Video of the Fort Australia Forum, Cyberhate? Censorship on the Internet, held Tuesday September 8th. 2009 is now available to watch. The forum was held in the Jubilee Room Parliament House Sydney and speakers include Fiona Patton, Geordie Guy, Jim Wallace and Angela Conway.
Time guide:
Ms. Fiona Patton – Convenor of the Australian Sex Party (approx 7mins 30 secs)
Mr. Jim Wallace – Managing. Director The Australian Christian Lobby (approx 19mins 51secs)
Mr. Geordie Guy – Spokesperson Electronic Frontiers Australia (approx 43mins 30secs)
Ms Angela Conway – Director Pro-family Perspectives (approx 56mins 00secs)
Questions from the floor are at the 89mins mark.
11 comments
Bob Bain says:
Oct 5, 2009
I understand that all participants agreed to this being on the Internet (with some reservations) – which may relate to the Questions and Answers section of the video (possibly from Jim Wallace).
David Duffy (who introduces the speakers) told me he paid the photographer – which has seemingly caused a minor rift as others believe the photograpy should have been free.
I’m not sure how Cameron Watt got hold of the resulting DVD. David Duffy told me it was possibly from the videographer but he isn’t sure.
Bob
Geordie Guy says:
Oct 5, 2009
To my understanding FORT sent Cameron a DVD, and is sending them to anyone who asks for them, I believe one is headed my way too.
I had been led to believe that the two videographers that were at the event were not paid, rather were using the footage that they had filmed as part of a larger documentary project – I have spoken to one of them since to clarify some points I made during the debate (my comments about Tom Wood in the video are 98% correct). While they would obviously do production work on what they shot, the video in it’s entirety was distributed to any and all who asked for it or who were in attendance.
I was contacted by Mr Duffy before the DVDs were distributed and asked for my permission for the video to be uploaded to the Internet (he said to YouTube but obviously the entirety of the video is unable to be uploaded to that service). I’m assuming that all other parties had responded in the positive as well because the DVDs were distributed.
What specifically are you accusing Cameron of Bob?
Cameron Watt says:
Oct 5, 2009
I am a bit puzzled by Bob’s comments… Bob are you saying there is a problem, because that would be a surprise to me.
As Bob would know, I contacted FORT initially to find out whether the Forum was going to be videoed or otherwise recorded. Marijke (FORT Media Manager) replied saying that it wouldn’t be due to resource constraints and suggested I may ask around as they were amenable to the idea.
So the evening was recorded and when the videographers produced the DVD Marijke notified me, I presume due to my previous communincations about it. She provided the contact details for one of the videographers and asked I contact them directly for a copy of the DVD, which I did.
I also responded to Marijke’s email asking for permission for the DVD to be published online on “YouTube or a similar site”. She gave permission as long as it wasn’t selectively edited or cut in a way to misrepresent the speaker’s view or point.
That is why I uploaded it to Vimeo as they do not have a 10 minute limitation on the clip length. I uploaded the video in full, the only alteration was to transcode the video to meet the 500MB limitation. I think any reasonable person would agree that meets Marijke’s requirements.
After uploading the video I also sent Marijke an email with a link to it. She was happy to see the video published in full.
So the question remains, is there a problem and what is it?
Bob Bain says:
Oct 5, 2009
I am not accusing Cameron of anything and don’t fully understand why a simple statement such as
“I’m not sure how Cameron Watt got hold of the resulting DVD. David Duffy told me it was possibly from the videographer but he isn’t sure.” can be regarded as an accusation.
Please explain !
Responding to Cameron I offered to video the event and contacted the media organiser but didn’t receive permission.
I was also at the Fellowship of the Round Table meeting last month where various aspects of the censorship debate were aired including the resulting public views of the EFA and Jim Wallace.
I understand David Duffy paid the videographers $50 from a telephone conversation with him on Thursay or Friday. I told him I didn’t regard that as a huge sum of money considering the editing and work involved.
I am now a member of FORT but haven’t been offered a DVD and am not aware that copies are available to anyone who asks.
I anticipate a phone call from David Duffy either tomorrow or Wednesday I suggested a topic for a meeting on the 24th. November which both of us are working on.
Why is that any statement of fact is regarded as some form of accusation. It isn’t.
Bob
Bob Bain says:
Oct 5, 2009
Addendum:
With regards to YouTube the allowed video length for a video clip for normal users is 10 minutes, however some organisations appear to be able to upload videos to YouTube exceeding that limit – some as long as 1 to 3 hours.
