Sender: •••@••.••• Andy, Thought folks might be interested in this new list. I've found the info useful and have even spotted stuff here to send to you. Earlier this week in the fight-censorship mailing list, Jim Warren wrote the following about it: (FWIW) I recommend this relatively new list -- informative, provocative, worthwhile. --jim Jim Warren, GovAccess list-owner/editor (•••@••.•••) Advocate & columnist, MicroTimes, Government Technology, etc. **************************** New Mailing List Freematt's Alerts; Pro-Individual Rights Issues. Freematt's Alerts is a private moderated list dealing with pro-individual rights issues. Special attention is given to censorship and free speech concerns. (Volume of 7-15 messages per week). To subscribe send a blank message to •••@••.••• with the words Subscribe FA in the subject field. List is owned by Matthew Gaylor <•••@••.•••>. Send any questions or comments to Matthew Gaylor <•••@••.•••> **************************** Yours against censorship together, Bobby Lilly, Chairperson Californians Against Censorship Together http://www.calact.org Defending your right to freedom of expression, especially sexual expression, since July of 1986. @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ (from BBC shortwave) LONDON - Britain has concluded that legislation cannot in itself control the burgeoning content of the Internet global network of computers and is proposing instead a voluntary approach led by industry. Speaking at a conference, British Science and Technology Minister Ian Taylor said the failure of a recent attempt by a leading Internet company to restrict access to its service in Germany after a crackdown by authorities there showed the Internet was still largely beyond the law. (This was reference to Compusux attempt to control access to around 200 "newsgroups" -- access is since said to have been restored.) "An imposed regulatory regime is not likely to solve all our problems," he said. "The British government's preference is for a voluntary approach. It is in the commercial interest (of industry) to meet public concerns." Taylor said the Internet's explosive growth had been largely the result of this freedom and Britain was concerned that legislation might stunt further development of new services and companies hoping to use the network. The British government had met with the newly formed British Internet Service Providers' Association and backed the code of practice it was developing for its members, he said. Last month the European Parliament voted to seek a toughening of the law surrounding new media services and the European Council of Ministers is set to decide a common European approach to the issue in June. But, according to the BBC story, the Council, along with the European Commission, is thought generally to oppose wider Internet legislation. _________________________________________________________________ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ For Immediate Release ------------------------------------------------------------- A New Book Investigating Sex on the Internet is Pre-Published, Free, via the World Wide Web ------------------------------------------------------------- While the fate of online freedoms is being determined by federal judges in Philadelphia, a contributing writer to Wired magazine has decided to give away his investigative book on the subject. Charles Platt spent six months gathering data about netporn for a book to be published later this year by HarperCollins. According to Platt, "My publishers hoped to rush the book into print. When their plans changed as a result of factors outside my control, I decided the material was so topical and so important, it should be placed freely on web sites." Titled ANARCHY ONLINE, the book is divided into two parts. The first deals with net crimes such as hacking, viruses, and data piracy. Platt includes first-hand descriptions of hackers and pirates and debunks myths created by melodramatic press coverage. Part Two of the book explores free speech online and examines netporn more frankly and in greater depth than has been achieved elsewhere. Platt concludes that although a genuine problem does exist, a "war on porn" will be as unwinnable, expensive, and divisive as the "war on drugs." Part Two of the book contains about 65,000 words and is being placed online in its entirety. It includes transcripts from pornographic IRC chat sessions and sexually oriented Usenet news groups; a look at pedophilia on America Online; a new, damning investigation of Martin Rimm (whose porn study was immortalized in Time magazine); and a reassessment of issues raised by Jake Baker (who faced years in jail after he placed sadistic stories on Usenet). Platt also examines federal attempts to control encryption; the Guardian Angels; anonymous remailers; repressive laws at the state level; content-filtering software; and content rating schemes. There are exclusive interviews with Scott Charney at the Department of Justice, Ann Beeson of ACLU, Louis Rossetto and Kevin Kelly of Wired magazine, anti-child-porn crusader Barry Crimmins, David Chaum of DigiCash, and Phil Zimmermann, creator of PGP. Many other industry figures and commentators make cameo appearances. Platt concludes that net fears have been exaggerated and demands for censorship are unwarranted. "Most people who want to censor the net don't use it and are willfully ignorant of it. They tend to be religious extremists and opportunistic legislators looking for a hot-button issue. I question their right to inflict laws on a community that they don't live in and know nothing about." Platt feels that if widely available methods are used to control access by children, the net can be safer than a day- care center. "My daughter started net surfing when she was 15. Even if children have totally unrestricted access, the net is still more benign than most real-world environments. I believe this is thoroughly substantiated by my book." ANARCHY ONLINE is freely available at http://anarchy-online.dementia.org/book/ Charles Platt is the author of 40 books, ranging from computer guides to science fiction. His novel PROTEKTOR was published this year by Avon Books. He is a contributing writer to Wired magazine and has an article on net censorship in the current issue, dated April. Platt can be contacted at (212) 929 3983 or via email at •••@••.•••. ------------------------------------------------------------- ~=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=~=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=~-~=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=~=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=~ Posted by Andrew Oram - •••@••.••• - Moderator: CYBER-RIGHTS (CPSR) Cyber-Rights: http://www.cpsr.org/cpsr/nii/cyber-rights/ ftp://www.cpsr.org/cpsr/nii/cyber-rights/Library/ CyberJournal: (WWW or FTP) --> ftp://ftp.iol.ie/users/rkmoore Materials may be reposted in their _entirety_ for non-commercial use. ~=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=~=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=~-~=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=~=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=~
