Australia Set to Begin Filtering Online Games

[Jinx_Dragon]

Never saw why that was a problem, Hell I like the fact he can speak chinese. Ponder just what sort of a person Howard must of been who didn't even bother in those ten years to learn how to even say hello. All the while negotating away our resorces to them.... Guess thier money was the only thing he was thinking on. Sorry, I won't jump up and down swearing just cause our PM happens to be diplomatic enough to speak more then just one language and smart enough to reveal this fact to show up Howard.

Now, that both Rudd and Howard seem to have the same policy of selling all our real resorces to China and buying back the useless crap (or nuclear waste) that is created with those resorces makes me mad. That is a real problem, not so much the selling but we seem to be a dumping ground for chinese crap on top of that while refusing to seriouslly look at ways we could use those resorces to better our own infrastructure and socity. Now that Rudd wants to continue Howards wonderful policies in the realms of 'natural security' and this one up to internet censorship is happening under his watch... yeah, meet the new boss, same as the old boss.

Two party systems are always so much fun though isn't it, when neither side needs to be different from the other cause all you can do is choose twiddle dum and twiddle dee....

 

[Jinx_Dragon]

Cant wait for another 15-20 years where people who grew on video games start getting into parliament.

Ding...

I was wondering, pondering really, just what was going through the minds of these politicians. None of them could really be behind dark shadows, rubbing their hands together at the idea they could control the internet. They would, like most villains, believe they are doing it all for the better good so I have to ask: WHY?

Then it hit me, hard enough I went back and to the left: They are just nostalgic for their own mis-spent youths, looking back through the rose coloured glasses that old folk seem to wear when gazing into their childhoods. They see a simpler, better, and happier place and wonder why the world is so bad right now. Instead of pointing fingers at themselves, hell they are the ones making the policies for Australia and directly to blame, they want something else to put fault on like most people who screw up. Something flashy and attention grabbing, which would easily be able to sway the mind of sheep who are having the same thoughts as they are as to why the world is so much more dangerous.

They look around and see all these kids playing computer games and watching computer generated cartoons and a light comes on: Ping, it is the computers doing it all. Get rid of the computers and we will all be wooshed back to the 1950's, hell politicians are old aren't they, where there was no voilence in the streets and every one went to church and laughed and sung and now I am going to be sick...

Cause all the very things they like to claim are caused by computer game violence where around when they where bloody kids! They only remember the good and never the bad, thinking it was a better time to be alive. Why having your prime in the 70's and 80's would be better is beyond me but hey I am not these old folk am I.

So, yeah, all that to just say I too can't wait till the generation of my kin get into power, they too will probably pull the same old shit but will blame... I don't know... violent pod racing or something. At least then we can all laugh at todays politicians who are trying this censorship cause they will all be DEAD!

 

[BGH122]

Why do people live in Australia...From the news I can gather that Australia is:Extremely hot, plenty of fires, floods, fires and floods, all the wildlife is trying to kill you, they get everything with delays, video game censorship and probably other crap...

Australlia is starting to sound like hell.

It's one huge prison colony. Go figure.

Anyway, this is clearly wrong. I can't believe that there's still developed nations trying to censor the internet. The internet is our one remaining bastion of free speech. It's the one place where a person can be truly expressive without the fear of reprisal. Do the Aussie government not value that at all?

Firstly please refrain EVER from referring to Australia as a former "Prison" it instantly shows the world how little you actually know about your own history. How quickly we forget that until you yanks held your little tea party America was the "Prison" destination of choice for the good old English.

Probably a good idea for you to change the Wiki article then:

In 1824, a penal colony was established near the mouth of the Brisbane River (the basis of the later colony of Queensland). In 1826, a British military camp was established in Western Australia at King George Sound, to discourage French colonisation. (The camp formed the basis of the later town of Albany.) In 1829, the Swan River Colony and its capital of Perth were founded on the west coast proper and also assumed control of King George Sound. Initially a free colony, Western Australia later accepted British convicts, because of an acute labour shortage.

 

[luckshot]

Why do people live in Australia...From the news I can gather that Australia is:Extremely hot, plenty of fires, floods, fires and floods, all the wildlife is trying to kill you, they get everything with delays, video game censorship and probably other crap...

Australlia is starting to sound like hell.

it seems it is still used as a prison colony: every aspect of your life is controlled and you can't leave

 

[Jinx_Dragon]

sad thing is, I could take them to court with only my highschool level of law studies and win. because an internet filter violates the constitution. We didn't vote for it and a govourment exists to SERVE IT'S PEOPLE

Maybe you should read Australian Constitutional Laws. There is very little power 'we the people' have. Not surprising, as the government never was really made to even serve us in the first place. It is a document about how the states will come together as a unified country in service of the queen, detailing how that unified country government would then function. The only rights we Australians have come from the Magna Carta and that is more 'due process' over anything resembling the US bill of rights, something I am fond of myself.

