This arrived in my mailbox (I have *not* personally confirmed it) .... According to reports popping up in other places around the Compuserve Information Service it appears that they have taken a stance of Internet censor and are now blocking access to certain Usenet newsgroups. This move took place just before the Christmas holiday and remains unannounced to the membership/subscriber base. Just about any Usenet newsgroup with the word "sex" or "erotica" are no longer available. Attempts to subscribe to these newsgroups produces an error message stating that the newsgroup does not exist. In reality its access has been blocked. A short list (very short) of other newsgroup feeds that are no longer accessible as provided by another party to me include: alt.homosexual alt.magick.sex alt.magick.sex.angst alt.motss.bisexua-l alt.politics.sex alt.recovery.addiction.sexual alt.recovery.sexual-addiction alt.religion.sexuality alt.sex alt.support.disabled.sexuality clari.news.crime.sex clari.news.gays clari.news.sex gay-net.coming-out rec.arts.erotica shamash.gayjews soc.support.youth.gay-lesbian-bi Other newsgroups also remain blocked or eliminated from a provided pick-list and if this is allowed to continue the likelihood of this spreading to other topics that a select group find offensive or intolerable is a very real threat. A number of these newsgroups are legitimate groups for people needing support or recovery or places where frank discussions on adult subjects take place. Some are religious in nature though non-mainstream. Others are associated with the gay lifestyle. As you can see there is a definite trend being set here. So far much of this change in access remains unknown to the vast majority of Compuserve customers who remain away from their terminals for the holidays. If this bothers you I would suggest that you send a message to Compuserve customer services at GO FEEDBACK. Those using autopilot programs send e-mail to Feedback at 70006,101. From outside of Compuserve send e-mail to 70006.101@compuserve.com We are supposedly paying a monthly fee which includes =full= Internet service and access. We are no longer getting it. That is misrepresentation. Take this issue to your other favorite forums, newsgroups, etc. If we allow freedom of speech and access to be lost now we will never get it back.