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.)