amand_r: (the server is robust)
amand_r ([personal profile] amand_r) wrote2010-01-25 11:54 am

man. for reals?

I am not a serious person here that much, so I like to think that when I do get serious, it means something.

One of my greatest fears, aside from Jaws, zombies and gas station coffee, is someone telling me what I am and am not allowed to see. What my kid should be seeing. You are not my child's parent. You are not my parent. Not even my parents tell me what I can and cannot look at, because I am a grown up now, with real coffee and real debt and a brain inside my skull that is capable of higher thought processes, even when I'm wanking to porn that I got off the interwebs.

Because that's what the censorship issue in Australia is all about: kids, wanking, getting off, who does it, who's not getting any, and who gets to decide any and all of these things.

I forget sometimes, that Australia doesn't have a bill of rights, and so this is a very real thing.

And I can't really do anything about it, except direct you here, so that you can read it yourself and decide if you think it's real. I think it is. And I don't know what legal recourse Aussie citizens have if this goes through, to appeal. It makes me very grateful that we are actually capable of saying, "that's unconstitutional", because they don't.

Woah. For srs. So look. If we can do anything as non-Aussies, it's raise awareness.

This week, from the 25th to the 29th is the Great Aussie Website Blackout. If you're an Aussie, I feel for ya, and this is ridiculous.

I have a small soapbox, so: information should be unfettered by censors of this nature (I'm not going to fool myself into thinking that all information is running free through a daisy field, even as a society we often ourselves censor and each other, but that is for another day.). No one gets to decide what's appropriate for me to read/watch. You don't like spanking? Fine, DON'T LOOK FOR IT, AND WHEN YOU FIND IT BY ACCIDENT, GO AWAY. You don't remove it for everyone.

Seriously, people who thinks this is a good idea? And how much are they not getting laid? Or what? I got nothing.
ext_38905: (australia)

[identity profile] qthelights.livejournal.com 2010-01-26 12:12 am (UTC)(link)
Thank you for the shout out, babe.

We need all the international ire we can get. Because what the ever loving fuck.

No one wants it. Not a single lobbyist group, or family or tech person. And yet it seems to be going ahead because one dickhead senator wants it to. It makes me really really mad and upset.

[identity profile] amand-r.livejournal.com 2010-01-26 01:31 am (UTC)(link)
It literally blows my mind at how little discussion about this there is, which in some ways makes me feel as if I'm chicken little. On the other hand, I'd rather be safe than sorry in this case and make a fuss. Because if I'm understanding this correctly, it will be hard to reverse if it goes through.
ext_38905: (Default)

[identity profile] qthelights.livejournal.com 2010-01-26 01:38 am (UTC)(link)
I know.. it worries me too. It is ALL over the papers here as being a fucking stupid idea, but the tv news has totally ignored it.

It will be hard to reverse, but also the damage will be that if they do it, a lot of the competition will be bankrupted - all the smaller ISPs of which we have some fucking awesome ones, will have a hard as hell time keeping up with both implementation and dealing with customers who want their internet to freakin' work.

Oh and yes - make a fuss. I've posted a few things on it, and get the same response of despair from aussies and "wtf" from those overseas that hadn't heard of it.
Edited 2010-01-26 01:39 (UTC)

[identity profile] amand-r.livejournal.com 2010-01-26 01:40 am (UTC)(link)
Yeah, it seems like one of the things that it will do is striate the people who have net access vs. the people who don't, since everyone's prices will go up. I bet there will be a lot of wireless ganking, too.

[identity profile] amand-r.livejournal.com 2010-01-26 01:43 am (UTC)(link)
i JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW THE GMAIL LINK THAT POPPED UP FROM THIS COMMENT:

'True Blood' cast is happy to get naked (http://edition.cnn.com/2010/SHOWBIZ/TV/01/25/naked.true.blood.cast.ppl/index.html?eref=rss_latest&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_latest+(RSS%3A+Most+Recent))
ext_38905: (Default)

[identity profile] qthelights.livejournal.com 2010-01-26 01:51 am (UTC)(link)
Awesome. They can get naked for the cause of Aussie free speech!

[identity profile] amand-r.livejournal.com 2010-01-26 01:53 am (UTC)(link)
I WISH IT WORKED THAT WAY!

[identity profile] debitha.livejournal.com 2010-01-27 10:05 am (UTC)(link)
I see no reason why it shouldn't. Someone should email them. Anna Paquin's a kiwi - she might go for it.