Analyst: Optus' Internet filter participation shocking and disappointing

Big Mistake

Its a pity our beloved King Krudd has no understanding of the Internet.

I total support his aims and goals but the Internet is not as simple as a single source of contaminated data. It is a web connection not a single wire, it has information coming in from millions of diverse sources.

I am a IT expert, I have been active with the Internet since 1975, while it is impossible to filter the Internet it is quite easy to mount Internet attacks on any server that gives any safe haven to these monsters. You must fight like with like, they use the net we should close there hosting servers down or jam the severs with constant barrage of incoming traffic, this will work, but will annoy many foreign governments

providing evil people with porn dose not keep the innocent safe, it feeds their evil, building up appetites for more and more evil... Personal I would bring back burning at the stake for them, but I am biased

You have the wrong end of this I'm afraid...

While I am opposed to the filter, I cannot agree with your comments that paedophiles should be catered for, or the statement that as it is already out there we should just let it be. Children were harmed in making that porn, and children will continue to be harmed by those who will make more paedo porn. It would be like suggesting that necrophiliacs should be catered for...who would you like them to kill?

BUT the filter as proposed will not stop child porn / criminals / terrorists. Most of this material is hidden in P2P networks and chat rooms. Neither of which the filter can stop. The filter as proposed will sweep up many other legitimate websites, and the process will be secret with no process of oversight.

The filter has been thought up by people who view the internet as a static place, where each website address is akin to "house". The logic is that we can create a list of "bad houses, where the bad guys live" and thus block the gate. But it ignores that the bad guys can move "house" at the click of a mouse. It ignores that the bad guys can meet eachother on the street and worst of all it ignores that the bad guys can "walk down the road" to where our kids play.

So we will have a secret system of censorship, which will do little to fix the problems of chat room grooming, fraud, identity theft, bullying, and the majority of "bad things" that happen online.

This is what people should be focusing on, and not get distracted by the "think of the children" rhetoric. Where is the cybersafety in shutting our eyes?

Slow, uhh!

No wonder Optus is so slow now - or is this just an excuse for their already being slow on ADSL2+ ???

Boycott Optus!!

The only way to make a stance and show our disapproval is to Boycott Optus!!

Web Filter

Conroy was asked, how will the Gov decide what is termed Inappropriate, reply was,in responce to complaints.
The UK as well as Aust, MEDICO'S have been on record for complaining about the "Internet" for allowing people to "self diagnose" and that it should be left to Drs to diagnose & Treat".

No one has discussed if Powerful bodys like the AMA that might pressure Conroy to BAN MEDICAL sites.
This would be under the "excuse" that Aust people are harming themselves by self treating...

People are using the Web to check up on private Dr's as well as Drs working in the Public hospitals, exposing errors ...

MEDICAL SITES MIGHT BE NEXT.

for the NBN?

This is just to gain favor with the government so Optus can get a bigger slice of the NBN.

Just because I said it is a form of sexuality, doesn't mean that I condone the actions of pedophiles that act out their desires.
I, my self, would have no hesitation in executing a human being who has been found guilty of molesting someone. As I know what molestation can do to someone. But we need to be rational at all times. Eg. we are all potential murderers, that doesn't mean that we should all be not allowed to own knives or hammers or guns.

It is just that our society has the same reaction you have. Head in the sand about those people who are born, or just are pedophiles. And I assume you think I am too because I stand up for my fellow human beings. We had the same ideas about homosexuality not that long ago.

yep. thats how I see it.

I agree. This is a cynical move by Optus to curry favour with the minister so that they get a bigger slice of the NBN.

I second everything said here, other than leaving Optus as an ISP because I am not with them, or ever would be thanks to this.

New Police System Needed

The Media controls what we here about the world, but the internet gives free speech. This is just another attempt to control the internet.

Traditional media (newpapers, classifieds,books, etc) is falling apart and the internet is going to send them bust.

Shame on Optus, this will do more harm than good for your company. The filter will expand, I would bet money on it. Who determines whats "appropiate"? I not talking about Child Porn....that's illegal.

I will never opt for a internet filter. As far as I'm concerned it's the parents responsibilty to control what is being viewed on the internet not taxpayers. It's also up to the AFP or State Police to control Child Porn and other related offences. Use the 128 million to setup an internet crimes taskforce....money much better spent.

The problem is that different countries have varying laws in regards to the internet and it becomes hard to police crimes committed in another country via the internet. Therefore the internet should be seen as a individual entity and policed by an International Police Force with laws designed for the internet. The Military has it's own laws why not the internet.

You could stamp out Internet Fraud, Child Porn, Hackers, Harmful Virus Makers etc quite quickly. They couldn't hide prosecution in countries like Russia as they do now.

The international community would pay into a fund that finances this "Global Internet Police".

