Alex Hautot

Welcome to the Internet Government.

Particularly I'd like to welcome the poor people sitting in an office deciding if what is being posted here is offensive or not. Considering the fact that we are online I can only imagine that the 600 replies that are visible here are only the tip of the iceberg, so I thank you for your hard work.

At the same time I'd like to say that this is emblematic of the the current approach used to the internet by those in power: heavy handed and completely wrong for the task at hand.

As I recall, in the days before the election I was strongly hopeful of a Labor win, as even for those in this wonderful internet-land, there was good news of an upgrade to the broadband on which we all thrive. So far this has stalled at the hands of Telstra, for which I cannot blame the Government. However, this filter, which now that I investigate was proposed by then opposition front bencher, Mr. Tanner back in 2006, was not something that I heard about. Perhaps this was a classic case of listening to what I wanted to hear.

More to the point, why has it taken two and a half years for someone to tell him that it won't work. Perhaps more importantly when it was politically and technically unfeasible in 2006, why does he think it to be such a good idea now? Certainly technology has improved, but as was demonstrated just this week, with the entirety of the UK being unable to edit Wikipedia, it is in no way of a level where normal access to the internet can continue and so far from perfect...

Again, welcome to the Internet.