From: David Sternlight <david@sternlight.com>
Date: Wed, 17 Jul 1996 23:17:56 +0800
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Re: Surf-filter lists
In-Reply-To: <199607160541.BAA11900@yakko.cs.wmich.edu>
Message-ID: <v03007601ae116d0e0e8e@[192.187.162.15]>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


At 10:41 PM -0700 7/15/96, Damaged Justice wrote:
>Vlad: How can consumers make an informed decision as to which filter
>they wish to purchase, if they are not told exactly what information
>each product is filtering out?
>
>Meeks et al may be guilty of flamboyant, emotionalistic prose, but I
>find the concept that the public is expected to buy various filters
>without knowing what they filter...frankly, ridiculous.

YOU and I may find it so, but you simply don't understand the mentality of
those who will buy such filters without question. Vast numbers of people
take the word of their minister, government, morality "guide", guru, or
teacher without question. Why do you think Scientology has gone as far as
it has?

You don't think all those people who used the various blacklists circulated
during the McCarthy era demanded original source documents, do you?  I'm
not comparing those who desire a "clean" computer environment in their
homes with McCarthyites--I'm referring to the mental process of accepting
certain kinds of "authority" without question--especially when it wraps
itself in righteousness.

We try to teach people (at least in the better schools) to question, and
find out for themselves, but a lamentably small proportion do.

David