BuffNET Rolls Over for Porn Whackos

[Eric Cordian]

Remember quite some time ago, when then NY Attorney General Dennis Vacco
tried to jump-start his bid for re-election by seizing the news servers of
two local ISPs claiming that he had busted a "Virtual University Devoted
to the Sexual Abuse of Children" and that the two ISPs in question
provided child porn access for this alleged "Institution."

Well, Vacco lost the election, the news servers turned out to carry the
same uncensored newsfeed as thousands of other ISPs, and "Pedo University"
turned out to be a running gag in a couple less tasteful newsgroups where
regulars would identify themselves as mythical faculty members when
responding to trolls.

In the end, a few people got busted for downloading questionable Usenet
content, but no children were saved, and the newsgroups in question
continued merrily onwards, along with the people adopting the "Pedo
University" moniker.

I don't know if it's anticipatory anxiety over the upcoming Shrub
Administrations "War on Porn" or just plain idiocy, but it appears that
one of the ISPs featured in Vacco's halucinations has decided to roll over
and plead guilty to "knowingly providing access to child porn" from its
Usenet feed.

The Wired News take on these amazing festivities can be found at the
following URL...

http://www.wired.com/news/culture/0,1284,41878,00.html

Apparently, in return for setting the precedent that ISP's are responsible
for the content carried on their Usenet servers, and pissing in the Common
Carrier punchbowl for everyone else in the country, BuffNET will get to
pay only a $5k fine, and get relief from an obnoxious police investigation
which is already running into its second year.

Ashcroft hasn't even warmed up yet, and the Lemmings are already hurling
themselves into the sea of their own volition.  Who says Sheeple don't get
the government they deserve.  <snicker>

-- 
Eric Michael Cordian 0+
O:.T:.O:. Mathematical Munitions Division
"Do What Thou Wilt Shall Be The Whole Of The Law"