_________________________________________________________________ FROM THE VIRTUAL DESK OF SANDY SANDFORT ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ In a recent post, John Gilmore wrote: "Keith, Kenneth . . . I am uninterested in censorship of discussion of *any* topic on mailing lists through my machine . . . the machine is attached via a worldwide network that explicitly promises not to censor any traffic UNLESS AND UNTIL a court of law --not you -- has decided that that traffic is actually illegal." Because I agree COMPLETELY with what John wrote, I'm somewhat miffed at him for his seeming lack of constituency. Recently, I posted a notice on this list about a software business contact I have in South East Asia. John sent me a terse note asking me not to "advertise" on the list. I was a bit surprised at his response for several reasons. First, a founding Cypherpunk regular, Tim May, suggested I post my question the list when I asked him if he knew anyone working on recreational software. Second, I have had several polite enquiries from list members who where interested in what I posted. Finally, nobody else was offended enough to complain. I sent a respectful note to John asking him, among other things, if I had violated some prohibition of which I was unaware. John's response was: "Please consider this message a prohibition against advertising. Apparently nobody else on the list needed to hear it, except you, since you are the first person to abuse the list in this way." Now I fully agree that it's John's ball, and I will play by his rules, but I find it hard to reconcile John's public tolerance with his private prohibition. Does ANYONE else feel abused? I hope not. What do others on this list think about "commercial" postings? I will not "advertise" on the list as long as John prohibits it. But I sincerely hope his prohibition does not discourage others from discussing the issues it raises. I would like to hear what the rest of you think. S a n d y ssandfort@attmail.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~