The West is running a “Leavers’ Diary” in their Blogs section: Day One, Day Two, Day Three, Day Four. It’s a tedious, poorly-written mishmash of “got pissed, got laid, spewed, fuck yeah.” As you’d pretty much expect from Schoolies’ Week…. Read More ›
freedom of speech
freedom OF speech does not guarantee freedom FROM criticism
“Firewalls Under Fire”: Mark Newton talks internet censorship on Today show
Karl Stefanovic interviewed internet service provision expert and outspoken censorship critic Mark Newton on yesterday’s Today Show. Click on the eye image to see video. ~~~ Transcript: Karl Stefanovic: [Australia?]’s plan for a new internet filter has been widely criticised… Read More ›
Internet Censorship on MMM’s Spoonman Part Two: with Iinet’s Steve Dalby
This is part two of a transcription of MMM’s Spoonman show on internet censorship, which aired 13 November 2008. You can download the podcast here, and Part One, an interview with EFA Chair Dale Clapperton, is transcribed here. Here’s part… Read More ›
Net censorship roundup: Fielding and Xenophon want filters to include legal material
From today’s Sydney Morning Herald: Net filters may block porn and gambling sites Family First Senator Steve Fielding wants hardcore pornography and fetish material blocked under the Government’s plans to filter the internet, sparking renewed fears the censorship could be… Read More ›
Fun with blogs and Christian Kerr, who doesn’t understand them
Christian Kerr was never my favourite Crikey! contributor back in the day, so I wasn’t especially aware of his opinion on many issues due to mostly skipping his byline (basically I avoided anything by him that was not straight political… Read More ›
Thread of the week: playful pedants alert
From John Scalzi: Another Entry in the Annals of “People Who Haven’t the Slightest Idea What They’re Saying” Awww, look. Someone’s trying to lecture me on speech and the Internet! A fabulous exploration into what does and what does not… Read More ›
Draconian, repugnant and unnecessary
The title is quoted from this ABC Online article with respect to the special regulations in force from yesterday until the end of this month that relate to the behaviour of onlookers and protesters to the Roman Catholic World Youth… Read More ›
Hypocrite Watch: Ben Stein et al
Bunch of uptight chaps make a documentary (Expelled) about how academia is repressing the rough and tumble of free speech about biological evolution (they think evolution is a pernicious myth). Same bunch of uptight chaps hold “press conferences” where instead… Read More ›
Censoring the Internet: Conroy plays King Canute
[This is a guest post by strangedave, yoinked with permission from a comment here. David is a board member of Electronic Frontiers Australia, and many other things besides. Here, he addresses the current plan for mandatory, national, opt-out ISP-based internet… Read More ›
You – You – You – Non-cookie-cutter feminist, you!
Har. Censorship fan Deborah Robinson has taken a swipe at me for criticising the government’s doomed, technically impossible “clean feed” scheme. After her stoush with Duncan Riley, she is now dismayed – dismayed! – that a FEMINIST writer could POSSIBLY… Read More ›
Hoyden About Town 