Australia to ban "adult online games"

[Tetsuro]

http://www.smh.com.au/digital-life/games/web-filters-to-censor-video-games-20090625-cxrx.html

http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h149/Takeshi666/picard-facepalm.jpg

[Betelgeuse]

wtf? so they're even going to ban sites that SELL said R18+ games? that's f-k'd! good for the 15 year olds, but what about us not 15 year olds? if i wanted to buy some messed up porn game for my own sick pleasure, it should be my right to do so! providing proof of my age should be enough, rather then filtering the entire country from it all, it's a f-k'd up decision, and it worries me, how much this is going to affect things, or if they decide to take another step towards the censoring of the internet.

no sir, i don't like it.

[Amakou]

http://www.casahistoria.net/images/Hitler1939NurnbergRally.jpg

And people thought Jack Thompson was bad.

~Amakou~

[Tetsuro]

And people thought People's Republic of China was bad!

[Piano Man]

I knew australia was a pile of shit who cry over little pissy little thing... I mean c'mon - this is pathetic...

Although having said that, it means that they won't sell R rated games... And so far I've never seen any R rated games... although I do live in australia so I probably haven't seen them because they don't get sold here...

Just for fun - can someone ramble off a few R+ 18 titles to see what I've been missing out on???

[Inanimate Carbon Rod]

Grand Theft Auto: San Andres is the only notable one.

http://kotaku.com/gaming/the-manhunt-club/the-other-adult-only-games-270365.php

[MeatWagon]

I knew australia was a pile of shit who cry over little pissy little thing... I mean c'mon - this is pathetic...


I know. What the hell has happened to our country? Australia is meant to be the layed back easy going nation, but instead its grown full of ***** whiners. Its like the people here are too stupid or lazy to take care of their own lives. If people see or hear something they dont like our retarded government jumps in thoughtlessly and just bans things or comes up with some other idiotic scheme that ends up failing.

I really feel embarrassed.

[Acid]

^Sounds similar to NZ, but atleast we have the r18 rating for games.

"Whining" seems to be the in thing for the time's we live in now sadly.

[Wooloomooloo]

Come on guys, think of the children!

*ducks*

[Tetsuro]

Grand Theft Auto: San Andres is the only notable one.

http://kotaku.com/gaming/the-manhunt-club/the-other-adult-only-games-270365.php

And Second Life.

[Piano Man]

Come on guys, think of the children!

*ducks*

Oh very funny....

If parents are actually half-arsed, then they should be able to control their kids and stop them from buying games that are too old for them...

I mean come the **** on... what next... Ban alcohol because a couple of 15 year olds here and there get a little wasted???

Next it will be the ability to swear verbally or textually for [WORD DELETED BY AUSTRALIAN FEDERAL INTERNET SAFETY COUNCIL!]'s sake...



Oh great... they've already started...

[ReadOnly]

Sex also should be banned. What if 15 year old sees you?

[Amakou]

Sex also should be banned. What if 15 year old sees you?

Well, a 15 year old seeing his parents having sex is severely traumatizing.

Seriously though, this whole thing is ridiculous. I don't see the reason why they don't just add a classification for 18+. I don't think it's because they're worried about the children, I think they just want less paper-work.

~Amakou~

[8IronBob]

Heh, wouldn't be a bit surprised if R rated movies couldn't be shown in theaters in AU, nor DVDs sold or rented. That could be next on their list.

[Tetsuro]

They should just ban adults altogether. Make it like Logan's Run but with maximum age at 15.

[NutWrench]

http://www.torproject.org/

[ReadOnly]

They should just ban adults altogether. Make it like Logan's Run but with maximum age at 15.

That's a good idea. An adult Hitler killed many people. I'm sure everyone can see a pattern here.

[Jiminator]

everybody in the world should wear a padded fat suit 24/7. that way we can all be safe all the time.

[Tang Lung]

Wow what an utterly retarded governement you aussies have. It's a good job you are all on the internet complaining about it, otherwise nothing would *ever* change huh?

[Monkey Butler]

It's never going to get up. Internet providers are backing out of agreements to trial the program, and a pretty big chunk of the population is against it.
Although ironically, the government that is looking to implement this is in fact the least retarded government, or even potential government, we've had in a fair while.

