Never one to miss a business opportunity, Ruslan Kogan and his team have developed the “Portector”, a high-tech device used to protect Australians from all the spams and scams that are making their way through the Portal.
Costing just a paltry $2,999 and including free shipping, the Kogan Portector is made from the “finest 8000 thread count Egyptian cotton”. It’s also a joke. The disclaimer at the bottom of the announcement says it all:
DISCLAIMER: The Kogan Portector is not a real product. The Kogan Portector is in no way affiliated with Senator Stephen Conroy, The Australian Labor Party, or the Australian Government. Incorrect use may result in uncensored Internet content, freedom of speech, freedom of choice, freedom of thought, and protection of your civil liberties.
Curiously, the Kogan website actually has a link to purchase the Portector. Not sure what happens after you enter your details – I asked Ruslan and he told me “You may actually get abducted by super natural beings that come out of the portal”, which doesn’t really make me want to try it to find out…
[Kogan]
Kif
Friday, June 18, 2010 at 10:42 AMI can find way more uses for this product than I can for Conroy.
Zac
Friday, June 18, 2010 at 10:53 AMSteven conroy is an idiot, wasting our money on something that will not protect our internet. The best way to protect the internet is to EDUCATE people, you know, the thing that the government is skimping on these days.
He shouldn’t be the communications minister if he doesn’t even know what he’s talking about.
Red T-Rex
Friday, June 18, 2010 at 11:17 AM10 out of 10 to Kogan for this. Very funny.
Your Mate Alex
Friday, June 18, 2010 at 11:19 AMhahah :) My portal feels safer already.
nice one kogan!
Matt
Friday, June 18, 2010 at 11:36 AMWow, a company with a sense of humour. Brilliant. Need more of this. Id love to see an ad like this on tv. I dare you Mr Kogan. I feel so portected.
simon
Friday, June 18, 2010 at 11:36 AMand why isnt this being advertised on tv?
Steve
Friday, June 18, 2010 at 12:37 PM* Like *
canberracubicle
Friday, June 18, 2010 at 12:51 PMSo is anyone else thinking ‘Mass Mail In’ to Conroys office? Seems to be an orange bag or something, anyone got any idea where we can get our hands on about 20,000 for free?
Nick Broughall
Friday, June 18, 2010 at 1:03 PMStay tuned…
Your Mate Alex
Friday, June 18, 2010 at 7:30 PMNick,
Just putting my 2c in. The only thing that seems to matter these days is how much of an election issue this is for the prime minister.
I suggest Gizmodo very publicly challenges Conroy to an spam/scam/portal/internet/technology test. The questions and answers to be posted for the public to assess whether this f——– is qualified to be making decisions regarding IT and communications. No trick questions, just things he absolutely should know.
I’d sign a gizmodo petition demanding my minister take the test.
Either way, please Nick, can Gizmodo put their weight behind something a bit more structured? A sub-site? Maybe Kogan could sponsor it? ;)
PDP80
Friday, June 18, 2010 at 1:16 PM8,000 count cotton?
Wow, that’s more than a match for Conboy’s single thread mind.
Rahul Khanna
Friday, June 18, 2010 at 2:48 PMA few friends and I made a pledged not to vote Labor again unless Conroy is removed from his position or the government openly and wholeheartedly dumps his crusade to curb freedom. I then emailed my sitting (Labor) MP telling her of our pledge, though I wish I had mailed it physically for a bit of old fashioned weight (in case they stopped my email more efficiently than spams and scams).
I recommend more people write to their sitting member.
canberracubicle
Friday, June 18, 2010 at 3:46 PMAgreed, but note for those who are looking to vote against the government this year remember preferencing. Be sure you allocate your preferences lest they be allocated for you…
simulacrum
Sunday, June 20, 2010 at 7:50 PMThe best way to send the message is to vote below the line in the senate and make a specific point of putting conroy last.