On 25 Jan 1996, Jeff Williams wrote:
Tim May writes:
Anyone telling me I have to rate my work, or submit it to a ratings agency, is aggressing against me. Now, if others rate my work (which is already happening with digest services such as "CP-Lite"), this is their business, not mine. But the V-Chip precedent is a precedent for the government to insist that all sorts of content be rated. This should be fought in a free society.
But what if they *ask* you nicely to label your work?
"If you think your message is offensive, violent, or racist, would you please consider labelling it?"
I don't think I'd mind. In fact, *optional* labels would make me more likely to post such material, because I'd have some confidence that it would only be read by people who want to read it. (And they could even find it more quickly!) [...commentary on labeling deleted...]
The problem is that labeling which begins as voluntary often has other consequences... for example, the voluntary labeling in the music industry. Although it's voluntary labeling, one state (Washington, I believe) at one point nearly passed (or possibly did pass - I can't remember) legislation making it illegal to sell labeled albums to minors. The label itself, of course, was still voluntary. I'm not opposed to *truly* and *permanantly* voluntary labeling; I'm just afraid of such labeling becoming permanant and mandatory... Jon ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Jon Lasser <jlasser@rwd.goucher.edu> (410)494-3072 Visit my home page at http://www.goucher.edu/~jlasser/ You have a friend at the NSA: Big Brother is watching. Finger for PGP key.