11/27/2007

Concern about survey to regulate cyberspace

Yawningbread and TheOnlineCitizen are making a call to all bloggers to present a common platform to AIMS, the Advisory Council on the Impact of New Media on Society. 'The council was appointed to study the social, ethical, legal and regulatory impact of interactive and digital media.' Alex Au and Choo Zhengxi are worried that the little consultation which AIMS had with a handful of handpicked bloggers may not be representative of the interests of all the bloggers. As AIMS's study and recommendations may form the basis of new legislations that will impact the bloggers, both are calling for a meeting of concerned bloggers to present a command position to AIMS. Making a presentation and sharing our concern as bloggers cannot be a bad thing. What I am concern is that bloggers should not participate in a body to devise ways to tie our hands, legs and neck. The internet is meant to be a free space, a new frontier for freedom of expression. There shall be as minimal an obstruction or legislation to regulate internet other than what are already in existence. There are ample legislation at the moment to take any recalcitrant bloggers to task or face the music. Bloggers should not be a party to introduce more legislations to control what we are doing. Being a participant will mean that we have agreed to abide by what we share in the crafting of new legislation. Let the internet be the free space for all, and all national agencies shall stay clear of this international virtual space. It is no man's land. It cannot be physically defined in any form. It is space like our mind, limitless and free. You can imprison a man, his physical body, but not his mind. Internet and cyberspace are of the same genre of the human mind. Do not put chains around our mind or cyberspace.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Though I do not blog, I concur with You that bloggers should not compromise their freedoms.

Anonymous said...

Strategically, it may be better not to participate in the AIMS project. Doing so only legitimizes and condones their right to do what they are doing which is questionable - not participating sends out the clear message, we don't recognize you.

I know for a fact, there is at least one group in the net who are actively boycotting AIMS and they have even made their position very clear to everyone in the net bc they don't believe the panel of AIMS comprise of people who are qualified to do the job.

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

exactly, why would people or govt be allowed to control virtual space?

anyone who commits a crime or attacks another person can be dealt with by the existing laws whether in msm or in cyberspace. other than mischief and crime, the internet should be left free.

Anonymous said...

In Singapore it often happens that the ultimate control eventually goes back to the Government by proxy. Then we are done for, done in and finally done with.

Anonymous said...

Frankly speaking, 'can be dealt with by the existing laws' is regulation already lah~

The problem with existing laws is that it's totally not applicable to blogging.

Blogging itself is a personal matter, as it is, if there shall be any regulation at all, it's no longer 'blogging'.

Depending on a blog, a crime is applicable or not. Some people use blog for commercial online HQ, there is a crime when commercial crime occurs.

But when there is an international transaction, it's gonna be like global trade... it's like many courts don't understand or ignore UN charter exists.

And for Singapore, with MM's political thinking of non-foreign-intervention... blogging laws which includes foreign servers, foreign audiences and such kinda implies that our laws are not catching up.

Gary Teoh said...

This is worst than communist state

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

hi gary,

welcome to the blog. singaporeans like to regulate and must live with regulations.

matilah, you have been away for a while. that howard friend of yours is gone.

Anonymous said...

Yes, I came back to have a holiday and to cast my vote in due democratic process — which of course I spoilt by writing the famous Hokkien insult in big characters.

Howard is gone. Good riddance. Rudd may be a bit of a lefty, but at least he's no war monger or US arse-licker (of course that could change).

Anyway Rudd's team is full of bozo's. Watch for the spectacular govt cock ups akan datang.

On a positive note, I like govts which cock up and are inefficient. The govt shouldn't be meddling in private areas anyway — like the economy or education or health. The dumber the govt, the bigger the cock ups and the bigger the free-market (arbitrage) opportunity when the shit hits the fan.

Inefficient govts mean that privateers can essentially get around regulations, taxes and other impediments to good free market business.

I'm so glad that Rudd won because I am moving into the BPO (Business Process Outsourcing) industry — to outsource jobs which are getting to cost too much here in Aust. Rudd is going to dismantle Howard's Industrial Relations Policy, which means more labour market protection, which means higher cost and less productivity to business.

Therefore I have reasoned that many businesses will be looking to out source off shore to avoid silly dumb union interference and irrational govt meddling.

Just to give you an idea of how ridiculous it is: my ex-partner has a services/consultancy/ education and training enterprise. She is paying her PA — mind you 19 years old, still a bit blur, but no doubt cute as a button like a chick in Penthouse et al... wait for it... AUD 51,000 per annum or coverted at 1.26 SGD64,260 per year; SGD5355 per month.

WHAT THE FUCK! Now, tell me if there is an ARBITRAGE OPPORTUNITY in that or not?

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

wow, the aussies really can afford it. this is anytime better than paradise.

our graduates are being paid $2k and some ended up as taxi drivers earning less than $3k.

the only thing i like about aussie land is for the little red dot to buy up one of the states and we can work and play there as well.

Ⓜatilah $ingapura⚠️ said...

You are living in the past redbean. At least 10 years out of date. Australia ain't cheap anymore. At one time Singgies were buying property, but as usual, the non-white gets the attention.

While all this was going on, Aussie (expats) were buying Australia from their off shore accounts, as were the Brits, South Africans.

20 million population Australia is home to some of the largest global funds. The mining boom in my home state of WA has been unbelievable — the revenues trounce outrightly the Asian Tigers Boom of the past. demand is so strong that a dishwasher up in the mines can command an annual salary of AUD 80k + perks, i.e. there are not enough people to do the work, as more long-term contracts of supply are being signed and more and more mines open, with more IPO's.

The Australian central bank — the RBA — balance sheet is up 35% — which is a BAD sign as people are borrowing more and more, driving up the prices of stocks and real estate....

... but hey, everyone's "rich".

When I left Aust 6 years ago to party in SE Asia, the median price of a home in Perth was around 70k. Today it is over half a million, and rising.

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

i am not interested in properties but the land mass in WA. we should buy up the whole state with its undevelop and barren land and build it the way we want it.