Scientific discoveries have accelerated at amazing speed in the past century. The computer and the mobile phone have changed our lifestyle immeasurably and there is every reason to think that there is still much more to come, but the wise will remember that Newton's law will apply. " To every action there will be an equal and opposite reaction ".
One of the least understood areas of science has been the ability to manufacture what has become known as " Nannoparticles ". We have learned how to grind matter so finely that thousands of these little particles will fit onto the point of a needle, and that has opened us a treasure trove of uses which is being rapidly exploited.
In particular, Nannoparticles are now the primary ingredient in sunscreen, a product we freely slap on the skin of children to protect them from harmful ultra violet rays that can cause skin cancer - and deadly Melanoma. In recent years, all sun lovers have been urged to use sunscreen as part of our national sun safety campaigns.
A disturbing fact about Nannoparticles has come to light. For reasons that are still not clear, they cause rapid deterioration of Colorbond applied to metal surfaces. What has some people worried is the sheer magnitude of that deterioration. It is rated at a measure of a hundred times of normal expose to the elements.
Science reports that there is no evidence to suggest that a similar hazard exists to human skin, but while no evidence has emerged so far, that does not prove that Nannoparticles are harmless when used in a sun screen. European laws will come into effect in July, mandating that the presence and quantity of Nannoparticles present in any product must be clearly stated on the label. We have no such requirement in the pipeline here.
The actual product used in sun screen is Anatase Titanium Dioxide. Concern is being expressed that we need to know more about how this product reacts with human skin, and we need to have a warning on those products using it so that customers have a choice when making a purchase.
Just about every new discovery made by science brings a benefit, but it also has a down side. The age of computer communication was blighted by - SPAM. The personal mobile phone ensured we were never completely free of the problems from work. The list seems endless !
It may be that Nannoparticles are harmless in sun screen, but the jury is still out on that question. It would certainly do no harm to list the ingredients to enable buyers to make a personal choice on such a basic health issue !
Thursday, 7 March 2013
Wednesday, 6 March 2013
The Apprenticing dilemma !
More than half a century ago Australia had a class divide. The children of wealthy parents went on to university and then entered the professions. The children of the less affluent left school much earlier and became indentured to a tradesman to learn a trade. The professions bestowed a higher standing and tended to look down on the lower paid " Tradies ".
Apprenticeships had benefits for both the craftsman and the apprentice. The starting age was usually fourteen or fifteen, hence the apprentice still lived at home with his family. Wages were low because the work contribution was unskilled in the early years and many craftsmen considered training the young a contribution to society rather than bringing financial gain. It was expected that the apprentice would study the academic aspect of the trade by attending night courses - in their own time - at the Technical Colleges of that era.
We live in a changing world and apprentice wages have not kept pace with those changing times. The commencement of apprenticeships now takes place at a later age and involves both genders - and many entering the trades do so with family responsibilities, including funding a mortgage and sending kids to school. We are seeing an increasing failure to complete the course. This drop out rate is purely on financial grounds. Many can not maintain their financial commitments on a rate of just $ 7.60 an hour when even unskilled jobs such as flipping burgers pay $ 11 an hour.
In 1996 just 8.4% of apprentices were older than 25. By 2006 this had jumped to 26.1%. The wage structure was still stalled on the parameters of an earlier age. Now there are pressures from the ACTU to lift apprentice wages to sustainable levels, but this will bring huge problems for their employers.
The very nature of apprenticeships has changed. Technology has replaced pure manual skills and as a consequence, many trades now require the apprentice to attend TAFE for at least two days per week - at the employers expense. Not only does the employer lose the apprentice's contribution to the work flow, a higher wage would increase job costs and flow on to the end customer. A tradesman who did not train apprentices would have a huge cost advantage in the marketplace.
The mix of trades and professions has also undergone change. Now it is the " Tradies " who are earning the big money and in many cases they are in short supply, further pushing up prices. At the same time, those with university qualifications are finding it hard to gain employment in their chosen field. The advantages between these two life skills is becoming blurred.
