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Fun comes with penalties

There was a time when any enterprising young lad who had taken geekdom into their heart could experiment and tinker with technology without fear.

Sadly, it appears as if those days are long gone.

Now, almost anything and everything you might want to do with technology is regulated, restricted or controlled in some way or another. It seems you can't fart or sneeze without the need for permission, permits and certifications.

Almost anything that could remotely be considered fun is now a potential crime, at least in the eyes of the buffoons who seek to dampen the fires of curiosity and innovation.

Let me provide an example.

Modern tech such as GPS, satellite phones, solar power and such offer almost unlimited potential to anyone with a keen mind and reasonable dexterity.

These days, even a high-school student with enough enthusiasm and a little bit of know-how can achieve amazing things, thanks to the ready availability of these fascinating technologies.

One such example is this ocean-crossing solar-powered model boat.

Who would have thought it possible to build a completely autonomous ocean-going craft so small and powered by nothing but sunlight?

Well these days it's really not so hard at all.

Near the end of the article the maker of this craft is quoted as saying:

Well he better hope it doesn't reach New Zealand or he's will be in a lot of legal trouble.

Why?

What could possibly be illegal about such an innovative and harmless demonstration of techincal and practical know-how?

Well apparently no vessel (and this autonomous model boat is considered to be a vessel) is allowed to enter NZ waters or land on NZ's shores without the correct forms having been filled out, the correct permissions sought and the requisite fees paid. To arrive without all this red tape correctly completed risks huge fines or imprisonment.

Why?

Well it's partly down to biosecurity issues and also the potential for smuggling.

To be honest, I guess I can understand those concerns but believe it or not, the same rules apply to any good, honest Kiwi who might make such a craft and have it travel 100m beyond NZ's own territorial limit of 12 miles. That's right, if your model boat ventures into "the open seas" then you can't legally return to shore without all that paperwork and fees being in place.

The rationale is that an autonomous craft like this "could" be used to smuggle contraband -- but to punish anyone who builds and operates one without authority would be like giving every driver on the road a speeding ticket simply because the car they drive "could" exceed the speed limit. Surely it's better that the crime isn't one of "could" but one involving proof that a bad act *has* been committed?

And how about this...

If you're a recreational fisherman or yachty then accidentally venturing outside our territorial waters and re-entering without the necessary paperwork in place is also an offense. If your little P-class yacht gets blown off course and you find yourself 12.1 miles from the shore then returning to the harbour and alighting becomes a crime.

Would you be prosecuted?

Unlikely but chances are you'd get a pretty stern (no pun intended) warning, perhaps even an official one that goes on your record.

I recall that back in 2003, an American by the name of Maynard Hill successfully flew a model aircraft across the Atlantic, eventually landing in Ireland. His feat was roundly praised by everyone as a triumph of ingenuity. Sadly, anyone repeating that feat today would likely find themselves locked up and subject to prosecution with heavy penalties.

This all seems to me like a tax on innovation.

What happened to the days when you could exercise your ingenuity and passion for technology by engaging in astonishing feats of cleverness and skill -- in a way that hurt no-one?

Today we treat everyone who dares to step outside the box as a terrorist or bad actor. Any attempt to use tech in an innovative way is considered a threat to safety and security with the speedy application of force and punishment used to suppress such activities.

What a shirt-hole the world has become.

Carpe Diem folks!

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