

Australian government shelves controversial data retention scheme - ra
http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/government-shelves-controversial-data-retention-scheme-20130624-2oskq.html

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femto
Possibly helped by 20% of the Australian electorate taking the newly formed
Wikileaks Party seriously, and there being a Federal Election in 90 days [1].

[1] [http://www.themonthly.com.au/blog/roy-morgan-
research/2013/0...](http://www.themonthly.com.au/blog/roy-morgan-
research/2013/06/11/1370907445/new-polling-shows-assanges-wikileaks-leads-new-
partie)

~~~
ihsw
Australia also has compulsory voting:

> Countries with compulsory voting generally hold elections on a Saturday or
> Sunday as evidenced in nations such as Australia, to ensure that working
> people can fulfill their duty to cast their vote. Postal and pre-poll voting
> is provided to people who cannot vote on polling day, and mobile voting
> booths may also be taken to old age homes and hospitals to cater for
> immobilized citizens.

Source:
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compulsory_voting](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compulsory_voting)

Notably, this results in election candidates adopting populist policies that
more closely represent their constituents.

~~~
gregsq
That they are populist I would tend to agree. Having voted in both the UK and
Australia, I've concluded that compulsory voting in Australia leads to a type
of popularity contest, and that the so called informal vote is viewed as
either one of an error, a wasted opportunity for democratic engagement, or an
act of stupidity. Certainly when counting votes, the informal votes are
discarded as merit less.

In the UK the election turnout percentage is just as important a metric for
measuring overall confidence in the political process as the proportion of
votes gained for the candidates. Another dimension to voter attitude which is
lost in the compulsory system I believe. As it shows a general vote of
confidence, the entire political class is highly observant of it.

~~~
paddy_m
The act of deliberately not voting is an under appreciated form of protest and
non-consent.

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siddboots
> "A controversial "data retention" scheme that would have _allowed_
> Australians' internet and telephone activities to be stored for up to two
> years...

... in fact, the proposed scheme would have been mandatory.

[http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Hous...](http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/House_of_Representatives_Committees?url=pjcis%2Fnsl2012%2Freport.htm)

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vixen99
"its Prismlike scheme"

~~~
JabavuAdams
Yes, please edit the title to replace "it's" with "its". In this context
"it's" means "it is". /petpeeve

~~~
abraininavat
If this is a pet-peeve of yours, how the hell do you manage to be a reader of
this site?

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robbiep
Why make our own system when the DSD and ASIO can just listen in thanks to the
US?

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lazyjones
I have to wonder whether this is because it would have been (suddenly)
unpopular, or because they found out what kind of data the NSA is able to
offer to every secret service in the world ...

Also, SCNR: it's "its" (possessive), not "it's" (= it is) in the title (says
the non-native speaker who firmly believes that such mistakes are contagious).

~~~
abraininavat
_says the non-native speaker who firmly believes that such mistakes are
contagious_

In that case, you should know that the comma in your first sentence shouldn't
be there. To understand why, consider this sentence with a similar form: "I
have to wonder whether this is an apple, or an orange."

I know it's pedantic and doesn't add anything to the conversation, but there
are lots of people in here and we wouldn't want it to catch.

~~~
pablobm
Whether that comma should or not be there is actually not universally agreed.
This punctuation is known as "Serial comma"[1], and some style guides require
its use.

On that sentence though, I think it's different. The first part of the
sentence is long enough that the comma is welcome as a natural stop (and
breather) before delivering the second half.

By the way: I'm not a native speaker either.

[1] Also better known as "Oxford comma":
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serial_comma](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serial_comma)

~~~
abraininavat
Did you not even read the first sentence on the wiki page you linked to? Here
it is:

 _In punctuation, a serial comma or series comma (also called Oxford comma and
Harvard comma) is a comma placed immediately before the coordinating
conjunction (usually and, or, or nor) in a series of three or more terms._

Note the last four words. _three or more terms_

 _On that sentence though, I think it 's different. The first part of the
sentence is long enough that the comma is welcome as a natural stop (and
breather) before delivering the second half._

Despite your feeling that commas should, be inserted randomly when we feel the
sentence, has gone too long, that is not standard English. You also missed the
entire, point of my comment. It has nothing to, do with commas.

~~~
anotherevan
Oh, God...

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zmmmmm
Too bad ... it would have been hilarious to see them attempt to announce this
now, in the current political climate and the brouhaha over NSA spying going
on.

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jfoster
Reading between the lines of this article and the "at this time" weasel words,
it sounds like might still be on their "things to do" list.

------
senorcastro
Still can't play Left4 Dead 2.

~~~
reitzensteinm
I don't know if people are down voting because they don't get the reference,
or because it's irrelevant, but this is what he's talking about:

[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Left_4_Dead_2#Australian_ban](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Left_4_Dead_2#Australian_ban)

Leaving those who actually played the game scratching their heads.

