Act a weapon for, not against, cyberbullies
I despise bullies, so when the Harmful Digital Communications Act became law, I thought that was a good thing, despite the Free Speech Union warning against it because of potential unintended consequences.
I was wrong. The Act has subsequently been employed by bullies to silence their accusers.
It has been tried to use it to silence reporter Portia Mao, and police used it to protect Jevon McSkimming from scrutiny.
There appears to be no record of the Act being used to protect victims.
Now we have a Bill to prevent children under 16 from using social media. Again, this Bill’s intent is laudable, but will it work, and what unintended consequences might arise?
Will this give Facebook et al licence to demand proof of identity, and where will those details end up?
Facebook permanently removed my account for "sharing terrorist material" — a picture of the ISIS flag printed on a roll of toilet paper.
Imagine what would have happened to my "fit and proper person" status if Facebook had my full identification details and shared them with police, along with an accusation of terrorist leanings?
I fear the proposed Bill will simply push under-16s to even less regulated platforms, while also forcing adults to provide personal details which will then be stolen or misused.
Education is a better way to protect our youth from the perils of social media.
Economies of scale
Julian Doorey (Letters ODT 8.12.25), made some good points about the Dutch engineering feats to control storm floods and to reclaim land from the oceans. A quick search online brings up a long history of how Holland has safe guarded their land down through the centuries.
They put in place special autonomous administrative bodies, water control boards, with legal powers to enforce their regulations and decisions on water management. Strict zoning laws to control urban sprawl and protection for valuable agricultural land.
It comes down to money in the end. New Zealand’s GDP per capita puts us 26/197, the Netherlands is 13/197. We have about 5 million people, Netherlands has about 18 million people.
Hopefully at the very least, Surrey St drainage can be fixed as quickly as possible.
Show me the money
Letter writers Julian Doorey and Jenny McDonald both seem to have missed the vital ingredient in their comments: money.
There is an engineering plan for South Dunedin. The cheapest is about $3 billion over 75 years. If the present government spent $3 billion on reducing carbon emissions it would do nothing to reduce global warming or stop flooding in South Dunedin.
So the question is, where is the money coming from? Even if we had it, what project has the highest priority?
Retailers: self-reflection can be a powerful tool
It seems not a week goes by without another report of a council/agency/business concerned by growing unpleasantness or aggression towards its staff.
Each time I am reminded of my own experience in a large Dunedin big-box retailer. I was leaving after having had my polite inquiry about a product met with a disinterested response from a surly and rude staffer.
As I walked out I became aware of a pre-recorded message being played over the store’s public address system. It was saying, in mildly threatening tones, that unpleasantness towards staff members would not be tolerated and that if a customer engaged in any sort of unkindness to staff they would be removed from the store. I had heard this recording previously but this time it took on an ironic significance.
I was literally laughing out loud as I reached the exit. I have never been back to that business.
Rude or aggressive behaviour can never be condoned and my comment should not be interpreted as an attempt to justify or excuse such conduct. However, never once, in any of the reports, have I read that a councillor/manager/business owner has stopped tut-tutting and hand-wringing long enough to pose the simple and obvious question: "Is it possible that our organisation is doing something to provoke much of this behaviour?"
Crocodile tears
Prime Minister, the brilliant film featuring Jacinda Ardern, is now in the Oscar ballot. I’m trying to figure out how to get all the hard-right trolls, the tinfoil hat brigade and the Jacinda haters to cry into a big vat.
Address Letters to the Editor to: Otago Daily Times, PO Box 517, 52-56 Lower Stuart St, Dunedin. Email: letters@odt.co.nz
