At the start of this week, we launched the Open Internet campaign website and we have been pleased with how the first few days have been received.  Of course, there was the inevitable discussion on the blogosphere about the shift in campaign language (see, for example, here, here and here) but that discussion only reinforced what we all know: when it comes to defeating the Government’s mandatory Internet filtering policy, language matters.  That is why we launched this new campaign, using the language of an “Open Internet”.  We want to appeal to a more mainstream audience and we believe that Open Internet portrays a positive and understandable message that will resonate with Australians who are yet to form a strong opinion on the Government’s policy.

We have been very happy with how the Open Internet campaign has been picked up on Facebook and Twitter.  We already have over 3000 Facebook fans of an Open Internet for Australia and the #openinternet hashtag on Twitter is already being widely used.  Behind the scenes, we have also seen increased communication and collaboration between the various groups that are opposed to the filter.

The campaign against the Government’s policy has also received quite a bit of media attention this week, which has also helped spread our message, including:

• Why Conroy loves porn (Sydney Morning Herald)
• Internet filter: All eyes on the Liberals (iTWire)
• Australian government and search engine giants lock horns (International Business Times)
• Move over, Australia: France taking ‘Net censorship lead (Ars Technica)
• Electronic Frontiers Australia fights filtering with Open Internet campaign (Sydney Morning Herald)
• Lundy pursues opt-out amendments to filter (iTWire)
• I am muzzled (iTWire)
• Lundy prepares last-ditch filter pitch (ZDNet Australia)
• ISOC-AU says no to ISP filter (Computerworld)
• Google and Yahoo raise doubts over planned net filters (BBC News)
• EFA rebrands anti-filtering campaign as “Open Internet” (iTWire)
• If RC content must be filtered, users should be involved, says ISOC-AU (iTWire)
• Conroy’s filter on the wrong side of an emerging ideological fight (Sydney Morning Herald)
• EFA welcomes some opposition to mandatory filtering (iTWire)
• NZ’s filter starts next month (ZDNet Australia)
• Librarians: Close the books on Internet filtering (ARN)
• Librarians voice opposition to Internet filter (Computerworld)
• Conroy faces off with Google on censorship (iTWire)
• March filter ‘protest’ canned for picnics (ZDNet Australia)
• The filter smackdown continues—now with added Google controversy (Crikey)

You can follow the latest Open Internet news from around the web on our website here.

Of course, all this is just the beginning.  Please support the campaign by becoming a fan of an Open Internet for Australia on Facebook (and use the discussion board to post your ideas for the campaign), as well taking action this weekend.  We posted to the blog yesterday some things you can do this weekend to support an Open Internet (instead of marching).

We have many more things planned in the coming weeks as we seek to broaden our audience and persuade everyday Australians, who don’t necessarily have a high degree of understanding and familiarity with the Internet, that the Government’s attempt to censor the Internet by introducing mandatory Internet filtering, is bad policy that should not go ahead.  So stay tuned …