Feedback on ABCs Q&A with Senator Conroy

Haven’t read the rest of the thread but I quite enjoyed how all Conroy’s arguments in support of the technological feasability of the list were easily turned on their heads:

His mention of Moore’s law. “The power of technology doubles every two years” — yes it does, and so does the amount of data being pushed by that technology. Think about the internet’s evolution: HTML -> HTML + images -> HTML + images + sound -> HTML + images + sound + Flash -> HTML + images + sound + Flash (SD video content) -> HTML + images + sound + Flash + SD video + HD video content. All the while the number of people creating and sending/receiing data has been increasing, and all the while the time taken (latency of sites) has been decreasing or staying the same.

My point: new functionality steps up to take advantage of new technology. You will never be able to accurately filter the entire internet. Not until we have quantum computers or something.
His stupid “conundrum” argument against publication of the list: if the sites are blocked then what does it matter if the list is publicly accessable? Nobody can access the sites on the list anyway, so, it’s fine to publish the URLs. Right?
I couldn’t believe that he expected everyone to be fine with the fact that the government “will never attempt to block political material” yet only a few minutes earlier he was explaining that the list wouldn’t be available for public examination. HELLO! How the fuck are we supposed to know if you are blocking political material or not if we can’t peruse the list of blocked sites? Oh wait, you’re the ever-correct and uncorruptible government. We should simply trust you?

I thought the discussion was enlightening. It showed just how much opposition there was to the list: nobody in the room agreed with it. The only person to “agree” with Conroy wasn’t even agreeing with his list methodology, he was merely saying that we need to do something about protecting children.