Mandatory censorship is bad. Strange day for an announcement: a day when the powers-that-be deliver our deserved bread and circuses.
Who decides what is good or bad? We each have our own definitions of good and bad. I saw the Coen brothers film a few days ago, No Country for Old Men: it was absolute shite. Others, including film critics, love the movie. I see very few redeeming qualities in a movie about a psychopathic serial killer-for-hire. But I am thankful I could choose to see the movie and make up my own mind.
Do you trust the government or faceless bureaucrats to decide what books, newspapers or movies you shouldn’t see? Who black-lists an IP address? How do you get off the black-list?
Maybe internet black-lists are not enough. Next we should have black-listed countries. Cannot go to Brunei, sorry. Oh, and if you get there by a circuitous route, we’re going to jail you. Cars are dangerous too. People die in cars. Cars are bad, and should be banned.
Come on, people. Education. Teach people. Spread out knowledge. Using the internet is like reading and writing: online literacy is absolutely vital.
Stop being a nervous nanny and “just blocking” sites. It will not work in 100% of cases, so why do it? How will the unitiated know if a part of the internet is black-listed and they cannot see it?
I am with Uncle Mike. Educate, not Censor.
Come on Nick. I had you better then this, falling for the two card trick, scare mongering tactics.
This is the same censorship that we have today modeled for a different medium.
And the arguers against it have taken to using the Howard/Bush/Blair tactic of using fear tactics and scare Mongering.
Could the government choose to block an entire country? Maybe. Could a terrorist blow me up while I am cheering on the Mighty Hawks at the MCG this year? Maybe. Are either likely? No, not really.
Think about it and don’t get sucked in!
Molly
@molly the price of freedom is vigilance.
We must watch the buggers, and call ’em on it when it’s not right.
I see opt-out for what it is: the Federal Gov setting in place a mechanism for protecting their right flank and to be seen “doing something” … whilst not actually doing anything worthwhile at all.
Sometimes what scares me more are those who expected the ALP to be better than the Libs on this.
From what I have read, the opt-out is (yes) that it is turned on and you have to prove your age to go to the sites. No big deal. Same as if you want to go to the pub or an R-rated Movies.
And couldn’t agree more on people expecting the ALP to do better. They are both the same whether some of their policies are different.
Molly