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Aussie government tries to block two sites, takes down 1,200
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and/or www.mantra.com/jai
May 17, 2013, 4:25:43 PM5/17/13
to
Aussie government tries to block two sites, takes down 1,200
And learns an important lesson about IP filtering in the process.
By Ian Steadman
Ars Technica
wired.co.uk
Friday, May 17, 2013
Australia's government is under fire after it appears to
have introduced web censorship without warning and
expanded already controversial powers to block access to
child pornography into a wider web filtering system.
The reluctance of the government to release information
about who has requested sites be blocked, and lists of
those sites, has also alarmed many Australians. Two
convenors from Melbourne Free University (MFU), whose
site was blocked without warning or explanation on 4
April, have described it as a "glimpse [of] the everyday
reality of living under a totalitarian government."
For a country that perhaps has a reputation for taking it
easy, Australia's governments have been particularly keen
on web censorship. In 2008 a web filter was proposed that
would have potentially blocked as many as 10,000 sites by
placing them on a blacklist. Years of criticism from
industry, political and public groups�including Anonymous
"declaring war" on it, and Wikileaks publishing the
confidential blacklist to show it included some sites
that were only, contrary to government assurances,
subjectively offensive�led to the idea being dropped in
November 2012.
That might have been the end of it, but instead of going
through legislative channels, it looks like web
censorship is back and taking advantage of a legal
loophole. On April 4 more than 1,200 sites were suddenly
unavailable to Australian web users
One of those sites that was blocked was that for the MFU,
which is a nonprofit organisation that runs talks and
workshops about "radical equality" and other activist
topics. Jasmine-Kim Westendorf and Jem Atahan, convenors
at MFU, wrote a blog post about their Kafkaesque
experience of finding their site blocked for nine days
and struggling to find any kind of answer�why:
Continues at:
http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2013/05/aussie-government-tries-to-block-two-sites-takes-down-1200/
Jai Maharaj, Jyotishi
Om Shanti
http://groups.google.com/group/alt.fan.jai-maharaj
And learns an important lesson about IP filtering in the process.
By Ian Steadman
Ars Technica
wired.co.uk
Friday, May 17, 2013
Australia's government is under fire after it appears to
have introduced web censorship without warning and
expanded already controversial powers to block access to
child pornography into a wider web filtering system.
The reluctance of the government to release information
about who has requested sites be blocked, and lists of
those sites, has also alarmed many Australians. Two
convenors from Melbourne Free University (MFU), whose
site was blocked without warning or explanation on 4
April, have described it as a "glimpse [of] the everyday
reality of living under a totalitarian government."
For a country that perhaps has a reputation for taking it
easy, Australia's governments have been particularly keen
on web censorship. In 2008 a web filter was proposed that
would have potentially blocked as many as 10,000 sites by
placing them on a blacklist. Years of criticism from
industry, political and public groups�including Anonymous
"declaring war" on it, and Wikileaks publishing the
confidential blacklist to show it included some sites
that were only, contrary to government assurances,
subjectively offensive�led to the idea being dropped in
November 2012.
That might have been the end of it, but instead of going
through legislative channels, it looks like web
censorship is back and taking advantage of a legal
loophole. On April 4 more than 1,200 sites were suddenly
unavailable to Australian web users
One of those sites that was blocked was that for the MFU,
which is a nonprofit organisation that runs talks and
workshops about "radical equality" and other activist
topics. Jasmine-Kim Westendorf and Jem Atahan, convenors
at MFU, wrote a blog post about their Kafkaesque
experience of finding their site blocked for nine days
and struggling to find any kind of answer�why:
Continues at:
http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2013/05/aussie-government-tries-to-block-two-sites-takes-down-1200/
Jai Maharaj, Jyotishi
Om Shanti
http://groups.google.com/group/alt.fan.jai-maharaj
ALP = Arrogance, Lies & Pretence
May 17, 2013, 6:06:23 PM5/17/13
to
On 18/05/2013 6:25 AM, Dr. Jai Maharaj wrote:
> The reluctance of the government to release information
> about who has requested sites be blocked, and lists of
> those sites, has also alarmed many Australians. Two
> convenors from Melbourne Free University (MFU), whose
> site was blocked without warning or explanation on 4
> April, have described it as a "glimpse [of] the everyday
> reality of living under a totalitarian government."
Last year, Stephen Conroy publically announced that he had "dropped"
> The reluctance of the government to release information
> about who has requested sites be blocked, and lists of
> those sites, has also alarmed many Australians. Two
> convenors from Melbourne Free University (MFU), whose
> site was blocked without warning or explanation on 4
> April, have described it as a "glimpse [of] the everyday
> reality of living under a totalitarian government."
plans for web censorship.
Now it transpires that he was going ahead with it *anyway*.
This incident highlights the authoritarian nature of the ALP, his crass
*dishonesty* and the sheer *incompetence* of his department.
These are the monkeys that claim to be building our "Broadband Future"
and presume to *tell us* our requirements yet they are too stupid to:
1. Consult with the public; and
2. Manage IP content properly
--
Julia Gillard...
"I don't want the mining industry to hire a single foreign worker if
there is an Australian who can do the job"
(PS: Who issues the visas????????????????????)
"Wayne Swan was explicitly asked to rule out a further increase in the
debt limit above the current limit of $300 billion. He steadfastly refused".
http://liberal.org.au/latest-news/2013/03/13/swan-refuses-rule-out-increase-debt-limit-above-300-billion
Swan...
"The course of action I'm talking about today really comes very much, I
guess, to the core of my values and the values of the Labor Party"
Paul Howes...
"Labor has an obligation to stop extremists who threaten our democracy"
How much new law is there every year?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lePrBUHihKI
Tony Abbott...
"You do not save the environment by killing the economy"
"It's not about popularity, it's about gaining respect, and she hasn't
got it yet"
(Australian of the Year, 2013)
HD
May 17, 2013, 6:35:34 PM5/17/13
to
"ALP = Arrogance, Lies & Pretence" <bjfost...@yahoo.com.au> wrote in
message news:avnnur...@mid.individual.net...
> On 18/05/2013 6:25 AM, Dr. Jai Maharaj wrote:
>> The reluctance of the government to release information
>> about who has requested sites be blocked, and lists of
>> those sites, has also alarmed many Australians. Two
>> convenors from Melbourne Free University (MFU), whose
>> site was blocked without warning or explanation on 4
>> April, have described it as a "glimpse [of] the everyday
>> reality of living under a totalitarian government."
>
> Last year, Stephen Conroy publically announced that he had "dropped" plans
> for web censorship.
>
> Now it transpires that he was going ahead with it *anyway*.
>
> This incident highlights the authoritarian nature of the ALP, his crass
> *dishonesty* and the sheer *incompetence* of his department.
Yea, how dare the AFP blocking child porn sites that gave you so much
>> The reluctance of the government to release information
>> about who has requested sites be blocked, and lists of
>> those sites, has also alarmed many Australians. Two
>> convenors from Melbourne Free University (MFU), whose
>> site was blocked without warning or explanation on 4
>> April, have described it as a "glimpse [of] the everyday
>> reality of living under a totalitarian government."
>
> Last year, Stephen Conroy publically announced that he had "dropped" plans
> for web censorship.
>
> Now it transpires that he was going ahead with it *anyway*.
>
> This incident highlights the authoritarian nature of the ALP, his crass
> *dishonesty* and the sheer *incompetence* of his department.
pleasure.
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