From: Bill Stewart <stewarts@ix.netcom.com>
Date: Sun, 26 Jan 1997 15:12:39 -0800 (PST)
To: Jim Choate <ravage@EINSTEIN.ssz.com>
Subject: Re: Fighting the cybercensor. (fwd)
Message-ID: <199701262312.PAA26814@toad.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


At 11:12 AM 1/26/97 -0600, Jim Choate <ravage@EINSTEIN.ssz.com> wrote:
>stewart> Nonsense - the net doesn't "belong" to "Singapore or China" -
>
>The part of it that comes out of their pocketbook does. Just like the part of
>'the net' that I pay for belongs to me. The net is a bunch of computers,
>running software, hooked together over cables and other links. Each and
>EVERY ONE of these require installation, upkeep, repair, and utility
>support. This costs money. He who pays the money owns the net, everybody
>else is along for the ride.

For individuals, and voluntary groups of individuals, that's certainly true.
But what about taxpayers involuntarily paying for a network run by
bureaucrats -
does each individual have an equal right to decide what he/she will say
or read on the net, or are some individuals more equal than others?  And if
so, 
why is it the armed thugs who want to censor people who get to be more equal?

It's the usual insoluable problem about how to decide policy for
involuntarily-funded services - the government is morally obligated to
follow the wishes of everybody paying for them, which are in radical conflict.
It's bad enough with schools...  The Arpanet had its Acceptable Use Policy,
which limited speech on goverment-funded parts of the net to non-commercial
use;
one of main drivers behind the Commercial Internet Exchange was to
allow businesses to send each other email without being limited by it.

>ps I also support France's current attempt at forcing the Georgia university
>   web site on French soil to use French.

And then there's the French Telecom Monopoly (until it falls apart) -
if you don't like the rules the bureaucrats make for what you can say or read,
you're not even allowed to build your own telecom network or obtain services 
from providers who don't censor what you can say or read.

And I also don't support the French government's attempt at forcing its own
subjects on French soil to use French.  Asking them nicely, or running
propaganda
against Academically-incorrect French, is something the Academie can do itself.

#			Thanks;  Bill
# Bill Stewart, +1-415-442-2215 stewarts@ix.netcom.com
# You can get PGP outside the US at ftp.ox.ac.uk/pub/crypto/pgp
#     (If this is a mailing list, please Cc: me on replies.  Thanks.)