Phil,

Thanks for looking for silver linings.

The filtering of Aust internet has been going on for longer than these articles suggest.

The first attempt was by our previous leader "anti gun Johnny", or Teflon Johnny as he was also know because nothing stuck to him. It was to be ISP Based filtering. No opt out. No choice of lists. Total filtering. BUT, they couldn't get it to work properly. A search for terms such as Breast Cancer gave no results as they were blocked because of the word Breast.

Instead, he decided the govt would make filtering software - Net Nanny, Cyber Patrol, that kind of thing - available for FREE to any parents, groups, schools, etc., that wanted them. It was a costly exercise that resulted in not too many downloads and even fewer installations and uses - how they know someone was using it is what bothers me.

This alone should indicate to the govt - regardless of political affiliation - how the Aust people view such censorship. And they should leave the filtering up to the parents. There is plenty of software available for the parents to use.

So it's not going to be a question of IF. But WHEN. Poster Boy Rudd - our current leader - has already switched tact. His intentions prior to the election were NOT widely reported by the Mainstream Media. And this has also Not been reported. He gets no opposition from the Opposition Party as they had tried to implement it previously.

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Ankesh,

Thanks for suggesting proxies.

Alas, such options are not as available as you may think. Because ISPs here make it so you cannot surf via a proxy. AND, you need to initially go through their gear to start with as it's all propriatary.

For instance. IINET - Aust biggest ISP - does not have ADLS2 in my areas because they haven't been Allowed to install their equipment into the nearby exchange. Not allowed by Telstra - our once Govt Owned phone company who owns the Lines and Exchanges and who leases said resources to other phone providers. (You think there is choice? There is not really. No matter who you use as your fixed line provider, Telstra makes a buck.)

Of course, when we can get wireless Satelite internet provided by an offshore source, then filtering will be hard for the Aust govt to do, right?

Michael Ross