🚀 go-pugleaf

Writing in aus.org.acs afreeman@pcug.org.au (Andrew Freeman)
wrote:

>EFA has developed an online petition to oppose the government's
>content regulation proposals.  The petition is intended to be presented to the
>Senate and has the support of a number of online organisations,
>including ACS.

>The attached media release announces the petition and further
>information is available on the Campaign page at:

>     http://www.efa.org.au/Campaigns/contreg.html

>The actual petition is at:

>     http://www.efa.org.au/Campaigns/petition.html

>I would encourage ACS members to consider signing the petition, to
>show your opposition to Net Censorship in Australia.

>Circulate this message as widely as possible.

 I certainly signed the petition as soon as I saw it.  I think
it's important for people to realise that politcians do/can (well
sometimes] sit up and take notice.

 Last week Rosanne Bersten of the Internet.au magazine addressed
the Communications SIG of the Sydney PC User group, expressing
concern at the "push" technology being promoted in the next
generation of browsers, and how the interactive element, (so
prevelant in Bulletin Boards over the past decade.. my words )
could well be lost, with Internet users becoming little more than
"couch potatoes" [consuming government authorised and vetted
material... my words, not hers ].  

 I pointed out both at the meeting (very briefly) and in mail
addressed to Rosanne that although bulletin boards, such as
those that carried/still carry the infamous LTUAE conference,
were closing, there are a multitude of bulletin boards accessible
via the Internet.  I would like to follow this theme at a later
date, but as an addendum append two messages I posted from the
notorious Fidonet LTUAE conference regarding the March on
Parliament House that took place in March last year.
 
 Two of the BBS's mentioned in this missive have since closed.
In the case of one I saw the look of something approaching fear
on a sysop's face when the seemingly never ending inquiry into
cyberspace was mentioned.  The threat of Telstra's increased
charges to BBS operators were also met with displeasure.

 I leave the signature at the bottom of these messages, even
though Archer BBS no longer exists, and Sharon and the memory of
her husband have moved to Brisbane ( I messaged briefly from
Sharon's board while she was here in Sydney ].
 
 Hi there Sharon and if you should read this, keep well :-) :-)


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Area: LTUAE
 Msg: #1808
Date: 28-May-96 07:55:52
From: Bob Bain
  To: All
Subj: EFA Cyberspace march


          May 27th 1996 - The EFA March/Rally - Sydney

--------------------------------------------

 I took a day off work to attend this march.  It was a bright if
somewhat cold sunny day.  I considered taking a train but walked
over Sydney Harbour Bridge instead.  This wasn't so much
practice.  The walk from Hyde Park to Parliament House is just a
few yards, which and wouldn't unduly tax my feet.

 I wandered into a pub at the Rocks at 11 o'clock, and drooled
over a schooner vaguely listening to the news.  I listened
aimlessly and then heard "Hundreds of computer users are marching
today to protest the NSW government's legislation regarding
censorship in cyberspace.  EFA... such and such, so and so say
the government has 'gone completely over the top on this, the
protesters are leaving Hyde Park now. I looked at my watch.  It
was just a few minutes past 11, and the rally wasn't due
to begin until 12, and the march wasn't scheduled until 1.

 I quickly downed the schooner, and meandered into the direction
of Hyde Park.  I saw a largish man with a large blue ribbon
dragged over his chest, accompanied by a shorter person.  The
shorter person looked me in the eye and cried "Bob..", and I
recognised a long lost Paragon BBS contributer, Carl.

 Carl and I wandered over to the pub and I had another schooner.
 I downed this and wandered over to Hyde Park where there was a
gathering around what may have been a soap box.  Organisers
handed out a few leaflets from a blue bucket.  I noticed the
press, Channel 9 and another channel ( I think it may have been
Channel 10 (?) ).  Out of the corner of my eye noticed a person
with a banner proclaiming the second coming of Christ was nigh,
but figured he probably wasn't part of the proceedings. :-)

 The numbers of people increased and when the organisers took to
the stand there may have been 200 or so.  The cameramen shuffled.
Danny took to the microphone and was a little hestitant to begin
with, and I can only paraphrase "I have a copy of the legislation
and the press release issued today.  All the Attorney General
speaks about is paedophealia. It's nothing but paedophilia this
and paedophilia that, as though the whole Internet is literred
with paedophilia and nothing else".  The cameramen shuffled
again.  "But paedophilia is illegal.  We don't need more laws
regarding the Internet to deal with paedophilia"

 The next speaker, a lady who was a network co-ordinator or
similar stood up and gave a rousing speech.  The cameramen
stopped shuffling and gripped their cameras.   The cloud
applauded vigorously.

