--- begin forwarded text Date: Wed, 5 Feb 1997 19:12:47 -0500 (EST) To: Multiple Recipients of e$pam <e$pam@intertrader.com> From: e$pam@intertrader.com (e$pam) Reply-To: e$@thumper.vmeng.com X-Comment: To unsubscribe, send any email to e$pam-off@intertrader.com Precedence: Bulk Subject: Remember the Blackout X-orig-from: dwiner@well.com (DaveNet email) X-e$pam-source: owner-davenetworld@wired.com Forwarded by Robert Hettinga ----------------------------------------------------------------------- X-Sender: dwiner@mail.well.com Mime-Version: 1.0 Date: Wed, 5 Feb 1997 13:23:02 -0800 To: jonl@microsoft.com (Jon Lazarus), hopmann@holonet.net (Alex Hopmann), anna@LivePicture.com (Anna Godfrey), scotty1024@aol.com (Scott Turner), 577-7433@mcimail.com (Bobby Orbach), mwhutch@aol.com (Michael Hutchinson -- AOL Webmaster), rsiegelman@kpcb.com (Russ Siegelman), davenetworld@wired.com, pdeziel@adobe.com (Pam Deziel), siegel@barebones.com (Rich Siegel), slove@netscape.com (Scott Love) From: dwiner@well.com (DaveNet email) Subject: Remember the Blackout Sender: owner-davenetworld@wired.com Precedence: bulk --------------------------------------- Amusing Rants from Dave Winer's Desktop Released on 2/5/97; 1:23:01 PM PST --------------------------------------- A short piece, in the middle of much website work, to remind everyone that Saturday February 8 is the first anniversary of an important event in our new medium -- the web blackout of 1996. It's already history. In some circles it's not fashionable to remember that the United States government attempted to censor free speech on the Internet. I believe it would be cynical to overlook it. We defeated the law, even though we re-elected many of the politicians who tried to outlaw free speech in the name of protecting children. I'm building a website that will go live on Saturday to commemorate the protest, and to serve as a monument to the spirit of free speech. To remind us that this is a worldwide community, and no political system has the power to enforce its standards of decency on the medium. The battle to retain our rights is ongoing. Important organizations such as the Electronic Frontier Foundation and the American Civil Liberties Union deserve and require our support. It's easy to lose sight of the principles that we believe in, to be distracted by questions of corporate survival, of fear or greed. These are interesting issues, no doubt. But this is a creative and expressive medium and to protect its potential, unqualified free speech is essential. I played a small role in the web blackout last year. This year I hope to facilitate, to organize more sites and help to spread the word that free speech is not an option, not something that can be traded or limited and that no compromises are possible. <http://www.scripting.com/davenet/misc/blackout/> If you run a democracy-related site, large or small, please visit the page before Saturday and register. If you know someone who does, please pass this on. And if you value free speech, please visit the site on Saturday or later. It'll be a fascinating trip thru Internet history, if nothing else! Remember the blackout. Remember why it was necessary. Don't let people use children as an excuse to deprive people of their power to express themselves. Dave Winer ------------------------------------------- News & Updates: <http://www.scripting.com/> -------------------------------------------------- The e$ lists are brought to you by: Intertrader Ltd - Java e$ Software Developers in the UK Visit <http://www.intertrader.com/> for details ... Where people, networks and money come together: Consult Hyperion http://www.hyperion.co.uk info@hyperion.co.uk Like e$pam? Help pay for it! See <http://www.atanda.com/rah.html> Or, for e$pam sponsorship, see <http://thumper.vmeng.com/pub/rah/> Thanks to the e$ e$lves: Of Counsel: Vinnie Moscaritolo <mailto:vinnie@webstuff.apple.com> (Majordomo)^2: Rachel Willmer<mailto:rachel@intertrader.com> Commermeister: Anthony Templer <mailto:anthony@atanda.com> Interturge: Rodney Thayer <mailto:rodney@sabletech.com> HTMLurgist: Cynthia Zwerling <mailto:czrider@@webstuff.apple.com> --- end forwarded text ----------------- Robert Hettinga (rah@shipwright.com), Philodox e$, 44 Farquhar Street, Boston, MA 02131 USA "Never attribute to conspiracy what can be explained by stupidity." -- Jerry Pournelle The e$ Home Page: http://www.shipwright.com/rah/ FC97: Anguilla, anyone? http://www.ai/fc97/