Most agree that the present apprentice wage structure is unsustainable. Obviously the unions will try and push higher wages on the employer and ignore the consequent drop in placements offering. Ultimately, it will be a government decision on how this problem is to be tackled.
There are two options offering. If the tax regimen was restructured to reward employers who take on apprentices this could compensate for a higher wage structure, but it would come at a cost to government revenue.
The other option would be to extend the HECS scheme that applies to university education to the trade structure. The government would need to subsidize a higher wage by reimbursing the difference to the employer with the apprentice required to repay that cost when earnings from the acquired qualifications reached an agreed level.
This second option seems inevitable. The principle of clawing back higher education costs is already in place and generally accepted. To bring apprenticeship earnings to a living wage and asking those with qualifications earned to share the cost is simply a fair sharing of equality across all employment skill gaining options..
Few could argue with an equality measure !
Apprenticeships had benefits for both the craftsman and the apprentice. The starting age was usually fourteen or fifteen, hence the apprentice still lived at home with his family. Wages were low because the work contribution was unskilled in the early years and many craftsmen considered training the young a contribution to society rather than bringing financial gain. It was expected that the apprentice would study the academic aspect of the trade by attending night courses - in their own time - at the Technical Colleges of that era.
We live in a changing world and apprentice wages have not kept pace with those changing times. The commencement of apprenticeships now takes place at a later age and involves both genders - and many entering the trades do so with family responsibilities, including funding a mortgage and sending kids to school. We are seeing an increasing failure to complete the course. This drop out rate is purely on financial grounds. Many can not maintain their financial commitments on a rate of just $ 7.60 an hour when even unskilled jobs such as flipping burgers pay $ 11 an hour.
In 1996 just 8.4% of apprentices were older than 25. By 2006 this had jumped to 26.1%. The wage structure was still stalled on the parameters of an earlier age. Now there are pressures from the ACTU to lift apprentice wages to sustainable levels, but this will bring huge problems for their employers.
The very nature of apprenticeships has changed. Technology has replaced pure manual skills and as a consequence, many trades now require the apprentice to attend TAFE for at least two days per week - at the employers expense. Not only does the employer lose the apprentice's contribution to the work flow, a higher wage would increase job costs and flow on to the end customer. A tradesman who did not train apprentices would have a huge cost advantage in the marketplace.
The mix of trades and professions has also undergone change. Now it is the " Tradies " who are earning the big money and in many cases they are in short supply, further pushing up prices. At the same time, those with university qualifications are finding it hard to gain employment in their chosen field. The advantages between these two life skills is becoming blurred.
Most agree that the present apprentice wage structure is unsustainable. Obviously the unions will try and push higher wages on the employer and ignore the consequent drop in placements offering. Ultimately, it will be a government decision on how this problem is to be tackled.
There are two options offering. If the tax regimen was restructured to reward employers who take on apprentices this could compensate for a higher wage structure, but it would come at a cost to government revenue.
The other option would be to extend the HECS scheme that applies to university education to the trade structure. The government would need to subsidize a higher wage by reimbursing the difference to the employer with the apprentice required to repay that cost when earnings from the acquired qualifications reached an agreed level.
This second option seems inevitable. The principle of clawing back higher education costs is already in place and generally accepted. To bring apprenticeship earnings to a living wage and asking those with qualifications earned to share the cost is simply a fair sharing of equality across all employment skill gaining options..
Few could argue with an equality measure !
Tuesday, 5 March 2013
Old habits die hard !
The residents of Gwynnville will brace themselves for the return of parking misery - the University of Wollongong resumes this week. Once again their suburban streets will become a huge parking lot and in many cases cars will end up blocking driveways and encroach on nature strips. It is not uncommon for cheeky - or desperate - students to enter properties and park on a residents front lawn.
The sad thing is that this is not necessary. We have a " park and ride " system in place - and this involves a free bus. We also have an excellent car pooling offer available to all students. Those who arrive with three or more people in their car are entitled to free parking within the university - and there are five hundred parking spots going begging daily.
