[MLB-WIRELESS] Government Internet Filter - What do you think?

[Emil Mikulic]

On Wed, Dec 10, 2008 at 06:19:37PM +1100, mw at freenet.net.au wrote:
> Emil wrote:
> > I don't think I should have to subsidize a filter, even for someone who
> > actually wants it.  They should have to pay for it.  I'm okay with the
> > idea of people paying for things they want.

Wow, the above makes me sound really selfish and petty.
Not that I'm not, but now the MW ML archive will know this forever.  ;)

> Mmm - although I agree with the general sentiment, I also recognise that we
> often have to subsidise stuff that we personally think is wasteful if we
> expect to see stuff subsidised that others may think is wasteful.

Taxes buy civilization.  I don't have a problem subsidizing education or
roads.  And my problem with the filter isn't that I want to punish some
parents who can't afford an internet filter, my problem is this:

I feel that Australia is way behind in the global Digital Economy.
(or whatever you want to call it)

We should be improving our data infrastructure, so that Australian
businesses can better participate and compete in the global information
economy.

Instead, our "Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital
Economy" (!) wants to spend millions and millions of tax dollars to
further *cripple* Australian net access.

> Like it would be noce to put govt funds toward setting up some public
> access wifi for example ;-)

Maybe they could start by fixing the laws preventing interested
non-government parties from doing this themselves.  That wouldn't cost
much.

(IIRC that's currently the obstacle preventing this very group from
providing free net access.  I could be way off - I admit I'm quite
ignorant of WiFi issues and invite anyone on this list to take me to
school.  I initially joined up because I wanted to get a point-to-point
WiFi link going in Mentone but at the time there was no-one else active
in the area)

--Emil