Conservatism Vs Progressivism

[Methusala]

Whatever your inclination on any particular issue, you have little choice in a 2 party dictatorship. One example: Morrison govt decides, 'All the way with LBJ'; lets hoist the flag and send a gunship to a remote corner of our world...Straits of Hormuz. Labor immediately, through their spokesperson, Richard Marles. "Great idea, let's go!' Where is the choice in that for people who have been schooled in society to believe that problems cannot be solved through naked aggression?

 

 

[Jerry_Atrick]

The new toys are great. The internet changed the world forever. What a fantastic resource of knowledge. We used to have to go to the local library with it's small collection of largely irrelevant books. If someone hadn't written a book on the subject of your interest you were just left in the dark. But now, if you want to know how many dimples a Mongolian moth has on it's left toe, it's most likely only a few mouse clicks away, and all in the comfort of your own home.

 

Press some buttons and you can bring the world into your living room.

 

I agree, and it also has liberated commerce (something it was not originally designed for). I was listenting to a radio show here where an Aussie entreprenuer stated the internet has reduced the barriers to entry of a global market so much, that it is cheaper to do that than set up in a local market (i.e. bricks and mortar - or even clicks and mortar).

 

However, it also comes with serious dangers - more than just spreading fake info. Cybersecurity issues cost billions in fraud and when it hits a person struggling to make ends meet, the human cost can be tragic. The Dark web, which is basically a layered VPN allows serious crime to flourish with extremely litte risk of being caught. Again, listening on the radio, I learned there was this thing called snuff videos, where a video is made showing how the absolute bastards kidnap a youg woman and then sexually and physically torture her to death.. The videos show the whole lot. Apparently these videos are paid (in bitcoin) to be watched by a lot of people. And, of course there are the  paedophile rings, etc. WIth this technology, all sorts of these crimes are very difficult for law enforcement to catch.

 

But even outside the dark web, there are threats. In our day, we used to get excited at finding a playboy magazine, but it was pretty hard to get your hands on hard-core porn. Proponents of a censor-less web say it is up to the parents.. well, it is easy for these proponents as they know the risks, what is going on, and all the tools and how to use them to manage the risk. However, many parents of the current generation are still clueless about these things and all kids have to do is get a VPN on their device and boom - all parental controls have been avoided. And yes, we can put parental controls stopping the downloading of software, but, at least in my case, my son has defeated it every time, because of environmental factors I hadn't thought of that provided weaknesses.. and I was a professional IT geek! In the end I gave up and have resorted to education (he is close to 18, anyway). Infact some device manufactuers (Apple) had an architecture that postively allowed kids to switch off any parental controls Finally under pressure, they have not stopped this, but installed their own rudimentaty controls that can't be switched off.

 

VPNs are another example - they were developed basically to allow remote workers to work securely over the internet and not allow criminals to infiltrate their work over the net and steal things like sensitive data, etc. Now, they are used to hide tracks and a trail and make detection of anything impossible - a perfect environment for criminals and very nasty people to flourish in plying their trade - an unintended consequence.

 

Regulators also are very slow to catch up. At least here, the courts are not afraid to step in and continue to develop the common law; In other countries it is not so and we have to wait on an increasingly and frustratingly slow political process that is self-serving to catch up.

 

 

[octave]

I agree, and it also has liberated commerce (something it was not originally designed for). I was listenting to a radio show here where an Aussie entreprenuer stated the internet has reduced the barriers to entry of a global market so much, that it is cheaper to do that than set up in a local market (i.e. bricks and mortar - or even clicks and mortar).

 

 

 

It certainly has created many opportunities that did not exist before.  My son started an indie PC games development company which started as a 2 person operation in Melbourne.  Because his market is the whole first world the company became successful.  One day he and his business partner decided that they could operate their business from anywhere and so they moved to Wellington NZ. In my own business I am tied pretty much to a geographical area, my customer base is much smaller than his.

 

In terms of the bad stuff, I suspect some of it was happening anyway, pedophiles networks still existed the difference is now perhaps we are more aware of it.  The existence of snuff films is not a new phenomenon, I heard of such things many years ago.  Perhaps now the chances of getting caught may be greater than when the method was sending pictures in the post although I have no evidence of that assertion either way. 

