I love the about:robots easter egg in Firefox 3 and have had a few people ask me what it means and who put it there. For those wondering where these bits of electronic fun come from, here’s the deal. Bug #417302 was logged in Bugzilla, originally requesting a page which changed all your open tab Favicons to an animated robot. This was deemed too invasive (thanks Justin Dolske!), but the robot part was expanded to what you now see today. If you read through all the notes in the Bug log, you’ll see how hard the developers work, even on the little things, to bring Firefox into the world, for free, in as many languages as possible.

Thanks Firefox developers, I love Firefox 3 and Firefox users around the world appreciate all your hard work.

Help Firefox set a World Record! Download Day 2008 is (in Australia) on Tuesday 17th June 2008.

How is your country looking on the Pledge Map?

Derryn Hinch is again publicly naming sex offenders, purportedly in a bid to ensure public safety.

This particular example is not the only one and is likely to continue until such heavy penalties are applied that media outlets can no longer weigh up ratings against time in jail.

The Internet and the Right to a Fair Trial speech from 2005 contains an absurdly appropriate quote from 1846:

“The discovery and vindication and establishment of truth are main purposes certainly of the existence of Courts of Justice; still, for the obtaining of these objects, which, however valuable and important, cannot be usefully pursued without moderation, cannot be either usefully or creditably pursued unfairly or gained by unfair means, not every channel is or ought to be open to them. The practical efficacy of torture is not, I suppose, the most weighty objection to that mode of examination … Truth, like all other good things, may be loved unwisely – may be pursued too keenly – may cost too much.” - Vice-Chancellor Knight Bruce, 1846.

Keep in mind that those who are determined as unable to receive a fair trial are simply released. Naming sex offenders and pedophiles may seem like a good idea to protect the public, but you do not have that right (despite your ego) and your very actions may result in a criminal walking free, never able to be tried on that charge. Hinch is no hero, he’s a vigilante with an ongoing disregard for the law.

A shout out to the folks at Flow Interactive, who built the amazing AJAX interface over at Moo.com [Correction: helped Moo.com test and refine their ideas on the amazing AJAX interface - Thanks Stef.], who are quoting me in their Moo Print Case Study.

“Moo.com is awesome - where have you been all my Flickr’d life?”
Knowledge is everywhere

You should all know by now, I love Moo. The AJAX interface on Moo.com is fantastic, if you have yet to use it, what are you waiting for? I have now bought several packs of Moo MiniCards, and everyone who sees em wants em. I can’t believe they released the new MiniCard holders the day after my last order. That’s on my next shopping list, along with stickers. Now if only Moo did non-paper stuff too. [A shout out to the folks who did build Moo.com, love your work!]

My favourite tools of 2007:
Twitter - if you don’t get it, you don’t have enough contacts or you’re not asking the right questions
Akismet - oh how I love you. Akismet has caught 23,003 spam for me since I first installed it.
WordPress - a bit neglected this year, but a favourite none the less

But the biggest tool of 2007 is Senator Stephen Conroy, Minister of the Digital Economy, who has wrapped up 2007 by announcing mandatory internet filters, which will be opt-out only.

Filtering the internet isn’t democratic.

In 1948 the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). Article 19 affirms the right to free speech:

Article 19. Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.

Is a filtered internet what you want for your kids? Unable to research breast cancer, religion, censorship, politics and missing out on news such as Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s visit to a strip club.

The Librarians are asking, who is in charge of the filter? What is being filtered? Why no announcements on government websites?

All of this at a time when any child can easily subscribe to hard core porn via SMS, great job Conroy! Way to protect the children.

This post is titled in honor of one of my favourite cartoons, by Michael Leunig.

This year, the election will be a little different. Online media is going to have a stronger role than it has in the past. Politicians have been keen to try new ways of campaigning and even the political coverage is changing to meet the needs of the online generation. However, the tools have changed somewhat, but the policies are all pretty much in the dark ages.

The Australian Federal Election will be held on the 24th of November 2007.

