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As I understand it - it was actually ONLY the specific page on wikileaks that is actually blocked. So just linking to the Top Domain is not blocked yet. See

As I understand it - it was actually ONLY the specific page on wikileaks that is actually blocked. So just linking to the Top Domain is not blocked yet. See here for a major news org linking to wikileaks: http://www.smh.com.au/news/home/technology/banned-hyperlinks-could-cost-you-11000-a-day/2009/03/17/1237054787635.html?page=fullpage http://www.smh.com.au/news/home/technology/banned-hyperlinks... From the political side - this is likely (hopefully) a bit of a dead duck. Kevin Rudd (and the Labour Party) have the majority in the lower house (the House of Reps) - but don't have that in the upper house (Senate). To get through the Senate - Labour needs either the support of the Liberal Party (who are our 'right-wing' major party) - OR the support of The Greens (5 senators), Steve Fielding (from the 'Family First' party) and the one Independant (Nick Xenophon). The Greens and the Liberals have some out against this policy, as has Nick Xenophon. So unless something dramatic changes - then this wont pass the Senate. We've also got the ridiculous lack of classification of R rated games. So games like GTA IV can't get released here (without being modified). All that being said - I've been giving some thought to this.. If I import a package, bring home a suitcase, etc - it may get inspected (either based on a suspicion or on random screening). Can I get some wisdom from the HN crowd - how is random screening / occasional screening of Packets logically or legally different to this? Obviously there are technical problems - but I can't see a logical difference. Another thought on our Internet access - it's slow and we all have download caps (usually with shaping after that - occasionally with extra charges) Parrt of this is our major telco (Telstra) dragging their feet - but large parts are the fact that theres only so many cables linking us to the rest of the world... So what's so good about Australia? Good weather, great beaches, banks that aren't bankrupt, friendly people... :D

cousin_it 18y ago
Can I get some wisdom from the HN crowd - how is random screening / occasional screening of Packets logically or legally different to this? Bad analogy: a) internet packages are not suitcases but words spoken across the border, b) you think only sites hosted outside Australia will be censored? Ha ha.
- whatusername 18y ago
  As I understand it - anything that is hosted inside australia and would end up on the blacklist is illegal in the "throw you into jail" sense... So I understood (b) all right.. I know that the argument is: This 'X' is illegal in Australia - you can't buy it in a book / you can't host it / why should you be allowed to 'import' it as bits.. as for a) -- It's a long way to shout to PNG.. :) And I'm still not 100% comfortable with describing TCP Packets as "words'.
  - cousin_it 18y ago
    You seem to reason like this: we already have internal censorship, why not external? Of course, once you're okay with censorship as a general idea, you can invent all sorts of logical arguments to justify expanding it. But I find this thought process disturbing - don't you?

cousin_it 18y ago

Can I get some wisdom from the HN crowd - how is random screening / occasional screening of Packets logically or legally different to this? Bad analogy: a) internet packages are not suitcases but words spoken across the border, b) you think only sites hosted outside Australia will be censored? Ha ha.

whatusername 18y ago
As I understand it - anything that is hosted inside australia and would end up on the blacklist is illegal in the "throw you into jail" sense... So I understood (b) all right.. I know that the argument is: This 'X' is illegal in Australia - you can't buy it in a book / you can't host it / why should you be allowed to 'import' it as bits.. as for a) -- It's a long way to shout to PNG.. :) And I'm still not 100% comfortable with describing TCP Packets as "words'.
- cousin_it 18y ago
  You seem to reason like this: we already have internal censorship, why not external? Of course, once you're okay with censorship as a general idea, you can invent all sorts of logical arguments to justify expanding it. But I find this thought process disturbing - don't you?