Problem Fixed! No more viruses, internet child porn, credit card fraud etc.

bye bye optus

just got off the phone to optus and have cancelled my adsl service with them cant believe im saying this but telstra is looking a lot better than optus at the moment. I'll be signing with another isp as soon as ive finished having a search on whirlpool.
The quotes from Washington and Hitler are perfectly appropriate!

InternetFiltering = ThoughtControl ......!

Controlling what adults see and read ie, censorship, is purely about their, thought control, and only done for the benefit of those doing, the censorship. I agree, that children need to be protected from the worst to be found on the internet, which means, that if the government is fair dinkum, about this, being the actual, reason, to introduce their internet filtering, then they should have absolutely, no objection, to making it an "opt-in scheme" where, individual parents can elect to join up to it, for the benefit of their kids protection. In 1939, the NAZIs burned "unapproved" books, in their efforts to control what the German people thought, as can be seen on the following link.

http://www.historyplace.com/worldwar2/ww2-pix/book-burn.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.historyplace.com/worldwar2/timeline/bookburn.htm&h=438&w=585&sz=70&tbnid=Tqzf9bo0ZQtPZM::&tbnh=101&tbnw=135&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dburning%2Bbooks&hl=en&usg=__YwQ7xEetAEULlKx1o3SCl5iT5So=&ei=h_LvSdqCOM2SkAXV78X4Cg&sa=X&oi=image_result&resnum=4&ct=image

Funny, how the rest of the "Allied" world, universally, decried their actions "then", as being totally abhorrent to "Democratic" thinking ....! I wonder what's changed so radically in the meantime, to inspire Mr Conroy's current actions ....????

Some famous quotes from history, come to mind.

1. "I may not agree with what you say, but I shall defend even unto death, your absolute right, to say it"

2. "They who forget, the lessons of history, are doomed to repeat them"

3. "Goodnight and Good Luck" ....!

Leaving Optus

I'm cancelling my optus mobile account. There is no way I'm supporting a company that is against free speech.

The net

Try and google the history of the Internet, you will be supprised

The development of the Internet began in 1957, Not 1980s
and we are the Smart country - oh boy maybe we do have the government we deserve..

As an expert I still assert filtering is impossible
even a child could get past any filtering system
unless the are severely intellectually disadvantaged

and I totally support the Idea of censoring the Internet

Typically Singaporean

Just remember Optus is the Australian sales and marketing arm of Singtel and Singaporeans see nothing wrong with government controls over free speech etc.

Their target market is also not technology literate people - more the plug and play mums and dads crowd.

But yes it is a blatant suck up - probably won't work because despite their numerous faults the Australian government is not really interested in having the Singaporeans having a large say in Australian communications infrastructure.

Its the method of use, not what the filter is allegded to do thats the matter of contention...Kiddie porn is the scare tactic,Like any good insurence sales pitch.
As a point to prove to you, go onto the internet and try and find child porn.
I bet you $100 dollars you wont find some, unless you are a member of a ring with access to their file share, which is passworded and hidden.
Very rarely this filth leechs onto the net, and when it does it isnt there long, you are being suckered into something that is not all that it appears to be, or at the very least has agenda,s that will change or be abused.
And to top all that off the whole thing is somewhat flawed, as even the Chinese found out, if they cant get filtering system to work what hope has the Government who has proven to be somewhat naive about how the internet works, as most filters are bypassed very great ease, and any child will learn the skill off other children within months and you will be blissfully unaware and thinking your children are safe as you have placed all your trust into a government body.

Be a responable parent and moniter your own children, never allow a government to do this, to much blame is directed away from parents as it is, take ownership and deal with it yourself.
So in response to your over cliched and flambouyant headline, I would say all of us are thinking of the welfare of our children, to be responable and understand the freedom of speech, to fight government censorship of ideas and in themselves to grow and learn and understand for themselves and with a parents guidance what is right and wrong...No government SHOULD have to tell anyone what is right and wrong, common sense should do that and good parenting.

Yes, Anonymouse 13:18, and it's even more interesting to see you in action quoting an unrelated string of out-of-context selective selections from other posts.

Seems the big government/big religion unholy secret censorship union gets ten points for creativity but zero for factual relevance to the issue of secret government censorship.

Perhaps a few other out-of-context quotes, selected this time from the Rabbit Proof Filter brigade, would be even funnier, as most of them have little idea about how "the internets" actually works?

The filtering has already started and i have heard its not only blocking web pages but affecting p2p as thats something they denied blocking when they were asked. many optus users are finding the internet slow and there new plans are misleading of making the promise of 20 meg and many users are not getting anywhere near the speeds and p2p is blocked too as users are not able to download anymore from p2p. its been said that optus are blocking ports and this is affecting other protocols too.