Peanut
Liberal Party of Australia
Liberal’s YouTube Channel
John Howard’s opening speech - Right Leadership (transcript)

Pistachio
Kevin07
Labor’s YouTube Channel
[Waiting for Kevin Rudd's speech to be uploaded - New leadership doesn't including fast updates for the public] - [transcript when available]

Mixed Nuts
FederalElection.com.au - MyElectorate, Hot Issues, Rolling Debate, Blogs
Google’s Election 2007 - Follow Australian politics with Google’s map, videos, gadgets & more
For the Nut Intolerant
Leadership seems to be a key topic for this election, so here are some videos from thought leaders on the subject.
Dr Peter Ellyard - Futurist
Al Gore on Leadership in Global Warming
Barack Obama: Leadership On Energy

“The truth is, we can’t afford to let the same old politics stand in the way of our future anymore.“

On October 4th, MODM 6 will again be at Riverland Bar. If you haven’t been to one yet, what are you waiting for?
Free drinks, attendees from all over Melbourne (and a few in town from afar) and a regular topic on Twitter.

If you create digital media or want to create digital media, come along, meet some people and get started.
Add MODM to your list of Events on Facebook.

MODM 6 is sponsored by Simon Chen from Eight Black,

Cory Doctorow & Charles Firth debated in the Free & easy event, which was held at the Merlyn Theatre in Southbank. I had front row seats to see Charles Firth get his ass kicked in the debate, see videos below. Free & easy photoset on Flickr. Microblogged on Twitter here and here.

Charles Firth was surprisingly inarticulate for someone from The Chaser, also very stuck on old business models which seems in stark contrast to The Chaser in general. [Update 29/08/07: see Cory's comment below - I am disappointed at the Melbourne Writer's Festival's approach to this event, fake debates are best left to comedians. This was just a waste of two talented people. I would have preferred a non-debate of their actual opinions.] Most interesting item from Charles was that the ABC is considering a paid archive model if the public does not complain. It’s odd that they are considering this as even the New York Times has finally figured out that’s a stupid way to go. Biggest irony of the night, Charles criticising Cory for giving work away for free, after which he supplied free copies of The Manic Times to the audience. I got my books signed, and no Cory, yours isn’t going on eBay.

Cory’s not in Melbourne for long, and for those who missed his open dinner invitation, you’re out of luck as his schedule is full.

[Update 29/08/07: More coverage of Cory's speech here on Views from Orbit]

There’s always discussions about generations, what generation are you (take the test), but increasingly when people talk about Generation Y, the main point is technology. Any generation embraces the technology of their era (radio, vinyl records, boom boxes, CDs, the internet), but it by no means is the only thing that defines them.

Many Boomers remember advertising with fondness, not many members of Gen X or Y would say the same. Many members of Gen X & Y want more work/life balance, as they’ve seen the costs paid by their parents. The survivors of the World War II Generation appreciate the simple things in life, like bombs not falling from the sky on a regular basis.

The first thing that defines any Generation is their perception of other Generations. As a member of Generation Y, I quote the Simpsons: I used to be with it, but then they changed what “it” was. Now, what I’m with isn’t it, and what’s “it” seems weird and scary to me. All Generations think the other Generations are weird and scary (even if it’s just a little bit), but they’re all just born of a different social environment.

Generations different to yours aren’t weird and scary, they’re just different. Hopefully all the generations can learn to collaborate (instead of wanting others to “fade away”), combining the collective wisdom of all generations, to solve problems that we all face together. How many friends do you have outside your own generation? Is that number really enough?

I’ll leave you with the generation-mashup, the Zimmers, talkin’ bout their g-generation.

OECD says Australian broadband among the world’s worst and Aussies now know they’re not crazy, it really does suck. My own carrier recently advised me that although I am in a brand new land estate with a large population, I cannot get ADSL2 because the local cabling is of such poor quality it won’t sustain the connection from the ADSL2 enabled exchange.

I am still waiting for a real broadband plan that’s not just for the next couple of years, but the next few decades. How will our connectivity be upgraded in the future? Are preparations being made to make this a cheap, fast and easy process? How will these future upgrades be funded? Why isn’t there a public map of what connectivity is available in your location and who is responsible for your crappy service? Why aren’t councils requiring mandatory standards of service before releasing new land titles? Why are some people still not receiving proper copper cabling and only receiving shared-line technology while paying full price?

