Author: DokterW

Queensland Health has issued an alert about yet another measles case yesterday in Brisbane.

In West End on 22 and 23 January an adult male visited numerous stores on Boundary St, including a barber shop.

In the morning of 24 January he visited Coles Supermarket. Then the Stradbroke Barge at 5 pm.

Metro South Health (MSH) public health physician Dr Brad McCall said, “all Brisbane residents needed to be alert for symptoms, particularly those who may have come into contact with the first most recent patient on the 22nd, 23rd and 24th January, or with the other patient on the flight or at the IGA in Carina on Tuesday 21 January.”

For more information regarding the measles alert see: http://www.health.qld.gov.au/news/stories/140128-measles.asp

Australian Government Office of the Australian Information Commissioner announced today, aptly on Data Privacy Day, that Australians will have their right to privacy strengthened on 12 March 2014.

Australian Privacy Commissioner Timothy Pilgrim says in a press release the new privacy laws will strengthen peoples’ privacy rights in areas such as direct marketing, the disclosure of personal information overseas and requesting access to and correction of personal information held by an organisation.

“Being up front with customers and having good privacy practices in place makes good business sense.”

“Everyone should take an active interest in protecting their privacy and read an organisation’s privacy policy to decide whether they want to do business with that organisation.”

For more information on privacy law reform see: http://www.oaic.gov.au/privacy/privacy-act/privacy-law-reform

After the revelations by Edward Snowden in 2013, most people seemed to be up in arms about the extent the NSA keeps an eye on everyone around the world.

Interestingly the outrage did not seem to last long. Internet users still seem to trust Google to handle all their data. Also, the fallacious claim, if you have nothing to hide you have nothing to worry about, was shouted at those who were concerned about their privacy.

Services and software that offer good encryption when communicating online has existed for a while, but they have either been a bit too obscure or a bit daunting for non-savvy computer users.

Now that most people either have an iPhone or an Android phone there is a higher expectation that apps should be easy to use by anyone — even apps that offer to protect your privacy.

Keep in mind, nothing is and can be 100% secure. But the more difficult you make it for someone to eavesdrop on your communication, the better.

Wickr
The company claims to offer the user military-grade encryption of text, picture, audio and video messages — where encrypted messages are not stored on their servers. When sending a message to someone the sender decides for how long the message can be available to the receiver after it has been read.

Wickr’s cofounder Nico Sell even turned down FBI’s casual request to allow them access. Showing they are dedicated to protect your privacy.

It is available for both iOS and Android.

Confide
This app has recently been released and gotten a lot of attention. It has a different approach to how you read your messages, where you have to reveal the message by swiping your finger across each word. After you have read it, the message is then deleted.

For now it is only available for iOS, but they seem to be working on an Android app.

Both of these apps seem to do what they promise, but what might still worry some is that they are based in USA. Which means the company and their servers are subject to US legislation.

This is why Hemlis might be a better option, when it is released, as they intend to host their servers in Iceland.

Hemlis
One of the cofounders of this app is Peter Sunder, whom is also the cofounder of The Pirate Bay and Flattr.

They have not said when it will be released, but given the background of those behind it and, as stated, it will without a doubt become very popular. Especially if they stick to the promise to host their servers in Iceland, where privacy laws are very strong.

When it is released it will be available for both iOS and Android.

Before you think these apps are only for those whom are paranoid or deal with sensitive information, take some time to look at how you communicate with colleagues, friends and family when talking about a sensitive topic.

Using apps like these is no different from when you look over your shoulder, lean in towards someone and quietly tell them something you want to be kept secret.

The only difference is that when communicating digitally it is much harder to notice if someone is eavesdropping on your private conversation.

Over to you, the reader, what do you use to keep our communication private?

The carpark under Westpac in Boundary Street last night hosted a Brisbane Free University panel discussion titled Reporting the G20 Brisbane conference to be held in November this year.

Panellists included Nic Seton, community strategist for Greenpeace; Jim Beatson, founding member of 4ZZZ and activist in the Joh Bjelke years now adviser to Bryon Shire’s Green mayor, Simon Richardson; another ZZZer, Andrew Bartlett, community activist, then Democrats Senator and now convenor of the Queensland Greens; and Ben Pennings author of Generation Alpha and active member of BrisCAN-G20 an umbrella group coordinating the communities response to the G20.

