ROE

Has anyone noticed that the much affable and androgynous [by name only] Minister, Vivian USED to make sense to us. And then suddenly he looks and sounds like he has been cast in the same mould of countless members of his party before his time?

The Government is now coming up with Rules of Engagement for new media. New media meaning blogs, random sites and bulletin boards. Anywhere where a member of our country can put up his words and thoughts for all to view will encapsulate new media. That, the birth of the Internet proper has been dated back to 1990 points to actually a 17 year lag between realizing, analyzing and reacting towards the emergence of the new way of the Jedi, the online way.

These are some excerpts from CNA's feature last night:

The government will continue to set political agendas and rules of engagement in the face of the new media, and will not be dictated by online petitions or polls.

And while it will try to balance the diverse interests of the society when it comes to issues of sex, nudity and violence online, it said it would not hesitate to prosecute those who post seditious or racially offensive content in cyberspace.

"All we need is the government to selectively target those who pose a clear risk to the real world. Consequently, we have seen no need to suppress new media unless specific laws are broken by posting seditious or racially offensive content which has come to our attention and gained traction in our society.

Similarly, when it comes to alternative lifestyle, sex, nudity, violence or coarse language in cyberspace, the government will practise what is called 'ceremonial censorship' � drawing a line in cyberspace but taking into account the evolution of society.

Dr Balakrishnan feels the most potent impact the new media will have on politics is that politicians will find it hard to lie in future as there will always be citizens who will publish the truth in blogs or online.

"So what really keeps me awake at night is the excitement of being able to live through a revolution. Just like you, I stay at the side and watch it all happen in our lifetime," added Dr Balakrishnan.

That the hardline term of ROE has been used to term this effort goes to only insinuate that a military/policing method will be applied to the topic at hand. However, what use is indicating clear OB markers for racially seditious, sex-filled, violence inspired posts when it is even unclear what is exactly sedition, too violent and too sexy? Basically, what we can look forward to are certain laws that will in fact govern the uncertain. Stuff where offensiveness is graded not by a numerical scale but in fact by emotions and opinions. Very real laws and punishments will in fact govern the intangible.

The government also has swore off even giving a slightest bit of credibility to online polls or petitions. A carefully placed stumbling block perhaps as the usage of the virtual world is right about the only way to activate large numbers of people to your cause instead of approaching them individually. So, if you are not in support of future policies, forget about petitioning the lawmakers online, instead do it old school and clamber up and down 25 flights of stairs attempting to collect signatures. In simpler terms, if you disagree, prepare to work your ass off.

"Selectively target". We have heard this term so many times from all the different ministers concerning a myriad of topics that it has become a Singaporean cliche. Select and Target could well be synonyms and to place them together in a phrase and use it millions of times over the years just speaks of a slight word-con job. It could also mean that instead of broad based "one size fits all" laws of the future and new media. Expect active policing, where relevant agencies like the SPF and MDA perhaps are on the trawl daily to catch sedition and violence and sex red handed, freshly posted.

What I could never understand was ceremonial censorship. What the fuck does this term mean? I censor you just because it has become a tradiitonal thing to do so. We traditionally have refused to recognize and allow the gay community to emerge as a group capable of fitting into society's entangled web so we term them "alternative lifestyle" and still push them under the carpet?

Vivian's point that politicians will not lie in future due to citizen journalism I feel is too far fetched to be even incorporated into a non-biased article. Come on dude, this is Singapore. Even if hypothetically, some dude knew that you shoplifted those WWF stickers and got caught and caned way back in Primary 4, no one is gonna fucking come forward to expose you. Especially if you are in the ruling party. Do you really think they would now do so under the cloak of anonymity on a blog? Nay. Even primary schoolers know what an IP address stands for. You need more than new media to wipe out this sense of fear of repercussions. You'd need a revolution.

Here's where my point of Vivian starting NOT to make sense in recent times comes alight in true form: "So what really keeps me awake at night is the excitement of being able to live through a revolution. Just like you, I stay at the side and watch it all happen in our lifetime". A classic "NNB, Don't bluff me la." moment?

Adieu!