 If there are any politicians which actually understand all of the above and are able to answer the questions with something other than “We have a plan, but it’s a secret”, you just might get my vote.

Failing that, I may just have to move overseas to country with better than 3rd world connectivity. It sucks to live here.

Wrapup for MODM #2 at ACMI Lounge, Federation Square. Whether it was James Farmer’s link, the beer, or all the people who spread the word, MODM attendance sky rocketed from 8 at MODM #1 to approx. 50 people. MODM #2 was sponsored by Simon Chen of Eight Black and Jeremy Hague donated the awesome Skylook door prize. It was great to see so many familiar faces, as well as all the new ones. For all those asking, MODM #3 will be on 5th July, so block out your calendar. Here are some videos of Dr Peter Ellyard speaking at MODM #2 (shot on my Nokia N90), photos are on Flickr. Join the MODM group on Facebook or subscribe to MODM by email.

Are you coming to MODM #2? Sponsored by Eight Black
RSVP on Upcoming, join the MODM Facebook group, email me or Cam before 4pm. Directions to ACMI Lounge are as follows: When you get to Federation Square, head straight into the middle, with the Transport bar on your right and the information centre on your left. Go past ACMI and hiding behind the large PIXAR sign is ACMI Lounge. ACMI Lounge will be closed until 6.30pm for a private function. Early arrivals are welcome to hang out at Cafe Chinotto until 6.30pm.

All photos are here in this Flickr set.

Brad Howarth and Domenic Carosa (CEO of Destra) drew quite a crowd at The Domain networking event in Melbourne, held at Digital Harbour in the Docklands. Attendees received a music CD from Destra and a copy of Australian Anthill magazine (Subscribe to Anthill for the secret bargain price here - thanks Rich).

Brad “Best Technology Industry Journalist” Howarth wrote an article in The Age which is firing up the local blogosphere. It’s web take 2.0 is creating a lot of discussion around whether Australian big business gets Web 2.0 (Brad’s full Aussie 2.0 list is here). One of my favourite quotes is from Mick Liubinskas at Tangler “So they keep chasing the users wherever they go, and the users are running away because they are sick of the corporates yelling at them”. As a Gen Y in the workforce, communication is clearly aimed at older generations. I’ve grown up as a consumer hearing the noise that is the corporate monologue, the same-again tv advertising, empty promises and not-so-hidden-agendas. This not only changes my behaviour as a consumer, it also changes what I want in communication in the workplace. I want two-way communication, input, rapid dissemination of news, subscriptions to news based on topic, a human voice, a giant repository of collective knowledge that can be searched… the list goes on. These technologies and techniques are native to me, part of how I get things done. I don’t fax, I don’t send letters and I hear blah blah blah when communication is inhuman and unnatural. Many older style companies are not connecting with their Gen X & Y employees, just as old media is not connecting with their Gen X & Y readers (if they have any). It’s a generation gap. (Rupert is one of the few who gets it)

The Global Geek Podcast recently asked Cameron Reilly “What motivates someone to walk away from the relative security of a six-figure-income corporate job to weather the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune that go with running a start-up?”. Cam posted If You Start Me Up… on Startup Stories,

Creating a startup is already enticing to Gen X & Y for the seemingly unlimited challenge and job satisfaction, but I increasingly wonder whether the human voice (Naked Conversations) is going to be a greater factor in job choice for the coming decades. Money is only useful in that it leads to greater freedom. If you have freedom already, what exactly is the money for?

In other news, Scouta has released Hicks (thanks, no one else was going to) and MODM #2 is on 7th June at Federation Square. Put it in your calendar, RSVP and subscribe to the MODM rss feed. All the cool kids will be there.

R-r-rage-rage-r-r-rage. Rich from Scouta has tagged a bunch of us (Michael Specht, Meg, Muddyblog and me) with the Invade Rage Meme for the Invade Rage Competition. I’m afraid that my lack of listening to commercial music in recent years yields an old list of songs. But this is the very power of Rage, it’s essence. It’s never been like MTV, commercial music and appealing to the masses is not it’s point. Some of the best music I have ever come across, I found on Rage. Not only did guest programmers share the long tail of music (some without videos) & music videos, but they also shared their thoughts on the music itself. I hope Rage sticks around for another 20 years on our ABC.

