Internet censorship

[Amnesiac]

Do you believe the Internet should be filtered by the government for "inappropriate" material? Should the Internet be treated like television and radio and regulated by the FCC?

I think that the current laws on child porn and other illegal things are already enough for the Internet. The Internet is different from TV and radio — it's not like you fire up your web browser and get inadvertently exposed to porn; if you want to find something online you have to look for it. The Internet should be preserved in its open state, as the ultimate way of sharing information and entertainment.

Australia needs to reconsider its proposed Internet filter. It's opposed by an overwhelming percentage of the populous (see here (http://apcmag.com/92-of-whirlpool-users-against-filter.htm), here (http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/study-casts-doubt-over-net-filter-support-20100512-uvo0.html) and here (http://www.smh.com.au/news/technology/biztech/web-censorship-plan-heads-towards-a-dead-end/2009/02/26/1235237810486.html?page=fullpage)). It should be an election issue and Labor should lose votes because of it.

[TopGear]

Im glad you brought this up, Everyday it seems like our governments seem to get bigger and bigger. You can't do this, Can't watch that, Can't eat this, Can't have that, Won't let this happen, and on and on and on. It's almost scary to think that it's becoming this bad. I think that government of any country should have control to filter the internet.

[Amnesiac]

Im glad you brought this up, Everyday it seems like our governments seem to get bigger and bigger. You can't do this, Can't watch that, Can't eat this, Can't have that, Won't let this happen, and on and on and on. It's almost scary to think that it's becoming this bad. I think that government of any country should have control to filter the internet.

Typo? Your last sentence seems contradictory.

I believe in smaller government — the real smaller government, not the kind the tea-partiers preach about. You can't be half-assed and say "well, the government needs to be smaller, but we should teach creationism in schools and ban porn too! Because that stuff is immoral!"

[TopGear]

Yep I agree with everything in that last statement. I believe in smaller government

[mrmcdonaldduck]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA, INTERNET CENSORSHIP, HAHAHA. FUCK YOU CONROY!!!!

but seriously, this shit is messed up. What makes me worry is that labor doesnt even have enough votes to get it through, some of their own mps dont support it, but conroy still wants it pushed through. What could make them that determined? Big Brother much?

It wont even stop child porn, the thing it is designed to stop. It doesnt stop peer 2 peer traffic, something which over 95+% of illegal porn goes through. Not to mention the fact that there is more money spent here in australia on censcoring illegal porn then there is stopping it. Get your priorities right, mate

Not to mention the fact that it will make our internet slower then it is, which is worse then several 3rd world countries, bad idea if you ask me. And of course there is the issue of over/under blocking. I think i read somewhere that in tasmania the trial there had 10% of over blocking, and around about the same for under blocking.

And of course, their is the fact that it would block sites like vt, designed for helping people because of refused classification material, stuff that isnt illegal, just cant be classified. Meaning advice on safe sex, safe drug use, stories of abuse and all sorts of thing that wouldnt be illegal to have on tv, or in books but because its on the internet its "Illegal". It makes no sense.

[Cjg1075]

i cant believe the us government even considers let alone drafted and are currently voting on a huge internet censorship bill

[CairAndros]

Internet Censorship is a serious pain in the ass. Our local Council, Fife Council, has an internet filtering service known as Websense installed on their servers and because all of our school internet is connected through their servers it looks at every page request. Therefore a lot of stuff is actually blocked that we need for school courses. We have a new course at the school, Games Development, and a lot of stuff that is needed for that course is blocked due to the games classification and games are blocked by Websense. Hell, even when we are doing the 'shopping' task for our computing coursework a lot of stuff is blocked because it comes under the shopping category. Now i agree with blocking the likes of porn etc whilst in school cause it is totally unneeded at school but when it gets that severe - Fife Council sets the severity of the filtering - it gets really annoying; especially when you look at the likes of Glasgow City Council which has a much laxer filtering service or even the local colleges that have no filtering whatsoever.

[The Joker]

Man, I don't think censorship should ever be imposed on things unless they are KNOWINGLY harmful, such as child porn. All my teachers know my view on censorship, and how much I hate it.

[CairAndros]

Well; why would anyone feel the need to watch porn at school? It's not as if you can jack off in the middle of the computing classroom or the library? So blocking those things are a good idea. Plus you get all sorts of viruses from those sites and it keeps the school network; and by extension the council network; safe from those viruses.

[Perseus]

I do not believe in any kind of censorship at all. America is getting pussified because of this censorship. I mean, you have people trying to censor video games in America now. I hate censorship.

[Amnesiac]

Well; why would anyone feel the need to watch porn at school? It's not as if you can jack off in the middle of the computing classroom or the library? So blocking those things are a good idea. Plus you get all sorts of viruses from those sites and it keeps the school network; and by extension the council network; safe from those viruses.

Well, we're not necessarily talking about school. This thread is about a national Internet filter, the likes of which China has.

[CairAndros]

That I disagree with totally; but I thought from the way this was going that it was just internet censorship in general that we were talking about =]

[TopGear]

Personally it wouldn't suprise if in the next six years that the US and the Obama Administration try to "Overhaul" the Internet and cross that off his list of things to fuck up.