 Another lady from an Internet magazine took the podium and
vigorously defended the rights of people to read in cyberspace
material they can read or purchase legally at any newsagent or
bookstore.  Two sets of large microphones, presumably TV mikes
gathered every word. This speech seemed to be noticed by the
attendant media and I noticed her giving interviews after leaving
the podium.  In essence it was suggested that children have as
much or more exposure to sexually oriented material at the local
newsagent than on the Internet and that material legal in 'real
life' shouldn't be banned from the net.

 The next speaker was from Digital Queers Australia.  He spoke of
the legislation prohibiting all sexually explicit material from
the net. "How," he asked "can people discuss important matters of
human sexuality without being sexually explicit."

 The crowd applauded.  Danny took the mike again, appearing more
confident and less hesitant after the rousing speeches.  "I'd
love to say what I really think of this legislation," he boomed
"but I'd probably be censored if I did".

 The crowd applauded.

 The march proceeded in an orderly fashion with a police car
taking the rear.  One minute I was wandering through Hyde Park
talking to Carl discussing rallies in the Philipines ( "In the
Philipines we had rallies like this with regard to President
Marcos, but when the police came we scattered" ) and the next I
felt somewhat glued to a mass of humanity calling out slogans
"What do we want.  Freedom of Speech. When do we want it now !".
I notices the Channel 9 cameraman homing in on the large marcher
with the blue sash.

 At Parliament House police asked the rally to thin down the
footpath and not to hog the roadway.  People willingly complied.
A number of people pinned blue ribbons to the railings of
Parliament House.  No politicians were seen, or came to greet the
rally.  I believe the gates were locked on approach.

 After the symbolic gesture was made the crowd willingly
dispersed, and Carl and I meandered down to another pub where we
had another few schooners, talked about the Internet and
exchanged e-mail addresses.

 I wandered around a little tipsy, although moderately sober (?)
and meandered down to to a PC User group in the evening.  "Bob
you're very casual this evening".  "Yes, I've just marched on
Parliament House". I explained the issues, draconian legislation
etc. with regard to personal e-mail. "Wouldn't this be illegal
under the privacy act". The answer to that is I don't really
know.

 Got home and watched the news (recorded).  The march was
covered. "Censorship in cyberspace".  The long rousing speech was
cut to a few seconds, but the words "nothing should be illegal in
cyberspace which would be illegal in real life" was selected as
the highlight of the speech.  Images of scantily clad models
(possibly from calendars) hit the screen.  The attorney general
was interviewed.  "We can't just allow people to post anything
they like on the Internet", but his interview to the press was
almost as short as the brief snippets from the rally. I notice a
few closeup shots of characters in the crowd, some fairly mature.

 I Logged onto the Internet and read the EFA echo and noticed
someone had posted some .gif files of the rally on a web page.
This covered the marchers pinning ribbons on Parliament House,
something which Channel 9 didn't cover, perhaps indicating how
much news is selectively filtered and perhaps how more meaningful
as a medium for disseminating news and information cyberpace can
be.

 Had a coffee and went to sleep.  I guess this is democracy (?)

... Exercise your right to disarm and keep bears!
___ Blue Wave/386 v2.30

---  Xenolink 1.981,  XQwk 1.6  [REG 10062]
 * Origin: Archer BBS +61-2-371-0347  ArcherNet International
(3:712/392)


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Message #8877/8877 in [Fidonet]  LTUAE (EchoMail)
Info   : <- #8838
From   : Bob Bain         (POST 19-Jun-1996 07:34)
To     : Loki Carbis
Subject: EFA Cyberspace march

Loki,

 > That'd be Rosanne Bersten, editor of "Internet.au".

Thanks for the name.  I didn't note it down and it's interesting
to know who it was.  I might have a peruse of this magazine,
although somehow the concept of "Internet" with glossy pictures
of promising Web sites seems somewhat irrelevant to those of us
with web browsers and Internet accounts.

I think it good that she deals with issues of human rights.
Rights are often easily overlooked or trampled over.  The United
Nations has a universal declaration of human rights.  It's an
interesting document.  They have a branch here in Sydney.  It's
located just above Dick Smith Electronics in York Street from
what I recall.

 >         Interesting point you raise.  Since it is impossible
 > to actually set up an Internet monopoly, I wonder how messrs
 > Packer,

I would imagine they would want to ban it, or cripple it.
Amazing how much hype is coming from the press.  I doubt if they
have a vested interest in doing so, but the thought is there...

It is possible to set up an Interenet monopoly, by obtaining the
sole ownership of the gateways and cables it operates over and
issuing decrees and laws by the hundred, coupled with threat of
jail terms and fines.  This is what is being attempted !!!!

                                     Bob

--- Ezycom V1.20 01fa00cc
 * Origin: In Memory of Michael... My Wonderful Husband..
  (3:714/932.234)


--
Bob Bain, Sydney, Australia   
bobb@acslink.aone.net.au