Here's one response, personal notes deleted... I also got a call from one of the organizers of the summit offering to include free speech/journalism groups in it, or at least talking to them about the possibility... --Declan
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I understand your concerns about the Summit, and what folks are trying to do to protect children online. We just wish that you wouldn't lump everything together, and pass judgment on it as a whole. Why oppose the Summit? Why not analyze the different solutions that are being offered, and report on what works and how? Why would you guys want to deny people information? If I may be so bold, aren't you employing your own form of censorship if you don't tell the whole story? There are some good tools on the market, but often times they get lost in the crowd.
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Shouldn't parents be able to use these tools in their own homes if they see a need? Why not give people the facts, and let them decide for themselves? If a parent would like to prevent a child from giving address, credit card, and other information out to "just anybody" on the Internet, what's wrong with that? If a parent would like to log his 8 year old's Internet activity, what's wrong with that? If a parent wants to screen out the word "sex" for every incoming transmission, what's wrong with that? Isn't it up to the individual to decide whether or not they want to buy this software?\
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Would you reconsider your opposition of the Summit? I think there is a lot of opportunity to weed through the "b.s." and give the public some good information about what is available, what works, and what solution best supports free speech while protecting children.
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