Observers must be dispirited to see the usual parade of cars with just a single occupant. It seems that no matter what we do to solve the parking problem, we face the age old curse of each person preferring personal transport over any form of sharing or making a change of thinking.
It is a fact of life that at least half the students attending Wollongong university live within five kilometres of the campus. The fitness people could include that daily journey by way of jogging to improve health, and then there is always the alternative of the good old push bike ! Unfortunately, both pale into insignificance when it comes to the comfort of arriving by car.
Psychologists tell us that the habits we form in childhood stay with us for the rest of our lives. It seems that when Mum or Dad drops us off at school in the car each morning instead of making us walk, take the bus or ride a bike - they are instilling a habit that will make us selfish human beings until we attain old age.
When school days end and university begins - we stick with that same means of transport, and when we leave university to enter the business world, we become just another commuter clogging the nation's highways as a solo driver/passenger in our own vehicle.
Scientific minds and huge amounts of money have been directed at changing those selfish habits - with almost zero effect. As is the case with our university, alternatives are not only available - they are free. But - we choose not to use them !
Back to the drawing board seems the only way if Gwynnville residents are ever to be free of the car parking plague. Perhaps the time is coming when a single person in a car anywhere within a kilometre of the university may be deemed to be committing a driving offence - and fined.
We may have to think beyond the nine dots if we are ever to solve this problem !
The sad thing is that this is not necessary. We have a " park and ride " system in place - and this involves a free bus. We also have an excellent car pooling offer available to all students. Those who arrive with three or more people in their car are entitled to free parking within the university - and there are five hundred parking spots going begging daily.
Observers must be dispirited to see the usual parade of cars with just a single occupant. It seems that no matter what we do to solve the parking problem, we face the age old curse of each person preferring personal transport over any form of sharing or making a change of thinking.
It is a fact of life that at least half the students attending Wollongong university live within five kilometres of the campus. The fitness people could include that daily journey by way of jogging to improve health, and then there is always the alternative of the good old push bike ! Unfortunately, both pale into insignificance when it comes to the comfort of arriving by car.
Psychologists tell us that the habits we form in childhood stay with us for the rest of our lives. It seems that when Mum or Dad drops us off at school in the car each morning instead of making us walk, take the bus or ride a bike - they are instilling a habit that will make us selfish human beings until we attain old age.
When school days end and university begins - we stick with that same means of transport, and when we leave university to enter the business world, we become just another commuter clogging the nation's highways as a solo driver/passenger in our own vehicle.
Scientific minds and huge amounts of money have been directed at changing those selfish habits - with almost zero effect. As is the case with our university, alternatives are not only available - they are free. But - we choose not to use them !
Back to the drawing board seems the only way if Gwynnville residents are ever to be free of the car parking plague. Perhaps the time is coming when a single person in a car anywhere within a kilometre of the university may be deemed to be committing a driving offence - and fined.
We may have to think beyond the nine dots if we are ever to solve this problem !
Monday, 4 March 2013
Police powers !
Somebody with a mobile phone took pictures that sparked the arrest of eight South African police. Those pictures showed an arrested man handcuffed to the back of a police vehicle - and then dragged through the streets as it was driven to the police station. The prisoner was later found dead in a cell, suffering massive injuries. These police will probably face murder charges.
This atrocity would probably not have seen the light of day if those pictures had not been passed to the media. It is a timely warning that ever increasing police powers can lead to out of control behaviour by the people who are supposed to guard us from harm. There is also a tendency for the police to close ranks and block any attempt to bring their offenders to justice.
South Africa has had a troubled history with apartheid and even under black rule it has one of the highest murder rates in the world. The difficulties of exerting control are used to justify harsh police actions, as was the case when police gunned down thirty-five striking miners. So far, nobody has faced court over this misuse of armed force.
This is a timely warning for the procedures for investigating complaints against the police to be tightened in New South Wales, and in particular - to be removed from the present practice of police investigating police.
