From: Blake Coverett <blake@bcdev.com>
Date: Tue, 17 Dec 1996 22:02:27 -0800 (PST)
To: "cypherpunks@toad.com>
Subject: RE: Microsoft IE may not work without censorship files
Message-ID: <01BBEC7E.FC7178F0@bcdev.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


Rich writes:
> > It's good to see they make at least an attempt at preventing the
> > PICS filter from being turned off without a password.
> 
> True, but my point was stronger.
> 
> The program *will not work* if there have been even inadvertent changes
> to the self-censorship files. This person emailed me because he couldn't
> get it to work after an unrelated change.

My original response was really just meant as humor.  (The other
paragraph in particular.)  I'm of the school that ratings are a 
profoundly useless idea for their supposed purpose, and dangerous
in their possible misuse by the government.

> This sort of contradicts Microsoft's claims that they don't require
> ratings because they're turned off by default. If the file can't fix
> itself, I'd say that's not "default."

If a user randomly deletes parts of an application and it stops 
working I'm afraid the fault is entirely with the user.  Reinstalling
the damaged software would seem the obvious answer.

> Sorry, I didn't get the context across. Read it again alongside this: 
> 
> http://pathfinder.com/Netly/daily/961213.html

That article say in part, "Microsoft has indicated that future 
generations may well come out of the box with RSAC-i, by 
default, activated."  I follow Microsoft's strategy and 
announcements very closely and as far as I can tell this is
sheer fabrication.  The closest thing they've announced (and
shipped) is the IE Admin Kit that lets a corporation build
a custom version of IE with the settings to their liking.  I can't
find any fault with that.

regards
-Blake (who's played apologist to Rich's MS-bashing before)