I tag Cameron, Sam, Urbaer, Molly, Andrew, Frank, Mark and Darren to continue the Invade Rage Meme. Entries into the Invage Rage Competition close this Friday, the 4th of May.

In the rules for the competition, I’m listing 20 video clips and explaining why at least five of them mean something to me.

Anouk - I Alone
Arrested Development - Tennessee
Bomfunk MC’s: Freestyler
Mark Cohn - Walking in Memphis
Bob Dylan - The Times They Are a-Changin’
Eminem: The Way I Am - It may surprise you that I really love this music video. I’m generally not a fan of Eminem, but it’s one of the few songs with a real sense of the price the famous pay for being famous. “I am, whatever you say I am. If I wasn’t, then why would I say I am?. In the paper, the news everyday I am.”. When you watch this video, watch it all the way to the end. Someone under a great deal of stress wrote this song and scripted this video. I’m surprised to see this video come out of the shallow machine that is the music industry. “I’m so sick and tired of bein admired That I wish that I would just die or get fired And dropped from my label” the stress the media puts on people can be just too much for some people to take, maybe for anyone to take. I know I wouldn’t want his lack of privacy for all the money in the world.
Green Day - American Idiot
Insurge: Political Prisoners - “This song is for all the political prisoners, for anyone who wants to live, live like they know they should, the indigenous, minorites, the mentally ill, the passionate few, as we’re for justice, they may take away our freedom to walk, they’ll never take away our freedom to dream.”. I miss the passion of Insurge, I miss the political protest music that I was raised on by my parents. Brittany Spears and the like just don’t have enough soul.
Incubus - Privilege
Janis Joplin - Mercedes Benz
Jet – Are You Gonna Be My Girl - I love this song, my cat hates it, and hates the video even more.
John Lennon - Imagine
LIVE - The Beauty of Grey
Machine Gun Fellatio - Unsent Letter
Midnight Oil - Blue Sky Mine
Rage Against the Machine - Killing In The Name Of (hopefully these guys will stay reunited)
RedGum - I was only 19 (A Walk In The Light Green) “And can you tell me, doctor, why I still can’t get to sleep? And why the Channel Seven chopper chills me to my feet? And what’s this rash that comes and goes, can you tell me what it means? God help me, I was only nineteen.”
R.E.M. - Losing My Religion
Tex Perkins - Better Get A Lawyer Son
Tracy Chapman - Talkin’ Bout A Revolution
U2 - Sunday Bloody Sunday
Van Morrison - Moondance
Yothu Yindi - Treaty

As I stated in my earlier post “My iPod is pristine, never having held anything that’s not a podcast. Eight years later in 2007 and I am no longer a consumer of any music. I will not return to the consumer pool until this industry behaves responsibly and stops holding back technology and human civilization. The RIAA are the Luddites of the Information Revolution, putting their own interests before the rest of humanity, to protect an outdated cartel whose time is up.”

Renai LeMay asks What did the G9 leave out of its press release? “the G9 group of telcos (Optus, AAPT, iiNet and so on) … issued a press release detailing the formal lodgement of their draft proposal for a new nationwide fibre broadband network.”

The press release contains interesting points like:

“The SAU would be for 12 years from the commercial launch of the service in order to provide investors with appropriate long term certainty in relation to return on this significant long term asset.”
There’s no mention of how these assets might depreciate over 12 years and with current accounting practices out of step with perceived market value, this may be a questionable investment. A copper phone line of insufficient quality to sustain new technologies should be depreciated at a more rapid rate if it’s to be held in line with other new technologies such as computers. The value of a building wired with old copper wire is not enhanced by the wire, the market value of a building wired with broadband cable is enhanced. This technology has evolved dramatically in less than 12 years, exactly how is depreciation and this investment expected to run over the 12 year span?