We have just had an event of police misuse of power revealed in court. An indigenous man was bashed by police who claimed that he punched an officer and his violence had to be subdued. It seems the officers colluded to swear false evidence and this only collapsed when cctv footage - thought to be damaged beyond repair - became available and showed the true situation in that charge room.
A worrying aspect of complaints against police is the tendency for the police to close ranks and apply pressure to drop investigations. Both the government and the judiciary are well aware of the power the police hold. The ultimate weapon would be a police strike, but lesser forms of action can severely affect state finances. In the past, police have gone on partial strike - refusing to book motorists and simply issuing warnings for traffic offences. Revenue streams running into millions of dollars are immediately affected.
So far, police have succeeded in derailing attempts to introduce an impartial investigator to oversee complaints against police. The present system involves officers from another district of policing to make what is supposed to be an impartial investigation, but of course - this is still a matter of police investigating police - and there the impartiality ends !
This South African incident is extreme, but here in Australia there have been deaths in police custody and suspicious use of firearms that have not been satisfactoraly explained. As a revelation of graft and bribery of police controlling Sydney's vice district showed some years ago, if control of police is lax, corruption will quickly fester - and some police will consider themselves above the law.
Unfortunately, what we see in the media is usually only the tip of the iceberg !
This atrocity would probably not have seen the light of day if those pictures had not been passed to the media. It is a timely warning that ever increasing police powers can lead to out of control behaviour by the people who are supposed to guard us from harm. There is also a tendency for the police to close ranks and block any attempt to bring their offenders to justice.
South Africa has had a troubled history with apartheid and even under black rule it has one of the highest murder rates in the world. The difficulties of exerting control are used to justify harsh police actions, as was the case when police gunned down thirty-five striking miners. So far, nobody has faced court over this misuse of armed force.
This is a timely warning for the procedures for investigating complaints against the police to be tightened in New South Wales, and in particular - to be removed from the present practice of police investigating police.
We have just had an event of police misuse of power revealed in court. An indigenous man was bashed by police who claimed that he punched an officer and his violence had to be subdued. It seems the officers colluded to swear false evidence and this only collapsed when cctv footage - thought to be damaged beyond repair - became available and showed the true situation in that charge room.
A worrying aspect of complaints against police is the tendency for the police to close ranks and apply pressure to drop investigations. Both the government and the judiciary are well aware of the power the police hold. The ultimate weapon would be a police strike, but lesser forms of action can severely affect state finances. In the past, police have gone on partial strike - refusing to book motorists and simply issuing warnings for traffic offences. Revenue streams running into millions of dollars are immediately affected.
So far, police have succeeded in derailing attempts to introduce an impartial investigator to oversee complaints against police. The present system involves officers from another district of policing to make what is supposed to be an impartial investigation, but of course - this is still a matter of police investigating police - and there the impartiality ends !
This South African incident is extreme, but here in Australia there have been deaths in police custody and suspicious use of firearms that have not been satisfactoraly explained. As a revelation of graft and bribery of police controlling Sydney's vice district showed some years ago, if control of police is lax, corruption will quickly fester - and some police will consider themselves above the law.
Unfortunately, what we see in the media is usually only the tip of the iceberg !
Sunday, 3 March 2013
" Ice Age " evidence !
This summer just ended was the hottest since we started keeping records in 1910. It delivered a mixed bag of weather conditions and we not only saw a day temperature of 46 c, we saw destructive bush fires and raging floods - and Tornadoes !
All that seems to support the theory that the seven billion people on planet Earth are heating the planet by burning fossil fuels. Predictions for the future are dire. If we continue on our wasteful ways we will see changed weather patterns that will include more droughts and crop failures. We are already facing food shortages, and despite China's " one child " policy, there is the expectation that humans will top the ten billion people level in a few years time.
It is all rather depressing, seeing that the measures that have been put in place are not expected to drop temperature levels one iota - but they are pushing up the price of electricity and flowing through into costs that are making our products uncompetitive on the world markets. We are a planet beset by civil war in many countries, religious bigotry leading to ideological conflict within the same races of people, and grinding poverty that results in many children failing to survive to reach five years of age.