[Babe]

That's a good idea. An adult Hitler killed many people. I'm sure everyone can see a pattern here.

An adult Geroge Bush killed so many for stealing oil. You are right. Kill all people once they reach the age of 15.

[Piano Man]

Although ironically, the government that is looking to implement this is in fact the least retarded government, or even potential government, we've had in a fair while.

Thats a bunch of crap and you and I know it....

The government is just as [WORD DELETED BY AUSTRALIAN FEDERAL INTERNET SAFETY COUNCIL!] as it was 10 years ago....

I have NO respect for any politician anywhere... although judging by appearances Obama may prove to be a breath of fresh air compared to bush...

...but I'm only whittling off my thoughts.

[Babe]

This is the web page of that born retarded Stephen Conroy. Get his email id from this page and make sure you let him know that his ideas are more welcome for a Talibanistic Afghanistan and not Australia. I did ;).

http://www.aph.gov.au/senate/senators/homepages/senators.asp?id=3L6

[Monkey Butler]

Yes, trollish emails from anonymous internet users likening the government to fascists or religious fundamentalists is exactly the kind of reasoned debate that's going to change minds.

[Sayantan]

Man, I pray they don't do same in my country. :(


http://www.aph.gov.au/senate/senators/homepages/senators.asp?id=3L6

Oh look how proud he is in that photo. :D

[Kalki]

Man, I pray they don't do same in my country. :(


They will, eventually. They've taken the first steps (http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/50565).

[Paroxysm]

It's a good job you are all on the internet complaining about it, otherwise nothing would *ever* change huh?
Considering the several protests I and many other people have already attended over this issue I must say thanks for the ignorant, patronizing tripe!

[Monkey Butler]

Or patronising, even! ;)

[SplatterHappy]

Or patronising, even! ;)
If you're going to troll for spelling, at least check your facts first: Both spellings are correct, patronize/patronizing is the British spelling of patronise/ patronizing.

Much like the difference between aluminum/aluminium. :D

As for the banning, just another fine example of a government putting it's people's tax dollars to work... to promote another fascist agenda.

[Monkey Butler]

OK, just to explain the joke - in Australia, the country we're talking about and the country I would assume Paroxysm is from we use s, not z, mostly because that's the real spelling, but whatever. The joke is that pointing out spelling mistakes like that would be, wait for it, patronising. See what I did there? Clearly not.
And I don't care how widely accepted "aluminum" is, it's blatantly wrong. You don't hear of kids playing with helum balloons, do you?

[Crosma]

If you're going to troll for spelling, at least check your facts first: Both spellings are correct, patronize/patronizing is the British spelling of patronise/ patronizing.In British English, "patronize" is the de jure spelling, whereas "patronise" is the de facto spelling. "-ize" is the more etymologically correct. English got these words from the French, who preferred to Frenchify them by eradicating the "z".

The Oxford English Dictionary is obsessed with etymology, so they've largely re-spelt such words. Unfortunately, old habits die hard and most Britons prefer the more-French spellings. This means that the most prominent British English dictionary and perhaps even the most prominent dictionary in the world is at odds with common British English spelling.

There was a long period when the OED only had the "-ize" spellings, but they've since included the "-ise" versions as alternatives, as their attempts to change British spelling were futile. British English spell-checkers typically allow both.

Webster changed the spelling to "-ize" because he personally wanted American English to be different from British English.

Australia and other Commonwealth countries prefer "-ise" and have that in their dictionaries, because they don't care what the OED says. Australian spell-checkers typically only allow "-ise".

Much like the difference between aluminum/aluminium. :DThe Americans discovered it, so their spelling would seem more just. Pity that "aluminum" is a terribly botched spelling. That's why no-one else uses it.

As for the banning, just another fine example of a government putting it's people's tax dollars to work... to promote another fascist agenda.Australia has always been more than happy to censor things. It's not really out of fascism. It's more out of genuine concern that people would do bad things if they see/play bad things.

