This is to let you know that I will be placing the Labor party third on my ballot paper this Saturday, despite being someone who would normally have placed you first or second. I have been so disgusted with with the lack of vision,leadership and principle displayed by Gillard and the ALP that I cannot bring myself to support you.

Specific policy issues that have also caused me grave concern include:

* Internet filter
* Equal rights for the gay community
* Almost total abdication of responsibility on the issue of climate change
* “Dog whistling” around the issue of asylum seekers

You may get some small crumb of comfort that I am placing the Liberals 4th.

I hope things will be better for the next election.

Regards

Infrastructure Architecture Versatilist focusing on the long-term service delivery needs of the IT Service Department without losing sight of the requirements of Business Unit Managers

and more crap from the same person (this was the only paragraph of explanation on whatever this is about)

The Steering Action Group helps set the direction and brings the DataPortability initiative into a cohesive whole. It is made up of representatives from the other action groups, and other individuals who wish to set the direction of the DataPortability initiative.

Jeremy Paxman gives another British weasel a hard time on the BBC. I wish we had someone of equal backbone in the Australian media — they are a bunch of craven apologists.

The home secretary will meet internet service providers and members of the Muslim community to discuss measures to block websites that promote terrorism.

The following article, possibly the fault of the journalist rather the governement who’s policy it reports, is racist in that it only mentions Islamic extremism. How about people like Timothy McVeigh, a lapsed Catholic?

People are nasty and good — it does not matter the colour of their skin or the form their god takes.

An interesting second question is how the British governenment actually thinks it can achieve this objective.

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A man in Idaho cut off his hand with a circular saw and cooked in it a microwave oven because he believed it bore “the mark of the beast,” police in the western US state said.

Poor bastard. I wonder what things he must have endured to end up like this .

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BBC NEWS | Asia-Pacific | Australia plans tough web rules

Australia is planning tough new rules to protect children from online pornography and violence.

A political party that supports an openly lesbian senator (and Asian to boot) must surely be at the forefront of progressive thought in allowing people to make their own choices and also understand the problems such a technology introduces.

Whilst the goal of ‘protecting our children’ is laudable (and plays well with many voters) there are a variety of reasons why this is a bad idea. I recently wrote to my local Labor MP about this:

I read with some alarm the ALP’s policy on public Internet access
(http://www.alp.org.au/media/1107/mscoit190.php). It seems to me to very
badly thought out and of very limited use:

1) It will fail to prevent access to the inappropriate material. Even the
Chinese government cannot prevent it citizens from accessing banned material
as there are always ways for the Internet users to route around
restrictions.
2) It will increase the already high cost of Internet access
3) A government agency will be deciding what is appropriate material for my
children to see — I want to make that decision myself
4) Some children could be inadequately prepared for the reality of the
Internet as filtering lulls teachers and parents into a false sense of
security. Children need rigorous education
5) Filtering is notorious for preventing access to legitimate material, e.g.
content on reproductive and sexual health.

The one phrase I would support is ” Our children also need to be better
equipped to deal with emerging online threats, such as cyber-bullying,
invasion of privacy, and computer addiction.” However an expensive and
ineffective filtering system is not the answer.

I look forward to hearing your thoughts.

The reply I received was very rapid, but vapid

While Labor appreciates that its ISP filtering policy will not be popular with everyone, Labor is committed to protecting Australians, and particularly Australian children, in an online environment.

Labor recognises that while the internet opens up a wealth of opportunities for all Australians, it can also expose people to harmful content from any part of the world.

That is why Labor has announced that it would require a clean feed ISP filtering service to all households, schools and public libraries.

This will:
· prevent users from accessing sites prohibited by ACMA, including child pornography and sites that contain violent material; and

· ensure sites that contain harmful or inappropriate content such as pornography and violent material are not accessible by children.

Internationally, large telecommunications companies like British Telecom and TeleNor in Norway and Sweden are already successfully using this technology.

Labor understands, however, that not all internet users will wish to receive filtered content. Accordingly, adult users may “opt out” of Labor’s ISP filtering policy. For adults who wish to opt out of the clean feed system, current regulation would apply. This means for example, that child pornography or material that has been refused classification by ACMA remain inaccessible.

In relation to the cost of Labor’s ISP filtering policy, Labor has stated that it will work with industry to ensure that its ISP filtering policy is provided at no extra cost to householders. Labor will also ensure that it works with industry to ensure that the costs of providing a clean feed as are shared fairly and that competition is not adversely affected, particularly for small ISPs.

A number of questions spring to mind:

1. What is this technology that companies like British Telecom have implemented and what evidence is there that it has been affective?
2. What evidence is there that Australian children need protection? How real is the risk? I use the Internet every day and I don’t see ‘inappropriate’ material unless I chose to.
3. How much will this cost consumers? The assurances above do not hold water to me.
4. How will the decision be made about what is appropriate material?

I doubt we will get very satisfactory answers…

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Do they think it makes them more worthy?

Every day we seem to have to use stronger and stronger words to describe the mundane. Where will it end?

I contributed training on Advanced Sourcing workshops as an Affiliate Partner with Shally Steckerl’s JobMachine Inc., the industry’s foremost provider of Passive Talent research methods. I served as Moderator for a Three Part Series on Blogging for Talent, Branding and Web 2.0 Relationships, “The evolution of Social Networking for the Passive Talent Masses, Guerrilla Sourcing to Mainstream Relationships.” I Co-Presented at both a Kennedy Expo workshop featuring Shally Steckerl (“A Sourcing Guru’s Guide To Hacking Linkedin”) and as a panel moderator at general session in Las Vegas 2007 and at an ERE workshop in San Diego on Advanced Sourcing featuring Shally and Glenn Gutmacher.

Sounds like complete crap to me. Did people pay to hear this?

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“People out here [in L.A.] may be getting the phones for free,” says Motorola’s director of entertainment marketing, David Pinsky who has given away his share of phones. “But they’re the ones influencing the people in the middle of America to buy.”

What ever happened to identifying the best solution for your specific needs, or am I just a nerd?

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A seventh-grade Sagewood Middle School student is facing disciplinary action from school administrators for compiling a list of those he dislikes.

So I assume Santa’s naughty list would have him thrown in chokey?

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