 

The internet is a tool just like a hammer most people use it to build something useful and occasionally someone beats someone to death with one.   It is easy to trawl through the net and be dismayed at what seems to be a post facts era but I believe that it is early days with this new tool.  We will get better at using it.    

 

Personaly I think the good far outweighs the bad.

 

 

[old man emu]

I feel that my General Knowledge, which was pretty good before the year 2000, has increased markedly in the past couple of years since I've had the chance to spend more time researching stuff. I know for sure that I wouldn't have been able to create a family tree back to the 1690's without the internet. On the home front, Youtube taught me how to correctly sharpen a chisel; to create scale scenery; produce realistic painted scale models. Then there is the knowledge I have gained about aircraft hardware, fuels, engine operation and so on. Finally I would never have established the world-wide acquaintanceships that I now enjoy via the 'Net.

 

 

[octave]

I feel that my General Knowledge, which was pretty good before the year 2000, has increased markedly in the past couple of years since I've had the chance to spend more time researching stuff. I know for sure that I wouldn't have been able to create a family tree back to the 1690's without the internet. On the home front, Youtube taught me how to correctly sharpen a chisel; to create scale scenery; produce realistic painted scale models. Then there is the knowledge I have gained about aircraft hardware, fuels, engine operation and so on. Finally I would never have established the world-wide acquaintanceships that I now enjoy via the 'Net.

 

 

 

Pre internet we owner built a house ultimately successfully but with many missteps.  Post internet we renovated our house and now we are renotvating our present place. Youtube is a fantastic resource. How the hell do I tile around that corner?  What tool can I use for this job? Why doesent my oven work?

 

 

[Yenn]

I would agree that it is easy to get info about how to do anything in the handyman line, but I don't see anywhere near as much handyman work being done now, compared to 20 years ago.

 

The current idea seems to be get rid of something and replace it with new. There is very little repair of existing things.

 

There are very few owner builders of houses and I know of only one aeroplane being built in this area, whereas ten years ago there were 4 or 5. I seldom see a boat being built in the backyard and 20 years ago there was one in every street. Nowadays everyone is too busy looking at their mobile phone to have time to build anything, even though the information to do so is freely available.

 

 

[octave]

I would agree that it is easy to get info about how to do anything in the handyman line, but I don't see anywhere near as much handyman work being done now, compared to 20 years ago.

 

The current idea seems to be get rid of something and replace it with new. There is very little repair of existing things.

 

There are very few owner builders of houses and I know of only one aeroplane being built in this area, whereas ten years ago there were 4 or 5. I seldom see a boat being built in the backyard and 20 years ago there was one in every street. Nowadays everyone is too busy looking at their mobile phone to have time to build anything, even though the information to do so is freely available.

 

Not partcullary my experience but I guess it is about who you know.   There are extremely vibrant makers" communites online  Also it is my go to place to find out how to repair something.  To the extent that people dont repairs thing is I believe nothing to do with people being less willing but lets face it many appliances are specifically made not to be fixed. 

 

The kind of people I know are like this fellow, who is my sons business partner.  This is the 3D tank he designed and built, nearly entirely by 3D printing. Oh and he built the 3D printer himself.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IO3M_ODuiZU  

 

 

[Methusala]

I don't agree that it is difficult to repair things these days. I just replaced a pair of potentiometers in my intercom. I sent to the manuf'rer in the US asking for a schematic. They replied that they didn't keep such details as the item was over 10 years old and out of date. Offered me a new one for the "special price" of $US100. I tried Jacar for a couple of 10k dual gang pots. The items they had in stock were twice the size and $4.50 ea. I ended up getting the ones that I wanted off the net (direct from China). The price? $2.67 for 5, delivery free. I also built my house in '75 while a 2nd year apprentice. Now it would be impossible for such a thing as the land would cost at least $.25m.

 

 

[Phil Perry]

I agree, and it also has liberated commerce (something it was not originally designed for). I was listenting to a radio show here where an Aussie entreprenuer stated the internet has reduced the barriers to entry of a global market so much, that it is cheaper to do that than set up in a local market (i.e. bricks and mortar - or even clicks and mortar).

