Boing Boing has started collecting stupid decisions by Internet filters. Example: a school blocking all forums and social networking sites. Talk about overkill!
My Australia 2020 application… done!
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.
William F Buckley is dead
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.
Lightweight interview on Australia 2020
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?
Still can’t decide on Australia 2020 referee
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.”
Internet filtering trials begin!
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.