Constitutionally the only thing we get, as a people, to vote on is changes to the constitution itself and of course elections. For example when Howard wanted the power of the executive branch to reside in the hands of the PM, and not the queens representative, he required both majority in all states and in the country as a whole. Never got it, thankfully....

But if they want to push a draconian law banning the internet through government all it would require is a majority in the house and in the senate. Something VERY easily gotten, thanks to our election system designed to give a single party a majority in the Senate to begin with! With only one other party legally able to oppose them within the Senate and having squat in the way of numbers to ensure they can do anything more then bang the table and complain very loudly. That is if they where not in agreement over most matters to begin with.

So no, the right to vote on laws we might find distasteful is NOT within our constitution or legal system at all.

Hell, that is not even in the US constitution!

 

[I III II X4]

For anyone in Australia, start writing to your local members, and to senators, especially if you're in South Australia, write to Nick Xenophon, independent, and not afraid to make noise about things as stupid as this.

Exactly. The only sane method is to go through the system itself. Action must be taken, provided it isn't an action that will drive another nail into the coffin.

Please, anyone who's concerned about this, seule has the right idea!

This would cost a lot of money. I think that it could be spent in a much better fashion, honestly. Like on irrigation. Or sprinkler systems. Or more vinyards.

Now for something less serious...

More alcohol? Hell yeah! BOOSH!

 

[Labyrinth]

sad thing is, I could take them to court with only my highschool level of law studies and win. because an internet filter violates the constitution. We didn't vote for it and a govourment exists to SERVE IT'S PEOPLE

Does it? There's no protection of Free Speech in the Australian constitution.

The most annoying thing about this is the fact that it's little other than a political ploy to get the vote of the Family First guy in the senate. Oh, and another double-dissolution election switch. This essay [http://peterstrempel.wordpress.com/2009/03/05/rudds-folly-on-internet-censorship/] is a great look at the legislation and there are a bunch of online groups like Digital Liberty Coalition [http://www.dlc.asn.au/] and No Clean Feed [http://nocleanfeed.com/] who oppose it.

 

[Labyrinth]

I dunno this pisses me the hell off, we talked about this in Web Design the 'Great Firewall of China' and how our government intends to do it as well. They say "Oh to protect the kids" I know someone in the police force who works with rooting out pedophiles etc. by blocking the easy access sites it makes it HARDER for the police to find these guys.

Not only that, but it doesn't work anyway.

 

[Labyrinth]

didn't we already TRY a firewall during the Howard administration? and didn't it get cracked in a DAY?! people will crack these things

This one stood half an hour against a 15-year-old.

 

[Labyrinth]

That's what I thought. Unless they start going china on us making it punishable by prison we are fine.

They're already trying to sue Wikileaks, and block them, for publishing the blacklist. $11 000 or something for publishing a single link to a blocked site.

 

[aaron552]

They're already trying to sue Wikileaks, and block them, for publishing the blacklist. $11 000 or something for publishing a single link to a blocked site.

That fine only applies if the site is hosted within Australia. They're trying to find a way to press criminal charges on Wikileaks. However, this is against the law in the country wikileaks is hosted

 

[mike1921]

I swear if my gf still wants to move to Aussie when we can, I may scream and die inside... Until I get TEH SEX0R

Oh well, 5-10 years till that yet, Oh and a nuclear Armageddon. Trust me on this one.

I am the last guy in the world to tell you not to accommodate for your girlfriend, but don't let her do that!

Why do people live in Australia...From the news I can gather that Australia is:Extremely hot, plenty of fires, floods, fires and floods, all the wildlife is trying to kill you, they get everything with delays, video game censorship and probably other crap...

Australlia is starting to sound like hell.

it seems it is still used as a prison colony: every aspect of your life is controlled and you can't leave

They have pretty shitty security than, since people could move out if I remember correctly.

Seriously, I think once a government starts doing shit like this, it's just not doing it's job and should be destroyed.

 

[Sneaky Paladin]

How the hell does yahtzee get 18+ games and review them without being sentenced to death there anyway?

 

[mike1921]

How the hell does yahtzee get 18+ games and review them without being sentenced to death there anyway?

I think they're legal to buy and import as long as you don't sell. also, I don't think the sentence is death even if you do sell it.

 

[Low Key]

How the hell does yahtzee get 18+ games and review them without being sentenced to death there anyway?

I think they're legal to buy and import as long as you don't sell. also, I don't think the sentence is death even if you do sell it.

From the article, it sounds as if the government is trying to block the importation of games as well.

Article quote:

[i]A spokesman for Australian Communications Minister Stephen Conroy said "computer games such as web-based flash games and downloadable games, if a complaint is received and the content is determined by ACMA to be Refused Classification" would be blocked,[/i]

along with "the importation of physical copies of computer games sold over the internet which have been classified RC [refused classification]

 

[Sneaky Paladin]

How the hell does yahtzee get 18+ games and review them without being sentenced to death there anyway?

I think they're legal to buy and import as long as you don't sell. also, I don't think the sentence is death even if you do sell it.

Okay the death was sarcastic