From: Ted Anderson <ota+@transarc.com>
Date: Wed, 24 Jul 1996 06:24:55 +0800
To: David Sternlight <david@sternlight.com>
Subject: Re: Netscape
In-Reply-To: <v02120d04ae1763d7df01@[192.0.2.1]>
Message-ID: <wlxFesaSMV0_0MiE40@transarc.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


David Sternlight <david@sternlight.com> writes:
> >I must agree with Lucky.  I am quite sure that even if Netscape was not
> >begin distributed over the net, copies would still be uploaded to
> >international sites by folks practicing Civil disobedience.
> 
> To call simple lawbreaking by cowards working in secret "civil
> disobedience" is to defame the name of Gandhi, King, and all the legitimate
> protesters of modern history. Civil disobedience must be seen publicly, and
> must be done by observable individuals. Masked men throwing stink bombs is
> not civil disobedience--it's hooliganism.

As you can clearly see I did *not* suggest that the software needed to
be uploaded anonymously.  I agree that public disobedience has a much
large impact than private disobedience, but I think the value of private
disobedience is still positive.

Uploading critical software which computer users can access accross the
globe, important as it is, is not an ideal method of practicing (or
mispracticing if you prefer) Civil Disobedience.  The problem is that
only a single copy only needs to be uploaded and only one person really
gets "credit" for the upload.

Better is something like Vince Cate's "Arms Trafficker" page:
    http://online.offshore.com.ai/arms-trafficker/
I am there at #172 striking a tiny but not invisible blow for freedom.

172 Mon May  6  7:56:39 1996 Ted Anderson <ota+@transarc.com> user-168-121-79-76.dialup.mindspring.com  168.121.79.76

Ted Anderson