FIDONet Mail filtering - a course of action

["L. Detweiler" <ld231782@longs.lance.colostate.edu>]

FIDONet mail filtering came up many months ago. It is indeed an
atrocious policy. Are these people in the same cyberspace we are? This
is like hearing neanderthals inhabit many houses in the neighborhood.

As for what *we* can do, well, if premier cyberspatial laywer Mike
Godwin considers himself a hardcore cypherpunk, I'd expect that a
letter on EFF stationary would have a pretty significant effect. It
wouldn't have to be hostile or intimidating, just something along the
tone of `please join the cyberspatial community and your concerned
peers.' It could mention the strict legal significance of the ECPA --
that a strong case can be made that *any* filtering is in violation of
it, and that one cannot screen encrypted mail without breaking it. In
fact, ideally the letter would be general enough to give to anyone who
is engaged in unwholesome activities along the same lines.

If this is all too much work, I think just quoting his cypherpunk-list
letters that suggest the ECPA does not exactly condone their behavior
might have an effect too...

Hee, hee, though I'd say the actual letter would be worth a coveted
L.D. Cypherpunk of the Week award <g>  I'm just waiting for an excuse
to give M.G. one. I don't think everyone realizes how lucky we are to
have him and Gilmore in the same room with us!