Random Comments

[iblis.raeb]

Where have you been hiding Peter?... 11th dimension perhaps?

[glen]

Yeah I was wondering the same thing! Welcome back Peter J <img src='http://www.melbournechat.org/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' />

[iblis.raeb]

[quote name='PeterJMelb' post='25328' date='Mar 21 2010, 04:52 PM']I can report that the 11Th. dimension looks a lot like the central coast of NSW.

I was trapped there for one week.[/quote]

HA-HA



Nice.

[glen]

Nice joke Peter (and 11th dimension)!!!



I have not been up to NSW for a while. I used to enjoy fishing in Southern NSW. Merimibula. Narooma, Eden, etc.

[petersj]

Godd luck I have been trying to grow corriander for years without any luck.[quote name='glen' post='24437' date='Feb 17 2010, 10:21 AM']nice work! that reminds me... i collected some coriander seeds last time i grew some and now i am going to plant them! hopefully they grow![/quote]

[glen]

I still have not plannted them! i wonder how long the seeds last!

[iblis.raeb]

I could swear that i heard the radio announce that Queenslanders ship up to one million dollars a month to the Nigerians that front those e-mail scams. <img src='http://www.melbournechat.org/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/blink.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' />

[glen]

I have not received a nigerian scam email for a long time. I thought they had given up!

[iblis.raeb]

Always willingly with those Nigerian e-mail scams, Peter.



Maybe Queenslanders don't use spam filters, Glen.

[glen]

Sounds like we all get a filter soon! <img src='http://www.melbournechat.org/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' />

[iblis.raeb]

The Internet filter will not block e-mail scams, only sites... AFAIK.

[glen]

Does anyone know if the filter will block all proxies? This would be a bit much if it happened!

[t-pot]

fyi.. i have absolutely no idea what u guys are talking about.. =)

[glen]

Hi TPot, Talking about the internet filter from senator conroy <img src='http://www.melbournechat.org/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' />



[url="http://www.dbcde.gov.au/funding_and_programs/cybersafety_plan/internet_service_provider_isp_filtering"]http://www.dbcde.gov.au/funding_and_progra...r_isp_filtering[/url]

[t-pot]

i see. thank you Glen and PeterJ =)

[glen]

Here is quote from the Internet Service Provider (ISP) Content Filtering Pilot Report - October 2009

The testing for circumvention generally indicates that filtering of additional categories of content, enabled ISPs to implement measures which made some circumvention techniques more difficult to use. For example many commercial lists have a “proxy” category; proxies are a common form of filter circumvention.

So this has me wondering whether really most of the ISP internet filter will be about blocking circumvention sites rather than "bad" sites. I don't actually use them myself but I am aware that proxies are used as an aid to protect people's privacy.



Here is some more info about privacy proxies (from wikipedia)!

Anonymizing proxy server



An anonymous proxy server (sometimes called a web proxy) generally attempts to anonymize web surfing. There are different varieties of anonymizers. One of the more common variations is the open proxy. Because they are typically difficult to track, open proxies are especially useful to those seeking online anonymity, from political dissidents to computer criminals. Some users are merely interested in anonymity for added security, hiding their identities from potentially malicious websites for instance, or on principle, to facilitate constitutional human rights of freedom of speech, for instance. The server receives requests from the anonymizing proxy server, and thus does not receive information about the end user's address. However, the requests are not anonymous to the anonymizing proxy server, and so a degree of trust is present between that server and the user. Many of them are funded through a continued advertising link to the user.

[iblis.raeb]

[quote name='glen' post='25611' date='Mar 30 2010, 03:19 PM']Does anyone know if the filter will block all proxies? This would be a bit much if it happened![/quote]

As far as i know the filtering system simply blocks black listed IPs at the ISP level.



[quote name='PeterJMelb' post='25612' date='Mar 30 2010, 03:39 PM']Iblis how do you read the result?[/quote]

Just reading off of the link Glen provided, considering this:

ISP filtering is a key component of the Australian Government’s cyber-safety plan. Filtering of online material at the ISP level reflects the view that ISPs should take some responsibility for enabling the blocking of such content on the internet.



This is consistent with the recent child online protection guidelines issued by the International Telecommunications Union. The guidelines state that the strategic objective for the internet industry for child internet safety should be to reduce the availability of, and restrict access to, harmful or illegal content and conduct.



ISP-level content filtering is already occurring in other countries, including Canada, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom.



The Government wants to ensure a similar level of protection for internet users in Australia.

and this:

The live pilot, managed by independent testing laboratory Enex TestLab, demonstrated that filtering of a defined list of online content can achieve 100 per cent accuracy and no noticeable performance degradation directly attributable to the filter.



Enex TestLab has provided its report of findings from the ISP filtering pilot.

There is a good chance that the proposed ISP filtering will live to see the light of day... not sure about longevity with technology evolving at such a fast rate.

[iblis.raeb]

The 100% accuracy is probably regarding the list of filtered IP addresses, Peter... as in none of the listed IP addresses would get through.



A recent Radio National news update announced that our current government is planning on legislating the filter in the next month─its a given once the legislation is passed, irrespective of any ISP's intended compliance.



Personally, Internet filter good *grunt*. Its not a freedom of speech issue... its all about protecting the innocent eyes of our youth, not protecting the seedy underground or young perverts that find ways around the filter. We ban a number of profanities outside the Internet so why should inside be any different?



The only aspect of the filter i can't wrap my head around is the hidden list of blocked IP addresses, i heard a pundit say that the filter is pointless without the IP block list being hidden, how exactly!? Anyways, in my opinion the block list should be available to the public or at the very least be partially transparent.

[glen]

A problem I have is that if someone comes on this forum and posts some "dodgy stuff" without me noticing (because they are doing some sneaky thing like sql injection or hacking) then potentially this site could be blacklisted. Though I hope the authorities would have the courtesy to email me first with a take down notice!



I have a filter at work that not only bans heaps of innocent sites but also attempts (very successfully) to block all anoymous proxy servers to avoid circumvention of the filter. As a technical challenge, I tried to get around it but I gave up in the end. It was too good for me.



Cheers, Glen

[iblis.raeb]

[quote name='glen' post='25642' date='Mar 31 2010, 10:04 AM']Though I hope the authorities would have the courtesy to email me first with a take down notice![/quote]

Indeed‼