Re: Remailer Musings

[Ed Carp <ecarp@netcom.com>]

I understand your objections, but think about it this way: nothing in the 
world says that you have to put a return address on the envelope.  
Nothing in the world says that you have to present any form of ID in 
order to drop a letter into a postal box.  Sure, the postal inspectors 
have to "cooperate", but if you drop a letter with no return address into 
a box, how could they trace it back to you?  Are people going to say to 
the US postal folks, "hey, it's *your* fault that they didn't put a 
return address on their envelope!"  I think not.

Similarly, I think that anonymous remailers, like the post office, ma 
bell, etc., are common carriers.  You can't have it both ways - either 
you are a common carrier and exercise no editorial control over what goes 
through your remailer, or you are a publisher, and are held to a certain 
degree of legal responsibility.

Ed Carp, N7EKG/VE3		ecarp@netcom.com		519/824-3307
	             	      an88744@anon.penet.fi
If you want magic, let go of your armor.  Magic is so much stronger than
steel!        -- Richard Bach, "The Bridge Across Forever"