Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!usc!brutus.cs.uiuc.edu!ux1.cso.uiuc.edu!tank!scb1 From: scb1@tank.uchicago.edu (Sam Blackman) Newsgroups: news.newusers.questions Subject: Re: What constitutes abuse of the net? Message-ID: <6688@tank.uchicago.edu> Date: 12 Dec 89 17:01:29 GMT References: <37942@ames.arc.nasa.gov> Organization: University of Chicago Lines: 39 In article <37942@ames.arc.nasa.gov> hettinger@krypton.arc.nasa.gov writes: > > Am I right or wrong? What constitutes abuse of the net? >I have no wish to infringe an individual's rights but on the >other hand I feel compelled to take action, particularly when >dealing with sexual abuse of children. > Well, it is in my humble and honest opinion, that as repulsive as the topic is, it was posted to Rec.humor, and because of this fact, it can be assumed that the author mean it as a joke - and only a joke. I think that we owe the author the benefit of the doubt. Because of this recognition on the part of the author, he was within his rights to make the posting - irregardless of the fact that it was in extremely poor taste - and because the joke was posted to an appropriate area, I do not feel that this is an adequate example of net-abuse. If you see the net as I see it, that is, as a communications pathway like any other, then restricting 'speech' based on the the way it is perceived by some is akin to violation of that person's 1st Amendment rights. Playboy, Penthouse, etc. all contain material (jokes, stories, pictures, etc.) that many deem "in poor taste" or "offensive" or "pornographic" however they maintain no right to deprive those who wish to indulge in these materials of those materials. Perhaps this is just an overly wordy way of stating the obvious comment, "If you don't like it, don't read it" I honestly feel that you request to restrict the jokesters net privledges was extremely rash. A kindly admonishment on your part, and a pledge, perhaps on his to put something like "offensive" in the Keywords line so that you might fiter these out, would have been a much better (IMHO) solution. Sam -- Samuel C. Blackman ! InterNet : scb1@tank.uchicago.edu Link : UG0184 University of Chicago ! Disclaimer : Who cares what I say? I'm a student ! 5319 S. Maryland Ave. #2 ! Quote : "Changing the world one person at a time" Chicago, IL 60615 ! Phone : (312) 715-3100 x.60 (w) (312) 947-8652 (h)