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From: spaf@gatech.CSNET (Gene Spafford)
Newsgroups: net.news.group
Subject: Re: Causes on the net... (net.peace)
Message-ID: <1159@gatech.CSNET>
Date: Sat, 7-Sep-85 10:23:56 EDT
Article-I.D.: gatech.1159
Posted: Sat Sep  7 10:23:56 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 8-Sep-85 10:52:15 EDT
References: <205@kepler.UUCP> <774@vortex.UUCP> <2750@sun.uucp>
Reply-To: spaf@gatech.UUCP (Gene Spafford)
Organization: The Clouds Project, School of ICS, Georgia Tech
Lines: 32

It is against Georgia state law to provide University services to
nonapproved, outside groups.  If net.peace was created as a forum for
"peace" groups to communicate and organize, I would be breaking state
law (as it is interpreted here) to carry or forward such a group.
Additionally, some such "peace" groups that might wish a voice on such
a group often promulgate actions which are illegal.  Thus, providing
the group with this foreknowledge could  be seen as conspiracy, should
some overzealous type wish to pursue such an avenue of prosecution
(don't laugh -- I had to swear out a loyalty oath to uphold the US and
Georgia state consititutions in order to get paid. *Every* grad student
(and faculty too, I think) has to do that here.  In the 1980s.).  With
these points in mind, if there is overwhelming demand for such a group,
I will not carry it here.

I imagine that any other public educational institution and government
sponsored site is under the same or similar restrictions.  Could *any*
site funded by a Federal agency legally carry the group?  I doubt it.
I certainly know that the group isn't worth our finding out.
Corporate sites probably would be against it too, if someone of
sufficient authority were told of the plan.

I think the idea is unworkable and although the goals are laudable,
Usenet is not the place to do it.  Start a separate net or mailing
list, if you wish.  Just describe a new distribution (call it peace or
whatever) and call the other sites interested in being part of such a
network.  Foot your own costs and deal with the legal liabilities, if
you are interested, but don't drag the rest of the net into it.
-- 
Gene "3 months and counting" Spafford
The Clouds Project, School of ICS, Georgia Tech, Atlanta GA 30332
CSNet:	Spaf @ GATech		ARPA:	Spaf%GATech.CSNet @ CSNet-Relay.ARPA
uucp:	...!{akgua,allegra,hplabs,ihnp4,linus,seismo,ulysses}!gatech!spaf