From: sasha1@netcom.com (Alexander Chislenko)
Date: Sat, 10 Feb 1996 04:47:53 +0800
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: V-Chip
Message-ID: <199602091903.LAA05218@netcom.netcom.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain



  I assume that this chip works on some password scheme..

Here's a little excerpt from a letter sent by a Cybermind list member
Robert A. Kezelis to Mr. President:


>3) V-chip technology is cute, but ineffective. You realistically suggest
>(with a straight face, no less)  that a parent who probably has trouble
>programing a VCR (which sits on the TV and suffers from a constant flashing
>12:00am)  can outfox and hide the proper command from a computer-literate,
>intuitive, aggresive and creative teen?  Surely you jest.  Ask your
>daughter and her schoolmates, not some older advisor whose experience with
>teen hackers is limited. The V-chip is like telling a child, you can go
>into the candy store, but don't open this jar  when I walk to the other
>side of the store!
>

  Some kids also have friends.  Friends whose parent are more permissive
then theirs, and friends who are smarter than their parents.
Kids whose V-Chip has 1-1-1 rating allowing them to watch nothing but
selected episodes of Barney demoing new versions of V-Chip, may be
embarrassed to invite anybody over.  Kids with 5-5-5 rating will be
the New Cool Guys.

  Now if your child wants to go over to Billy's, you may want to call
Billy's mom and ask her what her V-Chip settings are.
Do not forget to ask her when was the last time she beat Billy at any computer
game...

  One restriction that I could possibly consider for my child, would
be a 'crap' factor.  I think it's a much more serious danger to the
young americans; IMO, watching baseball and psychic idiocy is much
less natural and a lot more harmful to a young mind than seeing a
picture of a breast.   This factor is the reason why I restrict *myself*
from watching most of TV programs.

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| Alexander Chislenko | sasha1@netcom.com | Cambridge, MA | 
| Home page:  http://www.lucifer.com/~sasha/home.html     |
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