The nocensorshipaus channel (linked to on this blog) is limited to 10 minute videos several of which I recorded and uploaded (the December 13th. protest meeting in Sydney) and the March in March event in Canberra). There were heaps of cameras at the Canberra and the Sydney event but what the organisers did with the video from these events is something of a mystery. I uploaded them to the nocensorshipaus channel – which I started originally simply to filter personal videos (I have a personal channel) from censorship/political one such as the recording of the 1996 protest march extracted from a news item at that time.
And yes I marched in 1996.
I was alive in 1996. I was also alive in the eraly 1970′s and during the period when the New South Wales government made the sale of “unclassified videos” illegal. They NEVER made the sale of X rated material illegal as the New South Wales Classification Act never recognised it.
I wrote on this in my LiveJournal on August 10th.
http://bobbain.livejournal.com/316252.html
Bob
Bob Bain says:
Oct 6, 2009
Addressing Cameron Watt:
The only problem I am aware of this that there is seemingly a difference of viewpoints between David Duffy and Marijke regarding a payment made to the videographers.
David Duffy expressed delight that the proceedings are on-line (David isn’t a computer buff and doesn’t have an email address and not having a computer would only be vaguely aware of the issues being addressed in this debate).
He has also expressed some degree of anxiety about the efficiency of their Website which I note is hosted by a Canadian company. When he called about this I suggested that Stilgherrian might be able to help him out and provided him with the telephone number for Stil’s Prussia.Net. He expressed disappointment that Stilgherrian didn’t return his call and on Friday noted the number previously working was answered “number not connected” so no doubt he has given up on Stilgherrian.
I can only guess the reasons for this difference of opinion one possibly being issues of ownership and copyright. If payment has been made to the videographers then perhaps the Fellowship own the content. If a paymemnt wasn’t made perhaps the ownership and copyright lies in the hands of the videographers. I’m only guessing.
The only other “problem” that I’m aware of is that the Jim Wallace “camp” may have expressed objections to the Q&A section where Jim Wallace was heard endorsing the “X” rating as legal and therefore legally acceptable. Perhaps the Australian Christian lobby have objections to this.
This is the feedback I have been getting.
As for YouTube I suggested the nocensorshipaus Channel to Marijke who wanted to know “who are you – I know nothing about you”. I provided Marijke with a summary of who I am and what my affiliations are listing:
a) a listed Member of the Economic Legal and Social Implications Committee of the Australian Computer Society.
http://www.acs.org.au/index.cfm?action=show&conID=200509011128097725
b) the “content manager” of the nocensorshipaus channel which I started and maintain
and
c) a registered member of the Australian Sex Party but without voting rights as I elected to join without voting rights.
Bob
Bob Bain says:
Aug 2, 2011
Two years later ….
The next scheduled forum of the Fellowship of the Round Table is set for the evening of September 13th. 2011 on the topic “The Internet as a Challenge to Youth”.
Although this isn’t necessarily about censorship it is likely that a member of the Australian Sex Party (NSW) will be speaking.
It is the policy of the Fellowship to present alternate points of view so there is the probability that there will be various viewpoints expressed.
I am not in a position to name the speakers until everything is in place but it is I believe likely to be an interesting forum and possibly of interest to those who have expressed points of view in response to the video above.
For further information reference the new and improved Fellowship website at http://www.fortaustralia.org
Bob
Bob Bain says:
Oct 6, 2009
Addendum to my reply to Cameron Watt
Here is the start of the Q&A session of the Fellowship of the Round Table forum (question regarding censorship) answered by Geordie Guy and Jim Wallace who definitely defines X-Rated as being legal.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R10g0KO0AJs
Internet Filtering Parliament House 8th. September 2009 (Q&A)
Bob
Bob Bain says:
Nov 11, 2009
Ross Fitzgerald wrote about this event in hard copy (printed) edition of the Spectator Australia.
Writing on the 3rd. October 2009 he writes under the headlines.
“As mainstream religion falters, so faith infiltrates politics”
“Ross Fitzgerald imagines an amalgamated Christian superlobby squaring up to the newly-registered Australian Sex Party”
He concludes the article
“If the super-duper, cross factional, multi-allegiance Christian party becomes a reality, Rudd’s problems in the Senate with Family First’s Steve Fielding will pale into insignificance. If the Sex Party manages to win seats as well, the Senate may well be transformed into a religious debating house.”
Bob Bain says:
Nov 11, 2009
Regarding Ross Fitzgerald’s opinion piece printed on 3rd. October 2009 it is noted that Ross Fitzgerald has also documented this on his personal blog
http://www.rossfitzgerald.com/?p=171
“As mainstream religion falters, so faith infiltrates politics”
Ross also provides the opportunity to express an opinion.
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