🚀 go-pugleaf

pld@whopper.lcs.mit.edu (Peter L. DeWolf) writes:
>At first glance, this seems to be yet another example of "Company <X>
>is being bad, so let's punish the users of Company <X>'s machines."
>Very similar to the FSF boycott of Apple, et. al.
>It goes farther, though.  It says: "Your site is downstream from mine,
>and I have the power to censor what you read based on MY Politically
>Correct viewpoint."
>That is scary.

I don't see why you think I should be forced to help a company that I
consider as evil.

Would you let a KKK member use your telephone to get directions for
going to a rally?  Are you cutting off his 1st amendment right because
you are denying him free speech over your telephone?

Why should I help Apple or Apple users?  I see most Apple users as
quite apathetic to the dangers of the Apple look and feel lawsuit.
The only way I see to move these people is to turn the tables and
advocate curtailing the development of programs for *their* machines.
This is no more than their company is attempting to do to other
machines.  Why shouldn't turnaround be fair play?

Now I do agree that usenet is special.  It is a wonderful forum for
the free exchange of information.  It is something that, in general
should be protected.  At the same time, I am wary of some companies
like Apple who have abused free information in the past.  They suck up
all they could get, and then turn around and claim in court that they
thought of it all themselves.  In effect these companies have abused
the public trust.  They are trying to steal information from the
public coffers and lock it up for themselves.  What is so inherently
evil about trying to cut these companies and their developers off from
one of the largest free information exchanges?

-wolfgang
-- 
Wolfgang Rupprecht    wolfgang@wsrcc.com (or) uunet!wsrcc!wolfgang
Snail Mail Address:   Box 6524, Alexandria, VA 22306-0524