively communicate with their users,
> teaching users how to manage access, through a net nanny style system. Its
> a way for AOL to be more user friendly, and it seems to be keeping people
> happy.
>
> AOL have done it more as a marketing move, which seems to be working for
> them. If Australian ISP's actively pursued such things, we may not be
> seeing such efforts as this new bill.
>

It was AOL's testimony that went a long way to convincing the gov that the
Bill is workable. Less said about them the better.

Except... If they have the technology and patent it will ISPs be required to
buy it? Seems to me that some companies have a lot to gain from this.

FWIW - its illegal to produce and publish certain offensive and anti-social
material. Defining web sites as publishing and requiring ratings (largely an
honesty system) for potentially offensive or anti-social material as is the
case with magazines right now would have been much better and manageble.
Material from another country (or Canberra) is the problem of the foreign
power. And - why haven't the state governments complained. Rating  material
is a Federal responsibility, controlling entry to Australia is a Federal
problem, deciding what is legal in each state is a state problem. Seems to me
this legislation may be unconstitutional as the Federal government may lack
the constitional power to enforce or regulate it.

It's a bit like drugs - punishing the consumer (what this legislation does)
will never control the source of supply. We shouldn't just lobby against the
legislation because it does raise issues that are real concerns in the
community - we should actively promote attacking the source and show how the
internet can be used in the fight against undesirables, communists,
non-caucasians, serbs, indonesians, ....

Good grief, can't we just get on with it.

Why not an internat strike day? Turn off .au nameservice for a day. Welcome
to tomorrow.

First and Last comment.

Rick

>
> Seeya
>
> Jamie
>
> --
> Jamie Lovick  | Phone : +618 8242 3811 | Email: jalovick@inettech.net.au |
> IT Consultant | Fax   : +618 8242 3822 | Anet : jalovick@amiganet.org    |
> InetTech      | Mobile: +614 1479 1681 | Doof : jalovick@doof.org        |
>
> --
> Check out the LinuxSA web pages at http://www.linuxsa.org.au/
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--
mailto:rjm@herzfeld.com.au <=> RICK MARSHALL <=> http://www.herzfeld.com.au/isl
   International Software Laboratories Pty Limited - Australia, New Zealand
     Footwear: Retail Management, Point of Sale, Wholesale, Manufacturing
    (-: All in Linux :-)   (-: On the Web :-)   (-: All in UNIBASE 5GL :-)



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