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Exetel has been my ISP for home and business for about 18 months now.

However this week they announced they would be trialling Internet censorship software in preparedness for a mandatory Govt filter. Australia's biggest ISP, Telstra's Bigpond, has not found it necessary to embark on a trial so why does Exetel need to? My argument to Exetel is that they are giving the Govt more fuel by this capitulation. Other ISPs such as Bigpond & iiNet that have publicly stated that it is a ridiculous notion to try to censor the Internet, Exetel has decided to
capitulate.

If that wasn't bad enough Steve Waddington in his Exetel blog, has referred to people who think there should be no filter as "crazies". This 'crazy' will be spending his money elsewhere. I did leave a comment on his blog but he decided not to publish it. As an online marketing and PR exercise it is generally considered not best practice to publicly insult your customers.

Here is the email thread

Hi Steve,
I worked briefly in the Melbourne office of TPGi back in 96 selling VPNs, Frame Relay etc. We had a few conversations back then as I helped the Melb Sysadmin with some POP issues he was having.

I am extremely disappointed that exetel are trialling a mandatory filter. This debate is not about porn or kids. It is about free speech and our liberty. A secret manadatory blacklist is Orwellian. We are meant to trust our politicians that nothing political will be blacklisted, yet we know political material is on the current blacklist as well as MA & R rated material.

Your trialling of a mandatory filter leaves me no choice but to move my accounts elsewhere. We have a business account as well as a residential. Telstra is not trialling nor is iiNet. Your trial gives the Govt (not the ALP as you state) more ammunition to tell the uniformed that we need this.

Whom do I speak with about cancelling our accounts DIDs etc?

Thank you

Regards
Jim Stewart

Dear Sir,

You must, of course, do whatever you consider to be in your own best interests.

Exetel must do what it considers to be in its, and its almost 100,000 customers, including you, best interests.

We are NOT Censoring the Internet and for you to describe our five day trial of a piece of technology to mitigate any subsequent actions by the Australian Labor party in such terms is ridiculous.

Neither you, nor any other customer's Internet can be "censored" by Exetel - and it never will be. It can be censored by the Australian Labor Party and if that comes about then Exetel must comply with Australian law but, and this is the point of the trial, we will comply with the Australian law in a way that technically imposes the least performance burden on our customers.

For you to change suppliers has not changed, in any way, what will happen to your Internet service should the Australian Labor Party proceed with its current insane policies on "Internet filtering" - all you will do is to disadvantage yourself by ceasing to use a service that has, apparently, suited you very well for some time.

You can cancel your service at any time via the User Facilities area on the Exetel web site.

Steve Waddington
(for Exetel Pty Ltd)

Your latest blog post labelling those of us who don't want any filter as "crazies" is particularly offensive. Nice way to treat your customers. Well you won't be getting any more of this crazies money. It maybe only 500/month but it will be going somewhere where I get treated with respect.

Jim Stewart

Dear Sir,

Your inability to read or comprehend what is written is regrettable, and I can clearly do nothing to influence your self assessment of your mental state.

I wish you every success with your future service provider.

Business must be booming for Exetel to be able to treat customers with such contempt.  From a customer service perspective I find this whole exchange astounding.