Remember the Blackout

[Robert Hettinga]

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Date: Wed, 5 Feb 1997 19:12:47 -0500 (EST)
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---------------------------------------
 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/>



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-----------------
Robert Hettinga (rah at shipwright.com), Philodox
e$, 44 Farquhar Street, Boston, MA 02131 USA
"Never attribute to conspiracy what can be
explained by stupidity." -- Jerry Pournelle
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