The annoying thing is that on the world wide political scene we see countless examples of political differences being used to avoid decisions that could improve the human lot. Attaining power is considered more important than reaching consensus on plans that would deliver a better standard of living. In many cases, attaining power relates directly to personal riches - and so we see massive corruption siphoning off the wealth that should be spread more evenly through the populations.
There is little happening to cause us to expect that things will change for the better anytime soon. Human nature seems to set humans on a course of conflict between nations - and few manage to exist in perfect harmony with their fellow citizens. We have progressed little from the time that people lived in caves and attacked one another with spears and clubs.
Now a new find has thrown fresh doubt that we humans are the cause of global warming, and that will set back any hope of progress in reducing the increase in carbon dioxide further.
French scientists drilling for deep core samples in the ice of Antarctica have discovered a surge in CO2 levels 10,000 years ago, when the earth was coming out of an ice age. Air trapped in those samples contained CO2 at levels that we would today consider catastrophic and in all probability, it was this increase in carbon dioxide that caused the ice to melt and the glaciers retreat, and make the earth the hospitable place it is today.
The big question is - what caused that increase in CO2 at that time ? There certainly was not too many humans living on the planet and the industrial revolution was still a long way in the future. It tends to support the theory held by many that CO2 levels are a natural variation - and beyond our control.
At least it will provide a reason for politicians to avoid making new decisions on climate measures. We will just have to wait and see what Mother Nature has in store for the future citizens of planet Earth !
All that seems to support the theory that the seven billion people on planet Earth are heating the planet by burning fossil fuels. Predictions for the future are dire. If we continue on our wasteful ways we will see changed weather patterns that will include more droughts and crop failures. We are already facing food shortages, and despite China's " one child " policy, there is the expectation that humans will top the ten billion people level in a few years time.
It is all rather depressing, seeing that the measures that have been put in place are not expected to drop temperature levels one iota - but they are pushing up the price of electricity and flowing through into costs that are making our products uncompetitive on the world markets. We are a planet beset by civil war in many countries, religious bigotry leading to ideological conflict within the same races of people, and grinding poverty that results in many children failing to survive to reach five years of age.
The annoying thing is that on the world wide political scene we see countless examples of political differences being used to avoid decisions that could improve the human lot. Attaining power is considered more important than reaching consensus on plans that would deliver a better standard of living. In many cases, attaining power relates directly to personal riches - and so we see massive corruption siphoning off the wealth that should be spread more evenly through the populations.
There is little happening to cause us to expect that things will change for the better anytime soon. Human nature seems to set humans on a course of conflict between nations - and few manage to exist in perfect harmony with their fellow citizens. We have progressed little from the time that people lived in caves and attacked one another with spears and clubs.
Now a new find has thrown fresh doubt that we humans are the cause of global warming, and that will set back any hope of progress in reducing the increase in carbon dioxide further.
French scientists drilling for deep core samples in the ice of Antarctica have discovered a surge in CO2 levels 10,000 years ago, when the earth was coming out of an ice age. Air trapped in those samples contained CO2 at levels that we would today consider catastrophic and in all probability, it was this increase in carbon dioxide that caused the ice to melt and the glaciers retreat, and make the earth the hospitable place it is today.
The big question is - what caused that increase in CO2 at that time ? There certainly was not too many humans living on the planet and the industrial revolution was still a long way in the future. It tends to support the theory held by many that CO2 levels are a natural variation - and beyond our control.
At least it will provide a reason for politicians to avoid making new decisions on climate measures. We will just have to wait and see what Mother Nature has in store for the future citizens of planet Earth !
Saturday, 2 March 2013
A new " menace " coming !
The relentless march of technology sometimes crosses the line between making our life better and delivering a life threatening menace, depending on the user's point of view. The advantages of the " Smart phone " have opened up a huge range of new services, but using them is so compelling that we find it had to resist when driving a car. This division of attention leads to crashes and we now have stringent laws to regulate their use in vehicles.
