🚀 go-pugleaf

jay@inforamp.net (Xanlithe) wrote:

>In article <31eaff88.5052630@newshost.icis.on.ca>, vjasin@icis.on.ca says...
>>
>>On Tue, 09 Jul 1996 02:00:02 -0500, allisat@lglobal.com (Bob Allisat)
>>wrote:
>>
>>>  and not just me. Or else you all get what you deserve:
>>>
>>>                           SHIT
>>
>>        And 711's should be allowed to be topless, the libraries
>>should carry SWANK in their periodicals section. Go for it Allisat,
>>but your idea of SHIT is my idea of informed, preferred, CHOICE. Or
>>have we suddenly become a totalitarian state here. (I guess there are
>>some who would even argue that). To me that kind of attitude is SHIT.
>>The net has become the haven, of subversives, sicko's, anti-censorship
>>fanatics all of whom had no where to congregate before and no way of
>>pumping their twisted choice of morality onto all of society as a
>>required common denominator in the name of civil liberties.
>>Rationalization gone mad.


>	One can possibly think (and rationalize) of the internet as a 
>"superstore" or a collection of specialized stores. Walk down the street of 
>any large city, and you will find many stores that suit your tastes and 
>many that will not. Do you ban some stores and allow others? You may try, but 
>that's what a free society is all about (or is supposed to be about). Freedom 
>of choice. 
>	Certain laws apply, but they must be applied specifically, not as a 
>blanket order or command. 

< long (interesting) digression snipped>

The analogy of the internet to a store is interesting, but not, I
think, quite right.  Your image of walking down a street looking at
stores is more to the point...  Each ISP is like a store, and offers
some, but not all, of the goods produced somewhere in the world.  Each
store owner decides what goods he is going to stock, and each ISP
decides which newsgroups it will carry...


No one seemed to be too upset that Duthie books actively discouraged
the sale of "The Matter with Canada" a pretty right-wing diatribe by
Bill (?) Gairdner a couple of year ago (blatently hypocritical when
you see the government funding that goes into publishing to promote or
protect free speech, but I digress), just as no one complains that
they can't buy any particular product at a given store -- just move
down the street till you find one that does sell what you want.

As for Mr Allisat, the answer is obvious: start your own damn ISP.  If
anyone really wants to get "alt.sex.fiveyearoldgirls" etc, you will
make a mint.  And since you have already decided that iStar is wrong
to be concerned about the possible legal consequences of carrying the
stuff, you will face NO RISK.  How 'bpout that for a great
opportunity, Bob??

Dean