The panellists all referred to the struggle to get fair representation in the mainstream media and emphasised the important role of independent media such as 4ZZZ and the Westender.

The challenge is that the mainstream media portray the G20 as a benign and beneficial conference showering millions on the people of Brisbane. A long list of opponents, though, recognise the G20 as a primary mechanism in the dominance of a small ruling class over small independent business and the other 153 nations of the world.

That list includes governments of developing nations, independent states, climate activists and those opposed to Free Trade Agreements. Free Trade Agreements grant corporations legal rights to sue governments for interference in trade thereby stripping governments of their sovereign rights to control pollution, slavery and abuse of workers within their borders.

The Australian tobacco regulations and pharmaceutical benefit scheme are two pillars of Australian society that the G20 specifically want to see removed.

Westender attended the discussion as part of its ongoing coverage of the G20 summit and the impact it will have on the people of Brisbane. We are in close contact with the authorities planning the summit as well as the groups opposing it. Our role is to accurately report the events and the issues. The next major piece will run in the February print edition, due on the streets on February 1st.

Nova Heart wants to push things forward. Do something different. Avoid what has become the norm for Chinese popular music. Being validated through association of a major brand and western culture. Instead they want to make it by doing their own thing and pushing things forward.

They have toured five continents before publishing their debut album. A feat very few bands can brag about.

Helen Feng Nova Heart, vocals] told me, as we were standing outside in the rain at Woodford Folk Festival, that this has been made possible thanks to their Fake Music Media manager Philipp Grefer’s hard work.

Fake Music Media’s name is a play on the assumption that everything that originates from China is fake.

When it comes to music, regarding both China and South Korea, the music industry often focuses on who an artist has played for or is associated with. This is used as a way to validate their popularity.

If an artist plays at a store for a certain brand, then the band is popular — not because the artist has something interesting or revolutionary to say.

“The music industry stopped being relevant when it became an industry.”

She explains to me that this is because of hipsterism. Certain bands are cool because they are sold as cool, and if you listen to that band you are cool. Also, you have to wear a certain type of clothing, because you need to show you are cool and hip.

Hipsterism is nothing more than post-materialism.

“Everybody is reading the same stupid Pitchfork reviews and doing the same stupid hipster shit.”

To avoid this Nova Heart has had to make it big outside of China first — while also trying to push things forward. Something that can either be extremely successful or a complete failure.

“I am scared.”

She tells me that as a musician you often spend 90% of your time on the road. This makes it hard to have an interesting life. Therefore musicians are not really that interesting people — which results in most music being not very interesting.

“Am I a complete a**hole saying that?”

If your life is different from everyone else, only then it is easy to be interesting.

To start a revolution with music, you must have something interesting to say, she explains. Music is just sound, not a revolution on its own — something people need to get over and understand. Have a reason for what you are doing.

“That is bigger than being famous.”

As we part our way I am left questioning not only the music industry, but also what we easily label as popular music. Is it really interesting, does it have any reason and why is a certain band popular?

She did touch upon that during our conversation, when she said that we have become too focused on being happy and that everything is fine. If your are negative or critical of something, then you are the problem.

Let us just pretend that everything is great and ignore what can and should be changed, right?

Interestingly enough, I am also left with the notion that there is hope for music. As long as we have more artists like Helen Feng that are daring enough to criticise the industry and willing to risk everything for the sake of changing it.

On their Australia Tour Nova Heart will be in playing at two venues in Brisbane. Check them out if you are looking for something different and a band that wants to make a difference.

http://youtu.be/NDcip9JtwtU

Nova Heart Australian Tour 2014
Thursday 2nd January 2014 @ Ric’s Bar – Brisbane (QLD)
Friday 3rd January 2014 @ Old Museum – Brisbane (QLD
Saturday 4th January 2014 @ Great Northern – Byron Bay (NSW)
Thursday 9th January 2014 @ The Brass Monkey – Cronulla (NSW)
Friday 10th January 2014 @ Spectrum – Sydney (NSW)
Saturday 11th January 2014 @ The Standard – Sydney (NSW)
Wednesday 15th January 2014 @ Beach Road Hotel – Bondi (NSW)
Thursday 16th January 2014 @ Ding Dong Lounge – Melbourne (VIC)

As kids we are brought up being told that we can trust the police. They are the good guys. Those that will save us if we are in trouble. Maybe not so strange then, when a police officer is caught on camera doing something questionable and it is possibly taken out of context, that the public goes absolutely ballistic.

