melbaboutown
@melbaboutown@aussie.zone
- Comment on Australia’s under-16s social media ban is weeks away. How will it work – and how can I appeal if I’m wrongly banned? 1 hour ago:
Yeah they flip flop so much I get confused and have to worry about every platform.
I’m really confused about Gmail because they haven’t said anything but YouTube and Google signin are linked so I have no idea whether the email part is safe.
It’s a dog’s breakfast
- Comment on Australia’s under-16s social media ban is weeks away. How will it work – and how can I appeal if I’m wrongly banned? 1 day ago:
The worst part is I can’t block dodgy recommended channels without being signed in. And yeah, it does still behave algorithmically for me.
So kids are still going to be seeing manosphere content, MLM crap, and whatever else. Not to mention gambling ads if those haven’t successfully been blocked (which has been made harder to do without having premium unless you know how)
- Comment on Australia’s under-16s social media ban is weeks away. How will it work – and how can I appeal if I’m wrongly banned? 1 day ago:
Same. I think Steam may have been added to the list for age verification but will need to double check in case I’m thinking of the UK version of this.
I’m not sure about email but am wary as Gmail addresses may be linked to Google search signins and YouTube which absolutely are going to ask for verification. I’ve been downloading media from Google drive and switching to different email providers on services that used a Gmail just in case.
- Comment on Australia’s under-16s social media ban is weeks away. How will it work – and how can I appeal if I’m wrongly banned? 5 days ago:
They’ve been really unclear and flip flopping but YouTube has already demanded I age verify.
- Comment on UK's rival to the Tim Tam can no longer be called chocolate 3 weeks ago:
I’d suggest getting an Aussie penpal for a cultural exchange but the shipping would probably be killer even on a pack of biccies
- Comment on 'Nothing' done to address gaps created by teen social media ban, says children's commissioner 4 weeks ago:
Agreed. It wouldn’t be 0 screen time, it would involve moderated screen time and yes guiding and teaching the kid.
They’re still going to get into things they shouldn’t but this way would handle it better than these sweeping changes (which they’ll get around as well or go to more dangerous sites).
Unfortunately outside interests are involved so I think this isn’t completely about protecting the children :/
- Comment on Australia: Child sex abuse doll torsos and disembodied heads being offered on China's Temu, Shein to get around laws forbidding the importation of sex abuse material 4 weeks ago:
This is gross and sketchy as hell.
At the same time though I feel like more of these resources could go towards helping actual real victims.
- Comment on 'Nothing' done to address gaps created by teen social media ban, says children's commissioner 4 weeks ago:
You can also go back to having a family computer in a common room, install parental controls, give kids a dumb phone if they absolutely need one, and teach them to use phone boxes in an emergency.
But this is too good a chance to suck up more sensitive data and engage in more surveillance.
- Comment on 'Nothing' done to address gaps created by teen social media ban, says children's commissioner 4 weeks ago:
I’d say this is also like waiting to shut the gate until after the horses have bolted. None of it helps victims after the fact.
Discord already got hacked and age verification IDs stolen.
- Comment on Tawny frogmouths take patience to appreciate. They will reward you with insights into their remarkable lives | Stephanie Convery 1 month ago:
One of those used to visit regularly. I hope he’s ok
- Comment on Something not in the water: why are Queensland councils voting to remove fluoride? 1 month ago:
No worries!
- Comment on Something not in the water: why are Queensland councils voting to remove fluoride? 1 month ago:
You’re not an idiot. The gist of it is that there have been places that didn’t have or removed fluoridation and it resulted in terrible dental health in kids.
And yes you can get fluoride from toothpaste. But I’m guessing what happened is that due to the risk of swallowing toothpaste kids need low fluoride or fluoride free toothpaste, so weren’t able to get enough without having it in the water.
- Comment on Albanese invites Arab 'hypermarket' to compete with Coles and Woolworths 1 month ago:
Unfortunately not everyone can afford to move.
- Comment on Albanese invites Arab 'hypermarket' to compete with Coles and Woolworths 1 month ago:
That’s a very smart way to go about things. Unfortunately physical disability and/or being carless make this approach difficult.
Also time, depending on where you live there may be considerations around fuel, and this may be more or less doable depending on whether or not you have small kids with you.
