I don’t usually get political on this blog. But an issue was been sneaked by the Australia public by the Federal Telecommunications Minister Stephen Conroy. Nice timing new year’s eve, when most people are not media focused.

Today it was reported on the ABC - Conroy announces mandatory internet filters to protect children. This is from the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy.

Senator Conroy says it will be mandatory for all internet service providers to provide clean feeds, or ISP filtering, to houses and schools that are free of pornography and inappropriate material.

With all the discussion, earlier in the month, on the way the W3C working groups are made up and operate, the influence of the browser and software producers on the web industry. We really have to consider do we have this around the right way. There has been calls for removal of the software producers from the working groups. Now I’m not going to debate that topic here, I think we have all done this to death at the moment.

It’s an interesting point you want to organise a professional event; do you go with the traditional conference / seminar format or the more relaxed popular unconference (aka barcamp).

Well having attended and been involved with organisational aspects of both it is clear they have their places. There are a number of points that you have to consider before committing to one over the other.

Organisation

• Unconference - It’s very relaxed, informal, embrace it, attendees control the proceedings.
• Conference - Very formal. The attendees will have little if any say in proceedings.

At this time of year we all get a few days to get off endless carnival ride of our industry, this allows us time to reflect. Or simply unwind and contemplate the old navel lint. It’s at times like this you ask yourself why you really got into the Web Industry in the first place.

Now I’m not talking about because you need to provide or earn a little cash for yourself and your nearest and dearest.  No I’m going beyond the material domain. We all have to earn a living in one shape or another, so let’s just put that aside.