Bureaucracy

In Douglas Adam's book 'The Hitch-hikers guide to the galaxy' the Earth was in fact a vast supercomputer designed to answer the 'ultimate question' (you know, of life, the universe and everything) but 5 minutes before it was to complete it's program it was demolished to make way for a hyperspace bypass. 'Ah well' sighs Slartibartfast, the planet engineer, 'That's bureaucracy for you..'

I mention this because we now have in Australia a real-life example of bureaucratic stupidity in action.

The ACMA has established a list of so-called blacklisted web-sites, and if your web page links to one you're up for heavy fines and possibly imprisonment. Now neglecting the facts concerning internet censorship and stifling of freedom of speech and so-on, the really stupid thing about it is that the list itself is secret. So you're not allowed to link to a blacklisted site even if you don't know that site has been blacklisted. That's bureaucracy for you.

I appreciate some sites may be deplorable and it can be argued we're better off without them. But how far will it go ? Will dissenting political comment be banned ? Criticism of our 'leaders'? Dr Kevorkians page ? The fact the list is kept secret means we'll never know. The whole thing smells like big brother to me. This sort of thing may be common in China (as in their 'Great Firewall') but in a country like Australia where freedom of speech is held paramount it just goes against the grain.

The great liberator is knowledge. There are too many secrets. No single state can control the entirety of the internet, but they sure as hell seem to be trying. If they succeed it will be a step backwards. Oh well, that's bureaucracy for you.