Every day, we publish a selection of your emails in our newsletter. We’d love to hear from you, you can email us at yoursay@theconversation.edu.au.
Monday December 8
Hitting unsubscribe (not to this newsletter)
“Hooray for this proposed legislation to make it easier to cancel subscriptions. I’ve had many instances of difficulties cancelling because I can’t find a link or even a contact. You want a graphic editing tool for a specific one-off task and end up with a subscription to an expensive suite because you couldn’t cancel.”
Ann Davenport 
Hey Siri
“Voice activation may be a small problem for some Indigenous people, but I am sure they are not the only ones. How about the differences in language in each county in the UK. An east Londoner is so very different to a Yorkshire person. Both English, but different. How about an immigrant with a strong accent. There is no move to exclude, it’s just technology, it’s evolving.”
Philip Pascoe
Women’s work
“What a load of claptrap. I get dressed in the morning and then go about life. I do not expect to be paid for what I do to live. It is impossible and ridiculous to try and put a monetary figure on the ordinary actions taken to live. If you believe cleaning your own home or cooking your own food is a job to be paid for, fine, pay someone to do it while you get paid doing something else.”
Peter Brooker
Tuesday December 9
Social media ban and democracy
“Your article suggesting young people may not learn about our political system because of the social media ban sounds incredulous. Teachers can still teach using words and diagrams. I would have thought that educating students about our political and civic systems was mandatory. This helps them participate in democracy and access civic supports. The suggestion that students cannot learn without the internet, laptops and mobiles is patently ridiculous since this has been achieved for years.”
Mark Penman, Brisbane
“Okay, yes, point out that teachers consider themselves poorly resourced to teach Civics and that democracy knowledge may be at risk. Surely it’s not all about schools imparting political education. Parents and carers of young people have a significant role too. Surely engagement with political ideas is not solely about access to social media.”
Stewart Stubbs, Wentworth Falls NSW
“You recently wrote about why tech platforms endanger democracy yet now you’re muddying the waters by saying that kids will miss out on knowing more about democracy if they’re not on social media? This is also ridiculous. Kids have less knowledge now, due to social media, because of misinformation and subversive powers controlling feeds. Schools shouldn’t need support to teach democracy. It’s a standard. How were they engaged before social media if social media is going to be leaving such a gaping hole in their political lives? Kids will organise and engage if they want to face-to-face or via other means if they feel passionate. It’s hard for them to feel passionate about anything when they’re depressed, anxious, fighting rising eating disorders or being relentlessly bullied online.”
Ebony H
Wednesday December 10
Manosphere irritation
“I generally like The Conversation. However this morning I read an article on the Manosphere presented in a format which was irritating, disjointed and distracting. I gave up. Could we have articles written ‘normally’ please?”
Chris Henderson
Ed: Sorry to hear you didn’t like it. We thought this format was the best way to immerse our readers in this toxic world and experience content the way young boys do.
Tasmanian stadium
“It’s possible you have received other emails from Tasmanians who are quite frankly horrified that this piece was published. Did Tim Harcourt not consider the damning economic reports from two highly qualified economists Saul Eslake and Dr Nicholas Gruen who have concluded the so-called economic benefits of the stadium were inflated or backed by little or no evidence? Tasmania’s independent Planning Commission came to the same conclusion and recommended the stadium should not proceed.”
Anne Layton-Bennett, Swan Bay TAS
Who killed the hobbits
“I just read with wonder the article about the hobbits of Flores. Having studied chemistry at uni and taught it for 30 years, the use of isotopes of oxygen to not only infer dates but also conditions was pleasingly illuminating.”
Geoff Holmes
Thursday December 11
Pay teachers better
“As someone with two teenagers, school attendance is an issue – but in Australia it reflects many factors not even mentioned in this article. The incredible disparity between public and private schools being a major factor, as well as the loss of teachers due to burn out, primarily due to lack of remuneration. Quality attendance will only occur when these factors are addressed and students can have the engagement they need from supported, time-rich teachers.”
David Clarkson
Out for a profit
“Yes, we should all be concerned about child safety, and not just online. However, I do think it’s unfair to imply that the current negative consequences of social media are due to ‘the failure of a digital ecosystem built on profit rather than protection’. I’m not suggesting that that’s NOT the case. But ALL industries can be tarred with the same ‘profit rather than protection’ brush. We shouldn’t single out the digital ecosystem. Why should we expect one industry to put people first when we condone the harm done by all the others?”
Kim Ter-horst, NSW
A manosphere (article) fan
“Just a quick message, prompted by the reader who disliked the format of [Monday’s] manosphere article. I actually thought it was fantastic.”
Beth Ebert, Windsor VIC
Friday December 12
It is called The Conversation afterall…
“In response to Your Say correspondence, I think the fact The Conversation can publish stories with differing views on a subject from different authors is evidence that the truth is not about one point of view or one perspective. Science has shown us that the truth does not always move in straight lines, but rather, it is a messy process, the result of people coming together, bringing their thoughts, their ideas, their findings, discoveries and the results of their inquiry. The resulting truth is made up of different perspectives and based on a patchwork of these endeavours.”
Matt Walsh
Indigenous deaths in custody
“After spending many years living alongside and learning from Indigenous communities, I’ve always felt a deep sadness about the erosion of traditional ways of life. That loss is profound and deserves recognition. At the same time, I often reflect on the enormous amount of funding and resources that have been directed toward Indigenous communities since the Whitlam era. Here in Cooktown, FNQ, the level of government spending is striking. When you speak with elders, many of them express frustration. They describe a painful divide: some people make the choice to pursue education, work, and a stable life, while others fall into cycles of reliance on government support, alcohol, and drugs. The issue is complex, painful, and rooted in history, but I think part of the conversation has to include how we balance support with empowerment, and how we ensure that solutions genuinely help people build the lives they want for themselves.”
Simon Jones, Cooktown QLD
Measuring generosity
“I donate blood, and on Wednesday I did my 331st donation. So when I’m in a shopping centre and faced with folk rattling tins at me, I say, sorry, I donate blood, not money. Whole blood every 3 months takes about 10 mins (plus interview time) whereas plasma takes up to an hour (plus interview time) so it’s a considerable commitment every 2 weeks. So not donating money doesn’t say anything about my generosity or otherwise. Generosity has many faces!”
Jan Pittman, Gidgegannup WA