From: Duncan Frissell <frissell@panix.com>
Date: Fri, 26 Jan 1996 19:31:55 +0800
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Re: "This post is G-Rated"
Message-ID: <2.2.32.19960126111304.00968f58@panix.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


At 01:58 PM 1/25/96 -0800, Bill Frantz wrote:

>The big problem is how are the labels attached to the programs.  I
>agree with Tim that it is probably imposible for individual Usenet
>postings.  However is should be possible for TV programs, and whole
>newsgroups.

Since TV programs will soon *be* "individual Usenet postings," it will not
be possible to rate them.  Even the Earth doesn't have that much time.  The
economic "drag" involved would be too great.

Once we have high-speed connections to the nets, the amount of video out
there will explode.  There will be more to watch than watchers (remember
video archives).  Search engines will help people find what they want and
avoid what they don't want.  "Sex and Drugs and Rock and Roll" (Wine, Women,
and Song) will be like any other available subject -- some will want to find
it and some will want to avoid it.  Just another problem of how to extract
the content you want from all the mess.  Search engines won't be all that
perfect but they will be all we have.

One wonders why people spend so much time arguing about the V-chip, telecoms
dereg, sex on the net, Trade Policy, or Immigration when it's intuitively
obvious that these things are (or soon will be) no longer subject to central
control of any kind.

DCF

"King Canute, we are here!"