... and as other nations -- even those we don't think of as especially prone to censorship, like Australia -- have started to apply to the internet You make it

... and as other nations -- even those we don't think of as especially prone to censorship, like Australia -- have started to apply to the internet You make it sound like blanket Internet censorship has already begun in Australia. This is not the case. Firstly you have to understand that the "clean feed" idea that the Australian Government has been bandying about since they were elected has more to do with political manoeuvring than any desperate desire for censorship. Certain key conservative independents are enamoured with the idea and the government generally needs their support to pass controversial legislation. The "clean feed" is wildly unpopular with Australian industry and the public. Many grass roots organisations have quickly taken up the fight against it and some of Australia's largest ISPs have even spoken out publicly[1]. The government said that industry was misinformed or some such crap, but the damage had been done. Last reports spoke of a trial going ahead involving some Australian ISPs, using a small test sized blacklist. This blacklist was subsequently leaked and just hammered further nails into the coffin of the "clean feed" when it was discovered that the blacklist contained many sites of types that were not meant to be censored[2]. The government back-peddled, saying the blacklist was not the "official" list or some such crap, but the damage had been done. There has not been a peep out of the government about this censorship business for months now since the leaking of the blacklist. I think and hope they've decided that the idea is far too controversial to pursue. If they do ever get back onto it, you can bet that they will encounter even more resistance than before. The only thing that has ensured the "clean feed" is not permanently dead are the hysterical "won't somebody please think of the children!" cries coming from those who have no understanding of the technology involved and desperately wish to impose their own social standards on the rest of us. Those with vested interests choose to exploit these sentiments and only those who have not bothered to inform themselves of the real issues find them compelling. So please don't offhandedly cite the boogy man of blanket Internet censorship in Australia to strengthen your argument. It's far from a forgone conclusion and if I had to bet, I'd say it won't come to pass. [1] http://www.zdnet.com.au/insight/communications/soa/ISP-level-content-filtering-won-t-work/0,139023754,339292158,00.htm http://www.zdnet.com.au/insight/communications/soa/ISP-level... [2] http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2009/03/19/1237054961100.html http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2009/03/19/1237054961100.html