Censoring the Net

[tcmay@netcom.com (Timothy C. May)]

Cypherpunks,

I was initially dismissive of the various calls by members of this
List to censor the Net in various ways:

- to protect children
- to stop illegal posts
- and even to better ensure that children get exposed to alternative
views.

(As a Adept of Cthulhu, I certainly feel it is my right to demand
"fair access" to the children of Xtians and other such ilk. By not
being given a chance of accepting Cthulhu into their
hearts--literally--they are being condemned to being consumed as a
light snack by the Elder Ones. This is just not fair to the children.
Denying them access to salvation is a form of child abuse, and must be
stopped. Raids by the BATF against anti-Cthulhu stronghold would be a
good start....Cthulhu _likes_ the smell of burning children!)

Anyway, the chorus of arguments for censorship here echoes the
discussion going on on the Net as a whole. Very disturbing that so
many Cypherpunks are being drawn in by these specious arguments.

What version of our list have they been reading? 

Centralized control of the Net is neither advisable nor possible. 

"Not advisable" becuase then we'd have every special memetic interest
group in the world lobbying for sanctions against their rivals, for
more support for their particular views, and we'd have cops busting
down doors.

"Not possible" because the Net in its current form is world-wide in
scope, with the U.S. only being currently the de facto nexus of
activity. This will not be the case in 10 years, perhaps even in 5
years.

For U.S. laws to control the Net is foolishly impractical.

And strong crypto makes all this moot, eventually. Data havens, full
pseudonymous remailers (two generations beyond today's flaky,
student-run experiments), and "fortress crypto" (the bane of law
enforcement) will make attempts to control who reads what moot.

Your ideas, pro- or anti-Christian, pro- or anti-Muslim, will not be
won by regulating the Net. And Cthulhu will have the last laugh.


--Tim May

-- 
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