In a video published on Saturday you can see a man being first allegedly punched by a police officer and then arrested by the three officers in Fortitude Valley Friday night last week.

The video created an instant public outcry on social media and in comment sections of news articles about the incident. The public wanted answers to what really happened and even demanded the police officers to be suspended. Some mentioned that this reminded them of how the police acted when Joh Bjelke-Petersen was Premier of Queensland.

The most interesting, and creative, demand was when a few claimed the police officers should be charged under the new VLAD bill due to its vagueness.

QPS Media Unit published a media release informing the public that the incident was being investigated, but it is here where they failed miserably and allowed concerned members of the public to act as judge, jury and executioners.

With certain investigations it is vital to withhold information. This is to ensure that if a case is taken to court the trial will be fair and not tainted by speculations in the media and social media.

With that said, keeping the lid on too tight, as happened here, encouraged rampant speculation on social media.

The next media release was not really any better than the first. It did state they had spoken to the arrestee, Beau Hall, who had allegedly been punched, and no formal complaint had been lodged.

Shortly afterwards a Brisbane Times article said the three officers had been “vindicated” by CCTV footage that showed the whole confrontation unedited. Unfortunately this footage has not yet been released.

In the Brisbane Times article it was alleged that the officer did not punch Beau Hall, but shoved him with an open hand. The reason for this was, “[He] clenched his fist, pumped his chest out, started to lick his lips and come towards police.”

If this is all it takes to receive such treatment from the police it is understandable why some in the public are concerned and wary around the police.

Joe Ritson who filmed the incident has told 9 News he was threatened with arrest if he continued filming.

Here we have an incident where the police allegedly punch a person, who does not look threatening on film and is outnumbered. To threaten the person filming this incident with arrest as alleged, only makes matters worse.

It would have helped public perceptions of the police if it had been known that the police were responding to a call that Beau Hall allegedly had urinated in the alleyway. It would also help if the public knew that what looked like a punch on the video was instead a shove to defuse a possibly dangerous situation. It is hard to see how letting the public know these two facts would negatively affect a possible trial or fuel the rumour mill on social media.

Instead the QPS Media Unit decided to be very frugal with information. Yet they pride themselves on being good at providing information when receiving requests.

Westender has tried to reach out to QPS Media Unit twice, asking if the CCTV footage will be released, but the requests has not been answered. QPS Media Unit has informed me they do not own the footage and can therefore not release the it, and the incident is still under investigation.

Considering the outcry by the public, releasing the CCTV footage might actually have a true, vindicating effect if the public is allowed to see it with their own eyes.

As it is correct that the footage that is available on YouTube only shows partially what happened and the angel is often a bit awkward.

Many seem to focus on the alleged punch, which later has been stated to be an open-hand shove, but I do not think I am alone being concerned with what seems to be a person that is acting in a non-threatening manner being heavy-handedly arrested. This raises the question, what if a member of the public is mistaken for someone else and is arrested, receiving the same treatment as Beau Hall?

It also raises another concern, will this be common to the lead-up and during the G20 meeting in Brisbane? The possiblity of repeating Friday night’s scenario is increasingly likely now that everyone can easily make recordings with their phones and instantly publish them online at the same time as the police have been given extra powers to handle threats against G20 participants.

Given that such allegations can spread like wildfire on social media it will be very prudent for the QPS Media Unit to be honest and upfront with the public to defuse possible trials-by-social-media. They will also need to work as closely as possible with journalists so the right information can be made available to the public in an attempt to defuse the spread of disinformation on social media: a lack of information can often encourage erroneous speculation.

Below is the video QPS Media Unit claims to have been taken down from YouTube. If the CCTV footage is also made available this article will be updated.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WgztzKCB7g

What is your opinion regarding this incident? Could the QPS Media Unit handled it better and do the public need to see the CCTV footage? Post your comment below.