From: Jon Lebkowsky <jonl@well.com>
Date: Wed, 4 Sep 1996 10:50:49 +0800
To: "James A. Donald" <stewarts@ix.netcom.com (Bill Stewart)
Subject: Re: What is the EFF doing exactly?
Message-ID: <2.2.16.19960903171629.0b172268@mail.well.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


At 01:22 AM 9/3/96 -0700, James A. Donald wrote:
>At 12:53 PM 9/3/96 -0700, Stanton McCandlish wrote:
>> EFF in generally does not issue extremist position 
>> statements, but is careful to examine the risks as well as the benefits, 
>> and look for pro-liberty solutions to those risks. 
>
>If the right to speak anonymously is an "extremist" position in the eyes
>of the EFF, then they are no friends of liberty.
>
>It is hardly an "extremist" position outside of such countries as Cuba,
>Iran, or China.
>
>It is the overwhelmingly mainstream position, not just among netizens,
>but when last heard, amongst supreme court judges and ordinary people
>in the street.

Not necessarily. The character of the anonymous speech is decisive. If you
use anonymity to cloak harassment, for instance, the anonymity (which
removes accountability) is a problem.  The accountability issue is real and
should be addressed, not evaded.


--
Jon Lebkowsky           http://www.well.com/~jonl              jonl@hotwired.com