Senator Stephen Conroy has posted a new blog post called “Minister Conroy on: Promoting a civil and confident society online“. Sounds like crap, Senator.
Sen. Conroy’s blog post is nothing more than Government spin doctors working the media. What concerns me most is this section:
We are happy to have an open debate about these technical issues. However, the Government does not view this debate as an argument about freedom of speech.
Freedom of speech is fundamentally important in a democratic society and there was never any suggestion that the Australian Government would seek to block political content. In this context, claims that the Government’s policy is analogous to the approach taken by countries such as Iran, China and Saudi Arabia are not justified.
Australian society has always accepted that there is some material which is not acceptable, particularly for children. … All the Government is now seeking to do is to examine how technology can assist in filtering internationally-hosted content.
Why am I concerned? People are buying it.
At work, the verdict is that I’m into Child Pornography. Why? Well why else would I want there to be no filter? I’m wanting to access illegal sites. The rest just don’t give a toss about whether there is a filter or not. It won’t affect them and that’s all they care about.
So what can we do to win over the average Joe?
- Take action in a professional manner.
- Take action in small teams.
- Take action to get the facts right.
- Take action now.
Take action in a professional manner
It is important that we look at who we are trying to win over. We aren’t after the radicals or the net-savvy geeks - that is preaching to the converted. We need to speak to the educated middle class. Remember that the education standards are higher than ever, so people want a polished look.
Having the right equipment (PA systems, data projector, an appropriate room) conveys messages of authority and professionalism. Having a smartly-dressed presenters(s) making good, clear arguments adds to the message. Banner waving isn’t going to convince them.
Take action in small teams
We need to make small efforts to make big wins. One small group of people at a time, properly informed on the issues and implications is better than hundreds and hundreds of people who know nothing about the argument. Each person we get enthused and involved helps to keep the message moving.
Having well informed supporters provides more chance that the message will stick and be consistant. Hand out flyers, hold presentations in librarys or perhaps go to the meeting of a local social group (perhaps a playgroup or local sports club) and give them the facts to take home and think about themselves. Small progress will bring big results.
Take action to get the facts right.
There is no point in taking all this action if the information is wrong. We need a strong and solid message to take to the people so that each time they hear it, it consolidates their support. We need to have the facts right from the first go. No pseudo-science — only the truth. If we don’t know it, take the question down, go find the answer and come back next time (or email/call to give the answer) .
Getting it right now means staying on message and understanding all the facts and information. That way Government misinformation can be combatted swiftly. Further research may bring new points which support our position.
Take action now
There is no better time to act than now. Momentum is being won day by day thanks to the Government getting their message through to the ordinary Australian. If we want to continue to have the freedom to use an unfiltered Internet service, you need to start working now. This isn’t a case where you sit back and think, “They’ll never do it!” They are doing it!
Form local groups. Start a wiki with tips on how to support the cause and the facts of the case. Start video blogs. Why not make a presentation at the local library or hold an information session? Write a presentation, have it filmed and DVD’d to people who request it through a website!
It might seem all a bit much, but this fight is a whole lot more than a bit much. We need to take action now before we lose our rights. The solution does not solve the problem.Tags: conroy, crap, filter, nocleanfeed, spin, take action
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Daniel O’Connor said,
The whole DBCDE blog thing has made me so angry.
There are no answers, there is no engagement, the hundreds of comments which are anti-filter are just ignored…
Worse; the spin being put in there agrees with us in a lot of places - but fails to mention the painful points.
IE:
Q: “It won’t block P2P, so what’s the point”
A: “Oh we know it won’t block P2P, its not a silver bullet.”
… uh what?
Then why are you doing it? If most child filth is spread by non-web protocols, and you know you won’t be able to properly filter those, WHAT THE HELL IS THE POINT.
Its just a huge example of the government not getting it.
So. Angry.