Throwing away the chance to be the centre of the universe

Peter says:

08:47am | 07/12/10

There are concerns about the level of Chinese involvement in the project, and whether they might just be listening for other things, a little closer to home than Proxima Centauri..

Chase Stevens says:

09:12am | 07/12/10

I think we’re more than able to build the NBN and this. But I do think that the Australian Government and the Australian Media have really let us down here. This is an awesome (and I do mean awesome) opportunity to promote the Sciences and Maths - which we certainly need to do - and we’re just letting it slide on by.

wtf Australia. wtf.

Alex says:

03:56pm | 08/12/10

Rutherford was a New Zealander.

It really doesn’t work if you consider yourself superior to the average punter, then get your facts wrong.

I’m not even mentioning your grammar.

Nelly says:

08:55am | 07/12/10

Someone should tell this to Abbott

Jim says:

02:06pm | 07/12/10

Seems obvious to me that the only ones banging on about how great the NBN white elephant will be are the rusted on ALP mouth breathers…being a ‘neoliberal idelogist’ (that the new buzz word? tired of paradigm? I know I was!) is definately not a prerequisite to being able to see the NBN as a waste of ‘a minimum’ $43bn.

The Badger says:

02:46pm | 07/12/10

jim
you and the rusted on conservative coalition of back to future are the ones banging on in an attempt to wreck or disrupt the most significant nation building project ever.
The rest of us are eagerly anticipating the visionary changes this will deliver over the next few decades for ALL Australians.

You just keep your head in the sand and be a good boy.

A cynic is one who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing.
Oscar Wilde

James says:

03:47pm | 07/12/10

Indeed Badger, the NBN is going to make things like the SKA possible. Geraldton is one of the first NBN cities because they have already wired (or fibred) their way out to the SKA site. Science isn’t the only reason to want the NBN but it is a darn good one.

TheRealDave says:

04:35pm | 07/12/10

@Jim, well most business leaders, IT Professionals,  Educators etc all want the NBN yesterday ie people with more than half a brain and can look past next fortnight.

As well as Labor ‘Mouth Breathers’.

Unfortunately, we only hear from the vested self interest groups spreading FUD across one side of politics and the media who support them. Make no mistake, the Alliance, the Libs, News Limited, Telstra etc have a substantial vested interest to see the corrupt, entrenched, obsolete, overstretched and breaking down copper system stay intact - as is. They aren’t against he NBN for any other reason. Not to ‘save the Australian people money’, not to halt any ‘cost blowouts’ or because the average Aussie will have to fork out ‘thousands’ or even ‘to help out the bush’ or whatever rot they are spewing forth this week.

Which begs me to ask ‘What the fuck are the Labor Party doing?!?!’ Honestly, this is a no-brainer. Well, it should be.

If I was able to offer the Labor Party any advice on the subject of the NBN it would be:

Plaster commercial television with a plethora of commercials (proudly brought to you by NBN Co and the Australian Labor Party, written and spoken by The RealDave) showing:

At Work: Businesses using real time communications, proper video conferencing not dodgy skype and messenger on a desktop screen, linking offices, branch offices, have the actors audibly cancelling flights or choosing not to book flights/accommodation because they’ll hold a video conference instead, have them running real time video training sessions onto everyones desktop computer across the country saying that they could never have done this before and it will save them ‘thousands’ etc

At Home, having dad selecting a TV show/movie to stream whilst someone else is in another room watching a YouTube HD clip, whilst another kid is playing Counterstrike, whilst mum is chatting via Skype (crystal clear) to grandma in Bendigo and her sister on the Gold Coast etc

At School: having a class in Toowoomba going on a real time HD Video tour of the War Memorial in Canberra with a guide, streamed back via the NBN to a projector display in their classroom with the guide narrating the exhibits and the kids are questions back to the guide. Have a classroom of kids talking to another classroom of kids on the other side of the country or the other side of the world etc

Of course we also need to highlight the medical angle since its been played up so have a rural doctor discussing the real time digital results of an elderly patient in his clinic with a specialist in Melbourne and another in Sydney or the like. Or having a patient hook up to a box at home and talking with his doctor about the results that come up on his PC in his clinic etc

Thats off the top of my head. They need to get all the positive benefits out there so that more luddites and IT challenged people can see the benefits rather than go along with the fraudulent scaremongering rubbish that is being thrown about the press, in politics and in public.

Oh and, I expect a healthy cheque coming my way if you choose to proceed with my ideas Ms Gillard/Mr Conroy and look forward to working with you

Now excuse me while I try and get an extra 1.7mb out of my two ADSL2 connections so I can grab some more porn…...

NicoleG says:

06:28pm | 07/12/10

The wouldn’t want you! BTW, how’s that over comb going?

JulesG says:

09:52am | 08/12/10

Nicole that’s not nice and especially when nosthow is perfectly correct. The libs will take us back 50 years and Australia will sink in a mire of mediocrity and lack of innovation.  If we loose the SKA then it’s down to Howard not seeing its worth and cancelling a NEO observatory sending Australia into the dark ages as far as the international scientific community are concerned and leaving the southern hemisphere virtually blind.

NicoleG says:

10:47am | 08/12/10

Jules, which one? The Libs or his over comb?

nosthow says:

08:26pm | 07/12/10

@Jane - another purler from you Jane - yes Little Johnny Howard not only drove Health back 40 years but also Education. Its now taken the Labor Party to get in and try and catch up for the lost 12 years. Infrastructure too is a dirty word for the Liberal Party !