 

However, it also comes with serious dangers - more than just spreading fake info. Cybersecurity issues cost billions in fraud and when it hits a person struggling to make ends meet, the human cost can be tragic. The Dark web, which is basically a layered VPN allows serious crime to flourish with extremely litte risk of being caught. Again, listening on the radio, I learned there was this thing called snuff videos, where a video is made showing how the absolute bastards kidnap a youg woman and then sexually and physically torture her to death.. The videos show the whole lot. Apparently these videos are paid (in bitcoin) to be watched by a lot of people. And, of course there are the  paedophile rings, etc. WIth this technology, all sorts of these crimes are very difficult for law enforcement to catch.

 

But even outside the dark web, there are threats. In our day, we used to get excited at finding a playboy magazine, but it was pretty hard to get your hands on hard-core porn. Proponents of a censor-less web say it is up to the parents.. well, it is easy for these proponents as they know the risks, what is going on, and all the tools and how to use them to manage the risk. However, many parents of the current generation are still clueless about these things and all kids have to do is get a VPN on their device and boom - all parental controls have been avoided. And yes, we can put parental controls stopping the downloading of software, but, at least in my case, my son has defeated it every time, because of environmental factors I hadn't thought of that provided weaknesses.. and I was a professional IT geek! In the end I gave up and have resorted to education (he is close to 18, anyway). Infact some device manufactuers (Apple) had an architecture that postively allowed kids to switch off any parental controls Finally under pressure, they have not stopped this, but installed their own rudimentaty controls that can't be switched off.

 

VPNs are another example - they were developed basically to allow remote workers to work securely over the internet and not allow criminals to infiltrate their work over the net and steal things like sensitive data, etc. Now, they are used to hide tracks and a trail and make detection of anything impossible - a perfect environment for criminals and very nasty people to flourish in plying their trade - an unintended consequence.

 

Regulators also are very slow to catch up. At least here, the courts are not afraid to step in and continue to develop the common law; In other countries it is not so and we have to wait on an increasingly and frustratingly slow political process that is self-serving to catch up.

 

I first visited the Dark Web several years ago. . . as an experiment ( Me being an electronic fiddler ) what I found available there was utterly mindblowing. . . .I could buy crates of used AK-47s, some workable and some requiring repair and various other weapons for silly money, for covert delivery anywhere. . .even complete ex mil Russian jet aircraft. . . !

 

I have been there a few times as an interested visitor a few times since, for the purpose of Blog Articles on the subject. . . . .but it is a dangerous place and monitored by the security services of several countries. . . . best stayed clear of. unless you are prepared for a projectile in the back of your head one night on the way back from the pub. 

 

 

[facthunter]

 Malevolent types will penetrate, corrupt and exploit ANYTHING for profit. We reward Greed too easily. (He's rich and Powerful. Wow I'd like to be like that))

 

    If you follow the money trail. Just HOW HE became rich should be the issue. It's "ideally" reward for work. Is duping and stealing from others legitimate work?  Of course it's not but we keep making it OK by not doing enough to keep things honest. Steal something small and you go to Jail. Steal big stuff and you get an AOM.  In the 70's $15,000 bought you a knighthood in Australia if you went to the right place with the cash. At that time most Australians wouldn't have wanted one anyhow, but it always went down well with the Japanese If you had dealings with them. Nev

 

 

[Methusala]

I believe that behind every large fortune is an equally large and heinous crime.

 

 

[facthunter]

 Generally the case these days, I would suggest. Profit by cutting corners and assett stripping  offshore taxc avoidance money transfers etc

 

     Perhaps not always  so in the past where brand loyalty and looking after your carefully selected staff was considered important for a business to prosper..  Quality meant something. Example Victa with Merv Richardson . Staff there felt they were working for people who cared and felt lucky to have that job. Nev

 

 

[spacesailor]

" it also has liberated commerce (something it was not originally designed for). I was listenting to a radio show here where an Aussie entreprenuer stated the internet has reduced the barriers to entry of a global market so much, that it is cheaper to do that than set up in a local market (i.e. bricks and mortar - or even clicks and mortar)."

 

That is WHY Amazon.com is not for us poor aussie buggers !.

 

We have to use Amazon/com.au. Just to make sure we Pay our 10% tax.

 

"In the 70's $15,000 "

 

That would have bought the House !.

 

spacesailor