If it were up to me I’d go to markets and supplement with Aldi but my reality is fairly annoying
- Comment on Sydney backs controversial plan to build up to 31,000 new homes 1 month ago:
Pretty scummy move, and to a charity no less. While it’s technically not doxing it’s very similar in premise and also closely resembles brigading. It’s plainly inciting intimidation and harassment. And the comments received are discriminatory.
What a grub.
Also I don’t know why a divisive American public figure is such an issue in Australia? Last I heard our gun laws haven’t changed. It seems like US culture wars are being brought over and imitated regardless of relevance to us.
- Comment on Summer is coming. How long do you shower for? 2 months ago:
I wish I had a bathtub.
My showers are too long for reasons of pain management, but if I had a bath I could draw a limited amount of very hot water and soak.
- Comment on No Australians immune: What 2050 and beyond will look like for your city 2 months ago:
🕳️ we take refuge
- Comment on No Australians immune: What 2050 and beyond will look like for your city 2 months ago:
dreads in heat intolerance and nowhere to evacuate
- Comment on Social media platforms will not be required to prove accuracy of under-16 bans 2 months ago:
I saw this browser plugin and it looks like a far better alternative. Sorry couldn’t find a good non-X link
- Comment on Australians soon facing age checks when viewing adult websites 2 months ago:
🫡
- Comment on Australians soon facing age checks when viewing adult websites 2 months ago:
I’m trying to work out since it affects search engine signins would it affect Gmail.
Also
Relevant electronic services: covers email, messaging, online chatrooms and dating services, as well as services for playing online games together.
I really hope you’re right because fuck that.
As for messaging (assuming that’s texts) the phone company should already have my age.
- Comment on Australians soon facing age checks when viewing adult websites 2 months ago:
Agreed, since parental controls already exist. Kids are just a partial smokescreen I think.
Government wants to grandstand about preventing a very visible issue with kids online, but it’s a pretty sweet deal for gaining more surveillance powers. Social media platforms and search engine companies want to slurp up even more sensitive data.
This bullshit makes me so angry. I can dispense with everything else but I can’t do without an email address.
- Comment on Australians soon facing age checks when viewing adult websites 2 months ago:
I’m going through deciding what I can do without… but now you have to hand over ID to use fucking email?
- Comment on Thousands of Australians call for neo-Nazi leader to be deported to New Zealand 2 months ago:
I don’t think it would do much. He’d just continue agitating and assaulting people there.
Perhaps it would be more useful to ban him from the platforms he’s using (or from using the internet) and from attending “public gatherings” (or house arrest).
Or you know. Actual jail. Like he should be in.
- Comment on What's everyone doing tonight? 3 months ago:
The same thing we always do Pinky. Try to take over the world!
- Comment on Netanyahu doubles down on Albanese attack despite Australian Jewish group urging calm 3 months ago:
He’s having a tantrum
- Comment on Age verification fun 3 months ago:
- Comment on Benjamin Netanyahu says Anthony Albanese 'betrayed' Israel 3 months ago:
Where are we abandoning Australia’s Jews? A lot of them just want to live in peace and don’t endorse this crap.
He’s just angry at not being obeyed
- Comment on What is Guan Yin Citta Dharma Door, the Australian religious organisation allegedly being spied on by China? 3 months ago:
Cult?
He also claimed to be the manifestation of the bodhisattva Guan Yin.
“He claimed to have knowledge of the past and the present and the future, to be able to heal diseases — or at least to provide ritual methods by which diseases can be healed,” Professor Penny said.
The organisation’s website has testimonials from followers saying that Mr Lu’s methods helped with everything from curing their cancer, moving to Australia and clearing personal debts.
One of the group’s videos, filmed at a large event, shows an older man who uses a wheelchair being able to walk again.
Cult.
- Comment on Films and video games have age classifications. Should books? 3 months ago:
Fyi this might be a useful resource to quickly review a movie. Despite the name it contains a wide range of content warnings www.doesthedogdie.com
But yeah… classification isn’t censorship yet. Your point about LGBT content is a very good one.
Considering recent attempts to remove a kids book from shelves because it contained two dads, it’s kind of looking like religious groups are looking for any angle they have to control content they don’t like. And once they’ve had one win, the scope will creep.