A " next generation " breakthrough in technology is about to hit the market. We will soon be able to buy pairs of eyeglasses which will obey voice commands and project functions onto the glass to be viewed in tandem with the scene the eyes are watching. For instance, these glasses may display images similar to the directional maps guiding us to our destinations. It will be claimed this is much safer than having to take our eyes off the road to read those same instructions on a screen.
Of course, the technology wizards will see the value of wearers being able to view incoming SMS messages and accessing all the other smart phone apps in this way and if the technology exists to use voice commands it will also be available to dictate outward messages - without your eyes leaving the scene ahead.
This originated from air warfare technology. Instead of looking at a host of dials and screens, the information was projected onto the cockpit windscreen so that the pilot could access it without taking his eyes off the scene ahead. It is interesting to note that when car manufacturers adopted the idea to project speed and other information to the car driver, the idea was dropped because it was deemed too intrusive from a safety point of view.
The big question will be whether a person viewing data before their eyes and seeing the normal view ahead of them - all at the same time - can do both tasks without loss of concentration leading to danger.
If talking on a mobile phone while driving is deemed too dangerous to allow, then viewing data on the surface of eyeware will certainly draw the concern of legal authorities.
There is usually a time gap between the arrival of new technology and the passing of laws to regulate it's use. This was the experience in linking mobile phone use and driving, and probably it resulted in some road deaths - and many injuries from road accidents.
Fortunately, this new technology will not initially be cheap. Prices of just under $ 1500 are predicted, but the combination of user demand and China's capacity to mass produce will see prices fall and if this follows the smart phone example, it will quickly become a " must have ".
Perhaps it is this form of technology that is driving research into putting the computer behind the wheel instead of a human driver. Humans will shortly be too busy with their gadgets to safely perform a driving task !
A " next generation " breakthrough in technology is about to hit the market. We will soon be able to buy pairs of eyeglasses which will obey voice commands and project functions onto the glass to be viewed in tandem with the scene the eyes are watching. For instance, these glasses may display images similar to the directional maps guiding us to our destinations. It will be claimed this is much safer than having to take our eyes off the road to read those same instructions on a screen.
Of course, the technology wizards will see the value of wearers being able to view incoming SMS messages and accessing all the other smart phone apps in this way and if the technology exists to use voice commands it will also be available to dictate outward messages - without your eyes leaving the scene ahead.
This originated from air warfare technology. Instead of looking at a host of dials and screens, the information was projected onto the cockpit windscreen so that the pilot could access it without taking his eyes off the scene ahead. It is interesting to note that when car manufacturers adopted the idea to project speed and other information to the car driver, the idea was dropped because it was deemed too intrusive from a safety point of view.
The big question will be whether a person viewing data before their eyes and seeing the normal view ahead of them - all at the same time - can do both tasks without loss of concentration leading to danger.
If talking on a mobile phone while driving is deemed too dangerous to allow, then viewing data on the surface of eyeware will certainly draw the concern of legal authorities.
There is usually a time gap between the arrival of new technology and the passing of laws to regulate it's use. This was the experience in linking mobile phone use and driving, and probably it resulted in some road deaths - and many injuries from road accidents.
Fortunately, this new technology will not initially be cheap. Prices of just under $ 1500 are predicted, but the combination of user demand and China's capacity to mass produce will see prices fall and if this follows the smart phone example, it will quickly become a " must have ".
Perhaps it is this form of technology that is driving research into putting the computer behind the wheel instead of a human driver. Humans will shortly be too busy with their gadgets to safely perform a driving task !
Friday, 1 March 2013
Selective " Free Speech " !
Dictators and countries with a single ruling party claim to be democratic and allow free speech - just so long as the sentiments expressed support the party line and offer no criticism. Here in Australia we believe that every citizen has the right to freely express their opinions and we claim that we guard this right fiercely.
A far right Dutch politician recently visited Australia to publicly lecture on his views opposing the influx of Muslims into western countries. This proposed subject brought demonstrating crowds into the streets and many venues cancelled bookings at short notice. A proposed public meeting in Western Australia was cancelled when no suitable arena could be found.
