Censorship, Whoo

K - I think your information about the Internet filter may not be up to scratch. This article - talking about how the ACMA has expanded its blacklist (and will fine you for linking to sites on the blacklist) seems to think the filter is still a possibility.

Over here, Electronic Frontiers Australia are keeping track:

Despite premature celebrations or wishful thinking that the Government are looking for an exit strategy, the Government is powering ahead with its plans to censor Australia’s Internet.

On Sunday’s edition of Background Briefing on radio national - an excellent and in-depth look at the scheme, available here for download - the Minister could be heard proclaiming the necessity of the scheme, dismissing the critics, and confusing the issue, saying that the filter would protect Australia’s children from “’such vile websites as child pornography and the ultra-violent sites” and that Labor made no apology for trying to “block these sites from families’ loungerooms and children’s bedrooms.” These are frightening words for anyone who understands the issues at stake, for they demonstrate some very confused thinking lies at the heart of this policy. If the Minister truly believes that children are seeking out, or being bombarded with child pornography, then there’s a dearth of both common sense and proper research in the Ministerial suites.

Charmingly, the latest addition to the ACMA blacklist isn't child porn or graphic violence: it's a site called Wikileaks, devoted to... well, leaked documents, from various countries. There are all kinds of ethical issues at stake with the handling of government whistleblowers, but something tells me that fining people for looking at a document already in spilt into public domain is a BAD IDEA.

(no subject)

Alright, I'm not normally prone to protesting, but Not like I've got anything else to do on Saturday.

Hey guys hey guys

I start German classes tomorrow! So excited! Grammar!

... Not that there's likely to be much grammar in first-semester German. I wonder, if I ask the teacher for grammar exercises, does that make me weird?