OK, so normally I’ll write about things that are happening at The Journey or what Meg and I have been up to, but lately I’ve been infuriated by the actions of Australia’s Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator the Hon Stephen Conroy and the proposed mandatory filtering of Australian internet services at the internet service provider (ISP) to the point that I am posting something about it.

There is heaps of information online about why this is a bad idea, but five points detailed by Mark Newton (of Adelaide, who works as a Network Engineer at an ISP) summarize it nicely:

1. The Government has failed to identify a need for this policy.
2. Even if there was a need, the Government has failed to demonstrate that its solution is wanted by the public.
3. Even if the public wanted this solution, it won’t work.
4. Even if it could work, it’s too expensive.
5. Even if it wasn’t too expensive, it’ll be implemented poorly.
6. In the unlikely event that it’s implemented perfectly, it will enable child abuse.

These points can be explored in various letters to politicians that are published in the public domain as well as the list of websites and forums.

A letter from Mark Newton to his local MP, Kate Ellis.

A followup letter from Mark Newton to his local MP, Kate Ellis after their meeting.

The Electronic Frontiers Australia No Clean Feed site.

The Whirlpool Cleanfeed wiki.

The Overclockers (OCAU) wiki

Once you have read the points, why not sign the Get Up petition and donate to the ads?