[Amnesiac]

Personally it wouldn't suprise if in the next six years that the US and the Obama Administration try to "Overhaul" the Internet and cross that off his list of things to fuck up.

The Democrats are the last people I would expect to attempt to censor the Internet. The Republicans would be the first.

Obama's plan to create a national broadband network is a great idea that I would fully support if it were to be implemented. The U.S. is lagging badly in communications technology.

[TopGear]

Really? I can't see it happening it but if it does, I believe it will come soon. Not just because of who is in office but because of what what we lack in for protection.

[Fact]

Internet Censorship = No.
I could talk forever about the pros and cons.
Essentially: If it's things like child porn they're bothered about, censoring the internet will only make it even more underground and sought after - making it harder to get makes it evermore desirable.

[TopGear]

I can't see the pros weighing out the cons on this topic. The reason for the internet was to provide people information from all over the world. So censoring it would defeat the purpose of having the internet. Yes, there are things that need to be changed but not censoring it.

[Amnesiac]

Really? I can't see it happening it but if it does, I believe it will come soon. Not just because of who is in office but because of what what we lack in for protection.

Republicans are more censor-happy. That's what makes them social conservatives.

[TopGear]

Well ok, there your right, but do you think they would go that far and put a censorship on the US internet?

[Amnesiac]

Well ok, there your right, but do you think they would go that far and put a censorship on the US internet?

Christian conservatives would happily attempt to ban pornography or implement an Australian-style Internet filter if they got the chance. However, Supreme Court decisions make that impossible.

[TopGear]

Right I would agree to that as well. But like you said Supreme Court would keep that from ever happening.

[Sith Lord 13]

The Democrats are the last people I would expect to attempt to censor the Internet.

Unless it's conservative viewpoints, Fox News, pro-life, or basically anything else they disagree with.

[Amnesiac]

Unless it's conservative viewpoints, Fox News, pro-life, or basically anything else they disagree with.

Fringe Democrats aren't as... active as fringe Republicans. I doubt they'd try and censor the right.

[Sith Lord 13]

Fringe Democrats aren't as... active as fringe Republicans. I doubt they'd try and censor the right.

In my personal experience, that's not true, but it may be a geography thing.

[Amnesiac]

In my personal experience, that's not true, but it may be a geography thing.

Well, I don't know. I've never heard of an extremist Democrat — they would just be a member of the Communist Party instead.

[Sith Lord 13]

Well, I don't know. I've never heard of an extremist Democrat — they would just be a member of the Communist Party instead.

Never heard of an extremist Democrat? Seriously? I'd suggest opening your eyes a bit more, trying to look from a less biased viewpoint. Honestly, I see a rather mirror image, the same amount of extremist nut jobs on both sides.

[Perseus]

Never heard of an extremist Democrat? Seriously? I'd suggest opening your eyes a bit more, trying to look from a less biased viewpoint. Honestly, I see a rather mirror image, the same amount of extremist nut jobs on both sides.

That's because you live in left wing central. :P Down here in the South, you never hear of anything related to Democrats. Lol, in fact, I don't know any Democrats, except for one. But he's from the North, so he doesn't count. :p

[Amnesiac]

That's because you live in left wing central. :P Down here in the South, you never hear of anything related to Democrats. Lol, in fact, I don't know any Democrats, except for one. But he's from the North, so he doesn't count. :p

Where do you live? ONE Democrat? Sounds like you're not in one of the big cities.

Never heard of an extremist Democrat? Seriously? I'd suggest opening your eyes a bit more, trying to look from a less biased viewpoint. Honestly, I see a rather mirror image, the same amount of extremist nut jobs on both sides.

I'm not saying there aren't any, it's just that the media exposes us to the extreme right way more than the extreme left. Obviously there are extremists on both sides, why do you think I referenced the Communist Party?

What I'm trying to say is that while there are undoubtedly some liberals who would happily try and shut down right-wing commentators — now that I remember it, I've seen plenty of people online talk about making Fox News "illegal", which I strongly disagree with — they don't seem nearly as publicized as right-wing extremists (the fundies and anti-Islamics).

[Perseus]

Where do you live? ONE Democrat? Sounds like you're not in one of the big cities.





Kennesaw, Georgia, sunny boy. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kennesaw,_Georgia)

Granted, I don't know everyone in my high school and there is a Young Democrats club. :P

[Sith Lord 13]

What I'm trying to say is that while there are undoubtedly some liberals who would happily try and shut down right-wing commentators — now that I remember it, I've seen plenty of people online talk about making Fox News "illegal", which I strongly disagree with — they don't seem nearly as publicized as right-wing extremists (the fundies and anti-Islamics).

Yes, because most major news stations (Fox News being the exception) are rather liberal. Therefore, they play down the left wing extremists and play up the right wing ones.

[Amnesiac]

Yes, because most major news stations (Fox News being the exception) are rather liberal. Therefore, they play down the left wing extremists and play up the right wing ones.

But even on a "news" station like Fox, they seem to try and portray moderate Democrats as extremists, rather than actually talking about extremist Democrats.

[Sith Lord 13]

But even on a "news" station like Fox, they seem to try and portray moderate Democrats as extremists, rather than actually talking about extremist Democrats.

That's not been my experience. They point out the flaws that even the moderate democrat viewpoint has, but I don't see them as portraying all democrats as extremists.