Digital New Year's Resolution: Currently the Australian government is considering some stultifying if not downright terrifying changes for Australian Internet users. These changes are referred to as "clean-feed internet" and will force ISPs to censor the internet for all Australians. What this will mean is - and I quote: 1. Filtering will be mandatory in all homes and schools across the country. 2. The clean feed will censor material that is 'harmful and inapproriate' for children. 3. The filter will require a massive expansion of the ACMA's (The Australian Communications and Media Authority) blacklist of prohibited content. 4. The Government want to use dynamic filters of questionable accuracy that slow the internet down by an average of 30%.
This is a short but horrible list of some of the changes proposed So my digital resolution and/or hope for the new year would be that either the Australian government comes to its senses. Unlikely. That the local and global networks can work their magic through political pressure, international outrage and somehow stop this crazy action. <http://nocleanfeed.com/>http://nocleanfeed.com/ Bio: Maria Miranda (Australia) works in collaboration with Norie Neumark on media projects - we call our collaboration Out-of-sync. We've been working together for over 15 years, and have made work across media from radio plays to CDROM to networked installation. Currently I am completing a PhD in Media Studies at Macquarie University Sydney researching uncertain practices and unsitely aesthetics in media art, including artists' use of the Internet as one site of their work. -- Renate Ferro and Tim Murray Co-Moderators, -empyre- a soft-skinned-space Department of Art/ Rose Goldsen Archive of New Media Art Cornell University _______________________________________________ empyre forum empyre@lists.cofa.unsw.edu.au http://www.subtle.net/empyre
