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From: tmca@utastro.UUCP (Tim Abbott)
Newsgroups: net.news
Subject: Re: policing ourselves
Message-ID: <958@utastro.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 5-Jul-86 23:52:33 EDT
Article-I.D.: utastro.958
Posted: Sat Jul  5 23:52:33 1986
Date-Received: Mon, 7-Jul-86 00:30:07 EDT
Organization: U. Texas, Astronomy, Austin, TX
Lines: 26

'scuse me, but I've been reading net.news for the first time, and I notice
a great deal of fuss over policing ourselves. Now the word "police" usually
implies some sort of (hopefully) incorruptible, paternalistic force to rap
one hard over the nuckles when one commits a no-no. One would also expect
that the rapping of the nuckles should hurt; badly enough that one doesn't
do it again.
Now, what does all this ticking ourselves off really achieve ? Hmmm?
What is needed is a satisfactory form of curbing copywrite infringence before
it can spread through the net. Unfortunately, what I have learned of the net 
in the short(ish) time that I have been using it, seems to show a fairly 
anarchistic state of affairs, with absolutely no form of central control.
The only possible method that I can see would be someone, well versed in
copywrite law, on each node reading each and every letter as it leaves his
node, censoring as he sees fit.
Censorship ? Ugh !
Any other policing would seem to take the form of self control by every
user of the net. Unlikely to succeed, I think.
A pretty problem, nicht wahr ?

				Tim Abbott

P.S. I'd be quite curious to hear exactly how far one can safely go over the
net without breaking the law. Can anyone let me know?

"Clean as a Q-Tip,
 Quiet as nylon."