So I am keeping track of sites of interest this evening - like I always do…. and come across this title - “Teen cracks AU$84 million porn filter in 30 minutes.” Here is the scoop - Basically, the Australian government has spent $84million as a part of a $189mil package to simply create a porn filtering system available to all Australian families. So they release this package and within 30mins a 16 year old Aussie student has hacked the system!!
I guess this whole thing infuriates me…. My wife’s response - “Why didn’t they get the kid to write the software?!?!” Interesting thought…. However, I find it crazy that as a society we would spend all this money (which seems to now be a waste) when the money could be better used by being invested in a student learning project that may actually enhance learning. What about an Angus King style innovative program??? How many student laptops could be purchased for 84mil (56,000 approx by my calculations) - furthermore, how many more schools could have a decent speed broadband connection connected to their classrooms.
I can see what will happen here - This filtering system will be made available and students will quickly have guides on getting around the filters passing around school in no time. What we create here is a challenge for students to get around something - encouraging them to access the content we don’t want them accessing - hmm what about an education program about the reasons why accessing content like this is damaging. Or perhaps parents need to take some responsibility!! Tell me would the Government have spent this kind of money 20 years ago to keep students out of the local newsagent which sold adult material or would they have simply expected parents to supervise their children?!?!
Welcome thoughts….
