Re: Censorship Craze

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----



In article <3s1ncm$1f6@nnrp1.primenet.com>,
the inFormer <inform@Primenet.Com> wrote:
>Faithful Reader,

>

>Have you noticed (I *hope* you haven't) how Peckerwoody goes into

>paroxysms of glee when he threatens us with imprisonment for

>profanity?  He's positively ecstatic considering the possibility

>of shutting us up.  Take my word for it.


frankly, i welcome the attempt with almost equal glee.


it would serve numerous purposes.


a)  the cultist loons would immediately direct the attention
    of the world to themselves, and they look like shit in any light


b)  the fundamentalist loons who pushed this lunatic legislation
    through the senate would be in the unfortunate position of 
    having a test-case based on the ravings of obvious kooks.  
    it would reveal this legislation even to joe six-pack as a 
    total crock.  "yuh mean ah can't talk about them say-tanic
    PERvos any more?  FUCK THAT!"


c)  they'd lose, setting a precedent for free speech and against
    imbecilic, unconstitutional legislation



 
>Unfortunately this is not the first "woody" I've encountered.

>There are lots of people like ours.  They, of course, congregate

>en mass in any number of fanatical groups.  They perhaps are even

>the silent majority.  We couldn't tell anyway, until they opened

>their mouths and began to spew their (I use the term in the

>widest possible sense) opinions.

>

>The censorship bill passed the Senate with a wide majority.

>

>So I think it's only prudent to plan ahead for the day when our

>communication is monitored by Big Brother.  It is not

>unthinkable.  It is a distinct possibility, so I think we should

>be prepared.


unlikely.  if it ever came to pass, those of us who actually 
lay down the money to keep the net working would start another
net, or more likely just encrypt, use steganography, and/or take
our money overseas to off-shore data havens.


>Undoubtedly BBSs will need to hire government (FCC) approved

>censors, just like television and radio has now, to monitor, scan

>and otherwise, guide us into a more sensible manner of expressing

>ourselves in public or private communication which travels, not 

>just by chance, over networks the government owns and controls.


the bbs'es, now as in earlier free speech conflicts, are sadly 
most in danger from the lunatics.  they make an obvious target,
and they usually don't have deep pockets.

 
>The censors will have scanners to search out key, forbidden words

>and text.  If we don't like another's post, we can file an

>E-Complaint (EC) to a ISP's censor and direct his attention to the

>text and person who posted it.  The censor will "put a scan" on

>all of that person's posts, past and present.  He will be warned.

>He will threatened.  He will be cut off.  Or a "limiter" will be

>put on him permanently, to automatically reject his postings which

>violate the "guidelines".  


yeah, but then he can go somewhere else and use another name.


to monitor the net effectively, you'd really need to set up a
whole other net just to do it, and you'd still be swamped.  i mean, 
can you imagine the cost involved in searching out every occurrence
of obscenity and investigating every single swear-word?


just grepping for 'fuck' alone through the thousands of millions 
of daily tcp/ip packets would be nightmarishly expensive and time-consuming,
not to mention unproductive and useless.


if every occurrence of the word 'fuck' qualifies work as obscenity,
then every hollywood movie house needs to be shut down.


there's nothing as easy as an 'obscenity filter' because there
are no objective criteria for defining obscenity.


[amusing idea deleted]


h
- --
SUPPORT THE DENNIS ERLICH DEFENSE FUND!  READ ALT.RELIGION.SCIENTOLOGY!
Send checks to MORRISON & FOERSTER, 345 California Street, San Francisco,
California 94104-2675.  Telephone:  (415) 677-7000 Fax:  (415) 677-7522
Contact People:  Carla Oakley and Katie Walsh.
MAKE SURE YOU LABEL YOUR CHECK "DENNIS ERLICH DEFENSE FUND".  Checks
should be made out to Morrison & Foerster.  For verification of this info,
email ssteele@eff.org (Shari Steele)          SAVE THE REV!


 [ For Public Key: finger anon2c9e@nyx10.cs.du.edu ]


-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----

iQCVAwUBL+hsJtOUGUXWNqytAQFb0QP8Dvea9GGTstWdDyn5bE6Tc8yGmCMlQQcr 6tY8RXZwvqyU1Vkj6WQmI/e5N77plCjJ27jzmnLBOQ6U2yZl3YeREBw9lkUwjkEd 0fBUMFyImSsezysWp3Fen2gcalVmIAErKutG8xG+2oHczt7LvHD2ScUbxocs0FAs Q1T0Ws0NjcU= =38iP

-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----