“The FTTN Network will be an IP based next generation network capable of delivering high speed broadband services to over four million Australian homes.”
What percentage of Australians will actually benefit from this? The last measurement of Australian homes I saw pegged us at 7.8 million homes. If this number is still accurate, the G9 proposal only supplies broadband to less than half of Australian homes!

More information please.

The first Melbourne Online Digital Media (MODM) organised by Cameron Reilly is on tonight at Acqua Vino in Yarraville, see all the details on Upcoming.org. I am looking forward to meeting Andrew Pascoe, Mathieu Tozer and seeing Urbaer, Miriam, Keren Flavell. What other Melbourne folks are coming?

The ACMA has linked Alan Jones to the Cronulla violence. The ACMA has found that 2GB and Alan Jones have breached the Commercial Radio Code of Practice in 2006, with their broadcasts on the Cronulla riots.
The regulator has ruled that both that and other broadcasts encouraged violence and brutality and were likely to vilify people of Lebanese and Middle Eastern background on the basis of their ethnicity.
ACMA says while the issue being discussed was in the public interest, the comments were not presented reasonably or in good faith.
It has not announced what action it will take against the broadcaster.
Let’s hope that the ACMA hands out a serious monetary penalty, as well as removing the broadcasting license of 2GB. The days of media whores making money from inciting hate, violence and bigotry has to come to an end. I’d also like to see a list of advertisers who pay money to these people [Update: here it is - These messages of bigotry, violence and hatred are funded with the assistance of: Addbuild Additions, Blue Haven Pools, Dedes Restaurant, Doors Plus, Dyldam, Flying Fish, Health & Image, MBT Centre, Heart Check Medical Clinic, L.J. Hooker, Nature Bee, Nick's Seafood Restaurant, Nimbo Fork Luxury Fly Fishing Lodge, Officespace Australia Wide, P&O Cruises, Park Trent Properties Group, Premier Cabs Pty Limited, Sam the Paving Man, Switzer Financial Services, The Eye Institute, The Gazebo and Woolooware Shores Lifestyle Village, who all buy advertising from 2GB. Corporate Social Responsibility is more than a buzzword.], they’ll all be making my “do not buy from, ever again” list.
ALAN JONES: My suggestion is to invite one of the biker gangs to be present in numbers at Cronulla railway station when these Lebanese thugs arrive. The bikie gangs have been much maligned, but they do a lot of good things.
It would be worth the price of admission to watch these cowards scurry back onto the train for the return trip to their lairs. And wouldn’t it be brilliant if the whole event was captured on TV cameras and featured on the evening news, so that we, their parents, family and friends can see who these bastards are.
Australians old and new shouldn’t have to put up with this scum.
ALAN JONES: I’ve been a police officer for 16 years. And unfortunately the only language the Middle Eastern youth understand is a good hiding. I know it’s not politically correct, but until we’re allowed to discipline them with a good smack, these problems’ll get worse.
Police are too afraid to act due to the complaints system. If we were allowed to act the way we want to we could solve a lot of problems. The way I see it is, once you break the law you use your rights to be treated with respect.
These Middle Eastern people must be treated be treated with a big stick, it’s the only thing they fear. They don’t fear fines and they laugh at the courts.
ALAN JONES: Yeah, lets not get too, lets not get too carried away Berta. They’re not, we don’t have Anglo-Saxon kids out there raping women in Western Sydney. So lets not get carried away with all this mealy-mouthed talk about there being two sides, I can tell you.
Because my correspondence here, from mums and dads, I am inundated and I don’t hear people complaining about Catholics and Protestants and Anglicans.
I’m sorry, but there’s this religious element in all of this and we’ve got to make sure that we welcome people into our community but we welcome them in on certain terms and certain standards, and those standards are not being met.
This is the crap they are supporting with their advertising money. 2GB is getting rich on the pain and suffering of others.
EMMA ALBERICI: While the Authority did find that the issue being discussed was in the public interest, it found that those comments were not presented reasonably and in good faith.
In its findings, ACMA noted that this is the third time that 2GB has been found in breach of the vilification provision of the Code in the last six months, for broadcasts in the past two years.
Announcers Malcolm Elliot and Brian Wilshire were also found to have breached Clause 1.3 of the Code, which says that a licensee must not broadcast a program which is likely to incite or perpetuate hatred against, or vilify, any person or group on the basis of a number of attributes including ethnicity.
In a separate matter, Jones is facing 12 months jail and/or a fine of up to $5500 for naming on air a child witness in a murder trial. Hopefully Alan Jones will join the other media whore who went to prison for their contempt of the legal process, Derryn Hinch, who commented on a case before the courts, creating prejudice in a running trial.
Fines of such a low figure are ridiculous, given the purported six figure salaries earned.

