Date: Sun, 30 Mar 1997 21:04:26 +0000 From: Brandi Jasmine To: webgrrls-toronto@webgrrls.com Subject: Re: Net Censorship: Article Excerpt Just as we have a right to see what we WANT to see, so also do we have a right not to be exposed to that which we do not want to see. Censorship is not a black-white either or proposition: what frightens ME is the idea some folks have that they have the right to bombard people with ANY images, ideas, they may wish in the name of "free speech". People should have the right to set their own "off" buttons. Right now, I'm getting bombarded by spam from a bestiality and rape-sex site called feral.com in my e-mail, and I can assure you that despite my generally strong stomach, I sure DO want a way to put an end to it. It's harassment, IMHO, yet folks like this INSIST they have a RIGHT to bombard me with e-mail (at my expense!). It's irresponsible to suggest that people ought not have the right to screen for themselves. It's also politically stupid: without screening tools as an available option, right-wing-nuts and their ilk will become increasingly hystrionic until real censorship is achieved. >But one of the most interesting things about the level of >competition between these programs is that the actual lists of >banned sites have become a trade secret of sorts, and are kept >under tight control - that's right, users of the programs aren't >*allowed* to know just what their kids are being blocked from >seeing. Then they will not succeed in the long-run - without TRUE end-user control over the list, how can these programs be customized? What most reasonable folks want are tools that they can customize. In my case, I find right- wing rants and Gerry Falwell offensive - I may want the ability to block that. Another parent may find my astrology site offensive. The above is an example of the rank arrogance of software manufacturers, and also their foolishness. I'm not afraid, because these idiots will put themselves out of business as soon as someone with sense comes along with an open-standard open-list filter. >especially the fact that many >of these programs offer parents the ability to monitor what kind >of content their kids have been trying to access. Parents have that right, whether we like it or not. So do businesses. S/He who pays the bills should have the right to decide what kind of data the machine is used for, and to monitor it's use if they wish. You want unrestricted, unregulated, unmonitored access, then you pay for it, grrl, and read it on your own time. No-one should have the right to tell anyone what they cannot carry - nor what they MUST. Both options are equally frightening. Brandi -- Brandi Jasmine -- Freelance Writer, Illustrator, Consultant Visit: http://web.idirect.com/~bjasmine/