[lordlonelobo]

Sorry, but do you actually pronounce it "alum-in-eum"? Because it's always been taught to me as being "alum-in-um"

And I'm not American.

I'd also spell it patronizing.

[Sayantan]

They will, eventually. They've taken the first steps (http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/50565).

Man, who put Sharmila in there?? And why the hell don't they understand it'll just increase the already infamous piracy?? :(

[Paroxysm]

Geez patronise/patronize issue went on a bit! Now I will reveal the truth! I typed "Patronizing" by accident but upon review thought "A **** it, that's acceptable too. I am so extremely lazy even changing it to my preferred spelling is TOO MUCH HASSEL!" and so the greatest debate of all time was born.

[Monkey Butler]

the de jure spelling
Just to keep the OT craziness going, it should be de jour, French for 'of the day'.

Australia has always been more than happy to censor things. It's not really out of fascism. It's more out of genuine concern that people would do bad things if they see/play bad things.
I'd like to see any serious justification for that comment. Australia has a pretty long history of censorship, but the 'genuine concern' is rubbish. The reason we were so ban-happy in the 20th century was more due to backwardness derived from our geographic isolation and perceived status in our region. Up till the Vietnam War, and arguably even till today, we've seen ourselves as the superior power in our region, mostly because we're relatively wealthy, and we're not black or Asian. It took several waves of mass immigration after WW2 and Vietnam to change that, but the liberalising social revolutions that hit Europe and the US in the 60s and 70s took much longer to take hold here. Thankfully, our physical isolation really isn't that much of an issue any more, but 12 years of Howard as PM proved that we've still got some of the old fools willing to maintain the old picket fence mentality.

[Tang Lung]

Considering the several protests I and many other people have already attended over this issue I must say thanks for the ignorant, patronizing tripe!

Oh god! I'm so sorry! Gosh I was just being a big meanie wasn't I?

I don't recall you being above my post stating that you went to any protest. In fact, noone mentioned going to any protest. So then..based on the information I had at hand..It wasnt really that ignorant of a statement was it? But I guess it was a little bit patronising..ah well.

And hey look..I didn't even mention your spelling.

[Paroxysm]

Well not knowing the details of the subject you are criticising would pretty much be the definition of ignorant.

http://nocleanfeed.com/

It's weird that news like the game blocking is coming out now since the entire trial has pretty much been bunk and last reports indicated the legislation no longer has the support to pass anyway.

Stephen Conroy is like the embarrassing grandfather making a fuss while the rest of the country tries to hide in shame.

[Monkey Butler]

Problem is that the government's just had to announce the total failure of Grocery Watch, so they won't want to ditch this filter policy any time soon. The two policies are fairly similar actually: vaguely noble-minded, but ultimately naive, useless and potentially harmful.

[Crosma]

Just to keep the OT craziness going, it should be de jour, French for 'of the day'.No, "de jure" is Latin for "concerning law", which is slang for "in principle".

[prophecy holder]

[QUOTE=Tetsuro;884031]http://www.smh.com.au/digital-life/games/web-filters-to-censor-video-games-20090625-cxrx.htmlQUOTE]

:nelson:

Haw haw, your goverment is ruining your gaming. Sorry, but that is just terrible news to read.

[Piano Man]

Thanks prophecy... You couldn't maybe throw a little pity our way instead of mocking us???

I mean our government is literally screwing us up the arse with this...

[Monkey Butler]

Funny, I'm pretty sure I don't have anything in my arse right now.
It's been said a bunch of times in this thread already - it's not going to happen!

[Mister_Anderson]

In 2006, we had sweeping reforms to our copyright laws (http://www.afact.org.au/factsheets/AFACT_Consumer_Guides_Television.pdf) - which meant for the first time ever, Australians were allowed to record a TV show or movie off free-to-air or pay TV and watch it once....after which it has to be destroyed.

Before then & for at least the last 20 years, essentially everyone who owned a VCR/DVD recorder in the country was a criminal (please...no jokes about how our country was first founded, its just too easy).

So am I surprised about this sort of thing? No, not really.
Will I be cranky if they take my jar of piss away? You betcha.

That said, theres still not many countries I would prefer to live in over Australia.