“They don’t fear fines and they laugh at the courts.”

Sound familiar? Naming a child witness in a murder trial and asking bikie gangs to beat up ethnic kids at a beach is the worst kind of media rubbish. It will be interesting to see if the Today morning show continues to keep Alan Jones’s “daily editorial comment” [Update: not only did they keep him on, they let him defend himself as his daily comment]. Is John Howard going to continue to appear on Alan Jones’ show?
Read the findings - Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) MR35/2007

[Updated 21st April 2007: Well it appears crime really does pay in Australia for the media whores at 2GB - a $1000 fine and nine month good behaviour bond for Alan Jones, $3000 fine for Harbour Radio and $4000 fine for the Telegraph. Nice to see our justice system protected. I'm sure witnesses will feel secure giving evidence while under age as long as Alan Jones is on a good behaviour bond. His actions could easily have resulted in the murder of the juvenile witness in a murder trial. He's not sorry, he's telling regulators to get stuffed! Alan Jones needs a stint in jail, not a slap on the wrist. You're responsible for your actions Alan Jones, take some responsibility for them like a grown man.

On another note, the following advertisers are *still* giving their money to 2GB, these messages of bigotry, violence and hatred are funded with the assistance of: Addbuild Additions, Blue Haven Pools, Dedes Restaurant, Doors Plus, Dyldam, Flying Fish, Health & Image, MBT Centre, Heart Check Medical Clinic, L.J. Hooker, Nature Bee, Nick's Seafood Restaurant, Nimbo Fork Luxury Fly Fishing Lodge, Officespace Australia Wide, P&O Cruises, Park Trent Properties Group, Premier Cabs Pty Limited, Sam the Paving Man, Switzer Financial Services, The Eye Institute, The Gazebo and Woolooware Shores Lifestyle Village and have recently added Parklea Markets and Robemaker to their list of bigotry supporters. Do you think these two new advertisers have brought in more money than the fines took out? Way to go ACMA, you've sold our airwaves out, hope you're getting a cut.]

3’s new wireless broadband plans make Telstra’s Next G look shabby

“Both Next G and 3 now offer download speeds of 550 Kbps to 1.5 Mbps, peaking at 3.6 Mbps. You can download 70MB of data on Telstra’s Next G network for $29 per month while, for $30 per month, 1000MB plus 2000 minutes of Skype traffic is available on 3’s new X-Series plans.”

Hopefully this will trigger a price war. If they offer a Nokia N95 on an X-Series plan, I just may have to get one. X-Series labelled media disrupter, however Alan is underwhelmed. Hmm, maybe not.

Politics 2.0 on the ValueWiki Blog only highlights the Luddite qualities of Australian politicians and Australian Government. All the presidential candidates for the USA 2008 Election have their own MySpace pages, some candidates have blogs, social networks and the ability to create your own website about the candidates. The two candidates for Australian Prime Minister are John Howard and Kevin Rudd are a very different story. John Howard has a special website for his seat of Bennelong, which contains an online community survey for Bennelong, email form submission for feedback and an area to enter your snail mail address to receive detailed information on specific issues. Kevin Rudd’s own website URL only redirects back to the ALP website. An email address is not listed on John Howard’s member page for the House of Representatives, although an email address is listed on Kevin Rudd’s member page for the House of Representiatives.

The party websites aren’t much better, the Australian Labour Party website has an email newsletter signup as well as buttons to email the page, print the page, view text-only version and bookmark the page, although they do have a selection of Australian Labour Party RSS fee