From: Deranged Mutant <wlkngowl@unix.asb.com>
Date: Mon, 12 Feb 1996 01:58:10 +0800
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Re: V-chips, CC, and Motorcycle Helmets
Message-ID: <199602111709.MAA15846@bb.hks.net>
MIME-Version: 1.0
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The V-Chip is a political kluge, nothing more. It's a useless technology 
that at best will encourage lax parents to further surrender their kids 
to the neon-nanny.

And besides... why rate program just on violence?  Why not "quality" from 
a variety of orgs?  Other content ratings, from various organizations.  
And why limit it to ratings... why not a special subband of broadcast 
used for sending out schedule updates? Subtitles (in other languages, or 
English for foreign films...)? etc.? etc.? Chances are the V-Chip will 
interfere with any such expansions of TV capabilities in the future...

Then again, the heck with TV. I rarely watch it.  I prefer the radio 
myself... at least they didn't require V-Chips for that.  And with the 
Internet "expanding", chances are in a generation or two TV will be a 
dead technology.

Rob.




Timothy C. May wrote:
> ObCypherpunks: A truly surprising number of people on this list are on the
> one hand lambasting the government for thievery, incompetence, corruption,
> and violation of their rights, while on the other hand explaining why they
> think some particular intrusion is justified. We have people arguing for
> mandatory V-Chips, for Data Privacy Inspection Services, for
> anti-discrimination laws, and for government key signing services.
> 
> It's not a far jump from arguing any of these points to talking about the
> "legitimate" (their term) needs of the government to ensure that encryption
> is not used for criminal purposes, for kidnapping and extortion, for tax
> evasion, etc.
> 
> People need to think about the powerful implications of strong crypto, and
> decide if they are _for_ access to strong crypto by citizens, or _against_
> it. All things follow from this decision.
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