Dear Stephen Conroy,

I work in the IT Industry in Sydney and so I have been closely following the proposal to filter the internet at an ISP levels. I won't re-iterate what I'm sure other more experienced experts than myself have already told you: that the plan is unworkable both from a technical level and from a government level or that it is going to cost millions of dollars and be unlikely to deliver any real outcomes.

I'm writing to you about the international press about the plan which is hampering Australia's ability to be taken seriously in the IT space. Articles such as this one, which came out today, have long lasting detrimental affect in terms of the reputation of Australia's tech-saviness:

ars technica net filtering article

Americans and Europeans read articles like this and quite rightly think Australians do not understand the internet at a government level and are still trying to treat it like books, TV and Film. In a globalized economy this ignorance damages our ability to be participate in the tech economy. Listen to the ISPs, your technical experts, consumers and voters and stop this plan which is designed only to make those who do not understand it feel a sense of protection that they do not have.

Thanks

Name: effy-d
Email: zzz at zz dot com
Time: 12/11/08 - 01:02:56

*starts slow clap* :D