Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site molihp.UUCP Path: utzoo!utcsri!ubc-vision!molihp!martinl From: martinl@molihp.UUCP (Martin M Lacey) Newsgroups: net.followup Subject: Re: Usenet should exclude South Africa Message-ID: <137@molihp.UUCP> Date: Thu, 16-Jan-86 12:40:34 EST Article-I.D.: molihp.137 Posted: Thu Jan 16 12:40:34 1986 Date-Received: Fri, 17-Jan-86 05:05:20 EST References: <704@pucc-j> <132@molihp.UUCP> <767@stc-b.stc.UUCP> Reply-To: martinl@HP-UX.UUCP (Martin M Lacey) Organization: Moli Energy, Vancouver, B.C., CANADA Lines: 35 Summary: >> [rebuttle on disallowing communication with S.A.] >>Nice try, but in my opinion that is a very bad idea. The Net *purpose* >>is the exchange of information and discusion of ideas. Restrictions, >>if any, should only apply to material goods. Finding out how the people >>there are thinking and what is *really* going on is an important part >>in eliminating the idea of aparthied. > >Surely, information counts as 'material goods'. Otherwise, why pay >for software, Reuters, etc? > >Whether the sort of communication offered by USENET, where simple >disagreements seem to become raging personal feuds very quickly, >would be helpful in persuading the poor frightened paranoid people >of South Africa to return to rationality is doubtful to me. >-- > Peter Kendell > Aw, come on Peter!!. How much information (read software) have you gotten off the net without paying for it. If its on the net it is free, so why restrict what is free. Lets Give those "poor fightened people" a chance to voice what THEY think before *we* (read you) decide that they are hopelessly lost. Personnally, I welcome with open arms any information I can find on the state of the world today. Let the PEOPLE talk. Martin the Magician. DISCLAIMER: Once again, I stand alone on my pillar of purity :->>>. Actually, if the net were world-wide and had no political affiliations, at least the people of the net would know what the people *who are involved in* political situations are thinking. A good thing, in my opinion - but just a start.