Being Quoted by Senator Conroy in any context is not, in my opinion,something to write home about.

Our (Australia's) NBN, providing it is not broken by inept politicians or institutional greed and stupidity,is a worthwhile national project. BUT

Censorship of the Internet (Senator Conroy being a proponent of a (Internet censorship) system which will rivals China's, under the guise of "child protection", is also part of the National Broadband Network (NBN).

Thanks for that feedback. I have heard this since posting a link on Twitter. Conroy seems to be backing an untenable form of sponsorship by requiring a government-created, -monitored, and -enforced blacklist of sites.

Now, I don't understand Australian politics, but it seems like quite a leap from a silly effort to block criminal sites (which will simply be routed around, as happens in China) to wholesale repression of unwanted ideas that are legal in all other forms.

While not supporting what Conroy and his government are proposing, partly because it simply doesn't work as has been widely shown, aren't you taking a big leap? I thought Australian were ruggedly independent and wouldn't tolerate this nonsense in any form, in any case!

Glenn, Australians are fiercely independent, but Conroy is still intent on ramming it through, irregardless of the communities (highly vocal) wishes.

Yes, as it is planned, it will be easily circumvented, but the majority of users, through inertia, or ill founded fears of "breaking their internet" will do nothing.

Conroy himself is branding anyone who is against the proposed internet filter as pro child pornography, as if saying it often enough, the population will believe him.

"It is dangerous to be right when the government is wrong." Voltaire

Fascinating to see such progressive and regressive components in one proposal.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/12/15/2772467.htm

Cheers

The Broadband Network was part of the government's election platform. Conroy seems to have dreamed up the filter idea all by himself - it sets a dangerous precedent for censoring the Net without ever having to tell the public what may make its way onto the blacklist now or in the future.

Hmm, We can't even get ADSL2 in rural NSW (Glen Innes). Don't talk about fiber broadband or HDTV, Just do it!
John Wood

"electricity being the killer app of 1900... broadband is the killer app today"

Killer apps of what? Copper?

Isn't Conroy (or his speech writer) just trying to sound hip? Surely electricity and broadband are the things applied not the applications.