Conroy deserves Internet villain award: Minchin
- 14 July, 2009 10:57
- Comments 14
Communications minister Stephen Conroy
Federal communications minister Stephen Conroy has been awarded the title of Internet Villain of the Year at the 11th annual Internet Industry Awards, due to the government’s hugely unpopular plans for an Internet filter.
Selected by Britain’s ISPA Council, the Internet Villain category recognised individuals or organisations that have upset the Internet industry and hampered its development.
Conroy managed to trump French President Nicolas Sarkozy and the European Parliament to take out top honours, which was applauded by opposition communications spokesperson Nick Minchin.
“Senator Conroy’s ISP-level filtering proposal has raised enormous concerns about its effects on Internet speeds; about over-blocking and under-blocking; about the security of the ACMA black-list and about politically-motivated censorship of the Internet,” Minchin said.
“In his manic determination to introduce mandatory ISP-level filtering he has overseen a chaotic approach to the trialling filtering, with constantly changing goal posts and regular delays.”
Minchin said in these circumstances it comes as no surprise that Senator Conroy is this year’s Internet Villain.
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Comments
Anonymous
Whipping-boy Conroy can't take all the credit - I'm sure Rudd had a significant hand in this scheme...
Anonymous
Chief villain Captain Rudd had a hand in it alright. He said years ago he wanted to lock in factional support of religious fundamentalists.
He is doing that with the usual whatever-it-takes dirty politics, and to hell with the interests of all other Australians. Corporal Conroy is not bright enough to do anything other than follow his masters voice on imposing secret censorship.
Anonymous
This coming from liberals who sold off telstra and put us in the mess we are in.
Sniper
Conroy deserves Internet villain award: Minchin. Then Minchin should be awarded the internet village idiot award, for helping to make the current mess in the first place.
Anonymous
I think the internet filter wouldn't be so controversial as it is if the censored domain list wasn't kept from public view (currently allowing anything to be censored without criticism) and the censorship being mandatory with no option of truly opting out. These two things are what is bringing the whole thing down and rightly so. If Conroy wanted to do the right thing and get public support for his project he only need make those two changes. It will however mean that the list could no longer be used for political purposes which I don't think Conroy and friends want to happen. In short; if it's a good thing, it wouldn't be a secret and it wouldn't be mandatory.
Geoff
The issue of the Telstra sell off is a red herring, the censorship debacle is a completely separate issue. The Labor government (and yes I did vote for them) are acting on pressure from socially conservative religious groups, the problem of course is that the Liberal party have ties to very similar groups which doesn't leave a realistic government option for a secular voter!
Anonymous
how has the liberals selling off telstra impacted on labors internet censorship? btw, nice billion dollar deficit again labor, who could have seen that coming.
Ryan
I don't care if the opposition advocate the killing of baby whales for entertainment... This single issue will decide my next vote.
Anonymous
It is so easy to get around the filter that publishing the list would become the best advertising that a porn site could possibly get. Of course, the list will eventually get leaked, as happened in Europe, meaning that blocking will actually benefit the pornographers.
GAMES EQUAL 50% OF BAD BEHAVIOUR IN OUR SOCIETY
All you people are worried they may make your pathetic violent game playing experience less exciting if you can call Simulated Killing exciting, i think it's what's making our youth more violent,
i've experienced this numerous times whilst installing/repairing PC's for a living, kids seem to get that crazy look in their eyes when you mention games you know they are going to ask you if you play all the violent games, i'm extremely proud to say i would'nt touch them with a ten foot pole.
Anonymous
It should not be up to the government to "filter" all the "naughty" and inappropriate content.
Whatever happened to parental responsibility, If the children are accessing the internet, they should be monitored.
Because of 'a few bad eggs', everyone will be disadvantaged by this retarded and pointless scheme.
Anonymous
Sounds like someone doesn't know what they are talking about.
gnome
I'll believe that 18:01 knows what they are talking about re the stupid filter idea when I hear them say that the government should listen to all phone calls and open and read all snailmail in case somebody uses a naughty word.
Until then, I can see who doesn't know what they are talking about.
Jason
I think that look in the eyes is called "excitement"; it's what normal people do when you mention a topic they find stimulating.
Also, just thought I'd point it out, humans are violent creatures, and violence isn't a new phenomenon with video games. If anything, video games provide an outlet for an instinct that's best enjoyed virtually, not really.
And while I know you're highly qualified, as a computer repairman, there are more qualified people than you who aren't sure either way. And I hardly think we should be banning things on the basis of idle speculation and unsubstantiated opinions. Like yours.
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