Boing Boing has started collecting stupid decisions by Internet filters. Example: a school blocking all forums and social networking sites. Talk about overkill!
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Finland makes our buses look crap, as well as our phones. “Every bus and tram in Helsinki and the surrounding cities of Vaanta and Espoo are being fitted with Linux servers and GPS units. Every bus and tram in the conurbation will not only become a wireless hotspot serving broadband internet throughout the vehicle — for free — but every bus and tram is visible on a Google map (the beta version is at tinyurl.com/2gftso) that uses the same real-time passenger information as the controllers in their command centre.” Hat-tip to Guy Beres.
Done! I’ve just emailed my application for the Australia 2020 Summit. Here’s my “100 words or less on why you (or your nominee) should participate”:
Australia’s democracy, created in the age of steam trains and the telegraph, must grasp the social media and online collaboration tools already transforming our world. Not tentatively, but with bold confidence.
I know these tools and their technology — and their flaws. Practical knowledge, untainted by the need to prop up old-media empires or sell products.
Armed with a high-powered “BS Detector”, I take a forensic approach to analysing complex issues — synthesizing and explaining practical solutions in clear, unambiguous language.
My passions are aroused by issues of integrity, human rights, truth, tolerance and transparency.
As I’ve mentioned before, my referees were Adam Salzer are Zern Liew. Nice to have one at each end of the alphabet, eh?
The more I look through my writing, the more I see the themes of this summit session running through so many articles.
Who’d have thought? An obituary for Heath Ledger in Middle English! Well, for a character he played. Doffing the hat to Quatrefoil, who writes, “Whoever writes this blog is frequently side-splittingly funny, but he or she can write (and knows their Middle English passing well). I am filled with wonder and envy.”
William F Buckley is dead. Given that “Mr Buckley’s greatest achievement was making conservatism — not just electoral Republicanism, but conservatism as a system of ideas — respectable in liberal post-World War II America. He mobilized the young enthusiasts who helped nominate Barry Goldwater in 1964, and saw his dreams fulfilled when Reagan and the Bushes captured the Oval Office,” I should probably know more about him, even though I’ll probably hate him. Perhaps you should too.
Chairman Rudd did a fairly lightweight interview about Australia 2020 on Tuesday with Kieran Gilbert of Sky News. Meanwhile, yesterday Crikey quoted my comments about choosing “representative” people, as opposed to “best and brightest” — right after a quote from Andrew Bolt. Does that make me a misogynist?
My astrology.com horoscope is odd today: “You need to slow down and sit out the next round of play, whether it’s romantic or work-related. You’re not in the best position to capitalize on your risk-taking quite yet, but things should change by next week.” I wonder what it means?
I’m stuck. I still can’t decide who to be my second referee for the Australia 2020 Summit. One will be Zern Liew, but I have a dilemma with the second…
As I commented, the people who’ve paid most attention to my work in this field haven’t known me long. My “old” referees, the ones with respectable titles, aren’t across my recent writing. I’m concerned that the old-fashioned nomination process won’t highlight what I want.
Or am I worrying too much?
I’m nominating for topic 9 on governance: “The future of Australian governance: open government (including the role of the media), the structure of government and the rights and responsibilities of citizens.”
I’ve finally had time to ponder The Australian‘s report on Internet filtering trials that I mentioned yesterday. While it describes the current status, the deeper message seems to be that the government doesn’t actually have a plan for this at all.
Yesterday was the deadline for purveyors of filters to register their interest with Enex TestLab, the Melbourne company running the trials. As they said in a newspaper ad:
We invite vendors of all types (hardware appliances, software — proprietary or open-source) of ISP-based internet content filters to participate.
The products will be tested in a “controlled environment” (i.e. the lab) in the first half of 2008, and then the “field trials” happen in the second half.
But looking at the original request for tender at AusTender, this “just” seems to be another exercise in seeing what’s available in the marketplace, rather than providing a “solution” [ugh!] which implements specific policy goals.
Not only do Australia’s Olympic athletes have superb pectorals, the government has set them up with a bevy of 5 to 12-year-olds to chat to on the Internet.
Olympian Andrew Gaze says the program will provide inspiration to young people and the Olympic team.
Indeed. And if you set up, say, Wollongong property developers with a bunch of pre-pubescents online, Serious Questions Would Be Asked. Why are Serious Questions not being asked about this initiative?
Creepy.
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