CDR: Re: <nettime> Rebirth of Guilds

[David Honig]

At 12:09 PM 9/23/00 -0400, Jim Choate wrote:
>
>It is the target audience the game is designed for. If you seriously claim
>you don't understand the distinction between market targets for Dr. Seuss,
>Quake, and "Debbie does Dallas" then you're entire position is pretty much
>toast.

To whom something is marketed makes no difference when it comes
to censorship.  It is no one's right to stop Teletubbies from
hawking Marlboros.  Freedom of speech is not compromisable.

>> Who gets to decide what content is appropriate for my children? 
>> Surely not the state.
>
>Then why don't you support the parents organizations who ask for nothing
>more than to mark the games by 'suitable' age (admittedly a rough target
>but life isn't easy or distinct at times) and to require parental
>intervention when children purchase material above their age class? That
>way nobody but the parent is involved.

Are you channelling Tipper Gore now? 

What happens if you don't rate your content?  Seizure of assets at
gunpoint?

BTW, Is your website marked with those voluntary internet
certificates-of-kidsafety whose acronym escapes me?


>But, alas, real life doesn't work that way.

No, real life is littered with petty egomaniacs who know best, and have
guns to help you agree.

>No, as usual the libertarian/crypto-anarchy/capitalist position is to put
>profit over ethics. Ethical bankruptcy. 

Ethical bankruptcy of parents who rely on government to censor
instead of doing a little research on their own.  Ethical bankruptcy
of bureaucrats who abuse the violence behind the law.

It's just another example of why
>the 'businesses top priority is profit' strategy doesn't work in the real
>world.

Pragmatism is the road to hell.

-----
"Is this a private action?" -Zappa to T Gore in Congress, before Gore's
fuckbuddy was Veep.