Re:US calls for measures against Internet porn
WASHINGTON DC (Reuter) - The US called Sunday for improved management of the Internet to prevent people seeing pornographic material on the world computer network.
Perhaps it is a result of many self-interested parties who have hyped the Internet to the hilt, but it never ceases to amaze me how people think that as soon as you connect a PC to the Internet, suddenly, all this information and computer wizardry _leaps_ down the phone line and _jumps_ out of your screen. It can be clearly demonstrated (even to US politicians) that the Internet is not a passive media - users must go out and find what they are looking for (especially pornography). You cannot "stumble" upon pornography, as you might by, say, channel surfing on cable. You can't tell me that someone who fires up their Web browser and points it to http://www.playboy.com, or clicks yes to a request that they acknowledge that they are over 18/21/majority and agree to access adult material doesn't know what they are getting themselves into... Mark ___ Mark Neely - accessnt@ozemail.com.au Lawyer, Professional Cynic Author: Australian Beginner's Guide to the Internet Work-in-Progress: Australian Business Guide to the Internet WWW: http://www.ozemail.com.au/~accessnt
You can't tell me that someone who fires up their Web browser and points it to http://www.playboy.com, or clicks yes to a request that they acknowledge that they are over 18/21/majority and agree to access adult material doesn't know what they are getting themselves into...
Just to offer another story of the cluelessness of some people: I've been receiving a number of complaints about one of my users who has gotten into a flamewar on Usenet. They claim that flaming is a violation of FCC regulations. (Maybe eventually it will be.. sigh.) -- sameer Voice: 510-601-9777x3 Community ConneXion FAX: 510-601-9734 The Internet Privacy Provider Dialin: 510-658-6376 http://www.c2.org/ (or login as "guest") sameer@c2.org
Excerpts from internet.cypherpunks: 2-Jan-96 Re: US calls for measures a.. by sameer@c2.org
Just to offer another story of the cluelessness of some people: I've been receiving a number of complaints about one of my users who has gotten into a flamewar on Usenet. They claim that flaming is a violation of FCC regulations. (Maybe eventually it will be.. sigh.)
This apparently is becoming a common tactic among would-be censors. One example involving a web site and complainants from Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh is at: http://joc.mit.edu/attack.html And more on Compuserve... Excepts from today's Washington Post: BERLIN, Jan. 2 -- German authorities say the CompuServe on-line service decided on its own which sexually explicit Internet forums to ban its 4 million customers from viewing. In addition, prosecutors reiterated today that they never explicitly threatened CompuServe Inc. with criminal charges. The statements appear to conflict with CompuServe's explanation last Thursday of why it blocked access to 200 newsgroups. But a CompuServe spokeswoman repeated the company's initial explanation today, saying German authorities specified which newsgroups should be banned... Munich senior public prosecutor Manfred Wick said today that his office did not provide CompuServe any such list as part of its investigation of child pornography on the Internet. "We did not make any stipulations. It was the decision of CompuServe alone," he said. -Declan
participants (3)
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Declan B. McCullagh -
Mark Neely -
sameer