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The country is online again...
Aug. 24th, 2003 09:58 amNational internet access has been sporadic over the past week or so. Worms galore! Of course, this Ministry zapped everything within 4.5 hours, but they've me working for them. If only the Ministry for Telecommunications bothered to contact me...
The Minister, Ramos-Horta, has signed a reference. It says nice things about me. Is this where I mention I'm looking for a job?
( Read more... )
I have finished section 3-3 of my PhD, dealing with content censorship on the Internet (particularly media censorship, sedition and blasphemy, sex and violence, group vilification). Researching case examples was depressing and aggravating. There is a lot of censorship in the world and with some extreme punishments, with the "People's" Republic of China getting the dubious honours of being the most censorious regime (Saudia Arabia comes second).
The theory side was interesting as well, various debates about the capacity of particular expressions to "cause harm" and various definitions of what harm actually constitutes (ranging from "causing offense", "influence", "defamation", "fighting words" etc). My conclusion opposes all censorship (to express, to receive) for any person neurologically capable of formal operations (i.e, post-pubescent) on the pre-publication level and with post-publication onus on defamation and libellous expressions although I do admit some liking to the "right of reply" method used in Europe (democracy, in my opinion, is about communication, not just expression).
Apart from work and study, life has been just fine, with some very pleasant visits from Peter, a linux-head who dropped in for two weeks to do Linux networking for the Secretary of Social Services and Sandra and Rob, doing work for the Australian Dental Association and liaison with the East Timor Dental Association. By way of quick national comparison, Australia has about 7000 dentists (1 per 2700 people) whereas East Timor has 2 (1 per 400 000).
Later this week I embark on the beginning of a five-nation tour (Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, back to East Timor and then Australia), ahh, such sweet holidays...
The Minister, Ramos-Horta, has signed a reference. It says nice things about me. Is this where I mention I'm looking for a job?
( Read more... )
I have finished section 3-3 of my PhD, dealing with content censorship on the Internet (particularly media censorship, sedition and blasphemy, sex and violence, group vilification). Researching case examples was depressing and aggravating. There is a lot of censorship in the world and with some extreme punishments, with the "People's" Republic of China getting the dubious honours of being the most censorious regime (Saudia Arabia comes second).
The theory side was interesting as well, various debates about the capacity of particular expressions to "cause harm" and various definitions of what harm actually constitutes (ranging from "causing offense", "influence", "defamation", "fighting words" etc). My conclusion opposes all censorship (to express, to receive) for any person neurologically capable of formal operations (i.e, post-pubescent) on the pre-publication level and with post-publication onus on defamation and libellous expressions although I do admit some liking to the "right of reply" method used in Europe (democracy, in my opinion, is about communication, not just expression).
Apart from work and study, life has been just fine, with some very pleasant visits from Peter, a linux-head who dropped in for two weeks to do Linux networking for the Secretary of Social Services and Sandra and Rob, doing work for the Australian Dental Association and liaison with the East Timor Dental Association. By way of quick national comparison, Australia has about 7000 dentists (1 per 2700 people) whereas East Timor has 2 (1 per 400 000).
Later this week I embark on the beginning of a five-nation tour (Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, back to East Timor and then Australia), ahh, such sweet holidays...