From: "E. ALLEN SMITH" <EALLENSMITH@ocelot.Rutgers.EDU>
Date: Sat, 11 May 1996 14:05:16 +0800
To: blancw@microsoft.com
Subject: Re: self-ratings vs. market ratings
Message-ID: <01I4JSVMGPKS8Y5C3E@mbcl.rutgers.edu>
MIME-Version: 1.0
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From:	IN%"blancw@MICROSOFT.com"  "Blanc Weber" 10-MAY-1996 16:21:20.63

>The more automated that filtering becomes, so that the viewer (be it an
>adult or a child) requires less and less personal involvement in
>evaluating what is appropriate (or even interesting) for themselves, the
>more weak & piddly (ignorant & psychologically dependent) those people
>could become, falling into the habit of having others - or an automatic
>robocop - do their content-filtering for them.   Not a good system to
>introduce into a dynamic world-order.  Like all automatic things, it can
>encourage intellectual lassitude.  Like all tools, this one can also be
>misemployed.

>But, of course, surfers can make a cultural decision:  sex&violence?  or
>namby-pamby? :>)

	A good point. Something to keep in mind with the CyberAngels' liking 
for ratings - remember "angels@wavenet.com"'s rantings about "elites"?
	-Allen