Geert Wilders has what some would call extreme views on the aspirations of Islam. They attract support from many people, and they are bitterly opposed by many others. There are " rights " on both side of the divide. Those who go into the streets to protest what they see as " racism " are free to do so in our society, just so long as they do not interfere with Wilders right to express his opinion. Unfortunately, the aim of these demonstraters seems to be to prevent Wilders speaking in public.
Now a new form of " punishment " has been visited on ordinary Australians whose " crime " was to log on to an ABC programme called " Making Australia Happy. " It is suggested that the International hacker group - " Anonymous " hacked the ABC computers and has displayed on the net the passwords, user names, email addresses, locations and postcodes of those who logged in to have their say on this show.
This information can be used to create all sorts of mischief, from insults to identity theft and if the perpetrator is Anonymous it flies directly in the face of their stated aim - which is to prevent restrictions on the free flow of information on the Internet. They are punishing people for having the temerity to have their say on a public forum !
The laws of Australia protect citizens from slander. The right exists to sue for damages if a person is unjustly vilified or if the statements made are simply untrue. Unfortunately, we are now seeing a growing trend to simply shut off the means for a unpopular point of view to get public air. At protest meetings the crowd is quickly whipped into a frenzy and any speaker wishing to offer a contrary view could face physical attack.
This tactic of hacking media computers and putting personal details of those taking part in forums on the Internet will make many people reluctant to offer their contribution, and when that happens - it is the first move in shutting down free speech. The whole point of the free speech ethos is the right to say what you think without reprisals from those of a different opinion.
The " Hacker " has an obvious advantage. The skill to penetrate computers is even practised by governments for both defensive and offensive reasons, and the legion of private hackers comes from all walks of life - and all political, religious and academic persuasions. They work in the shadows - and the extremes to which their results extend are only limited by their personal morality.
We still have the right to say what we think - but these days it may come with a personal price tag !
A far right Dutch politician recently visited Australia to publicly lecture on his views opposing the influx of Muslims into western countries. This proposed subject brought demonstrating crowds into the streets and many venues cancelled bookings at short notice. A proposed public meeting in Western Australia was cancelled when no suitable arena could be found.
Geert Wilders has what some would call extreme views on the aspirations of Islam. They attract support from many people, and they are bitterly opposed by many others. There are " rights " on both side of the divide. Those who go into the streets to protest what they see as " racism " are free to do so in our society, just so long as they do not interfere with Wilders right to express his opinion. Unfortunately, the aim of these demonstraters seems to be to prevent Wilders speaking in public.
Now a new form of " punishment " has been visited on ordinary Australians whose " crime " was to log on to an ABC programme called " Making Australia Happy. " It is suggested that the International hacker group - " Anonymous " hacked the ABC computers and has displayed on the net the passwords, user names, email addresses, locations and postcodes of those who logged in to have their say on this show.
This information can be used to create all sorts of mischief, from insults to identity theft and if the perpetrator is Anonymous it flies directly in the face of their stated aim - which is to prevent restrictions on the free flow of information on the Internet. They are punishing people for having the temerity to have their say on a public forum !
The laws of Australia protect citizens from slander. The right exists to sue for damages if a person is unjustly vilified or if the statements made are simply untrue. Unfortunately, we are now seeing a growing trend to simply shut off the means for a unpopular point of view to get public air. At protest meetings the crowd is quickly whipped into a frenzy and any speaker wishing to offer a contrary view could face physical attack.
This tactic of hacking media computers and putting personal details of those taking part in forums on the Internet will make many people reluctant to offer their contribution, and when that happens - it is the first move in shutting down free speech. The whole point of the free speech ethos is the right to say what you think without reprisals from those of a different opinion.
The " Hacker " has an obvious advantage. The skill to penetrate computers is even practised by governments for both defensive and offensive reasons, and the legion of private hackers comes from all walks of life - and all political, religious and academic persuasions. They work in the shadows - and the extremes to which their results extend are only limited by their personal morality.
We still have the right to say what we think - but these days it may come with a personal price tag !
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