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From: tyg@mit-eddie.UUCP
Newsgroups: alt.flame
Subject: Re: Usenet account "termination with extreme prejudice"
Message-ID: <6969@eddie.MIT.EDU>
Date: Wed, 23-Sep-87 17:54:56 EDT
Article-I.D.: eddie.6969
Posted: Wed Sep 23 17:54:56 1987
Date-Received: Sat, 26-Sep-87 08:49:46 EDT
References: <315@cc5.bbn.com.BBN.COM> <3967@well.UUCP>
Reply-To: tyg@eddie.MIT.EDU (Tom Galloway)
Organization: MIT, EE/CS Computer Facilities, Cambridge, MA
Lines: 22


Before I get started to the meat of the matter, a small correction to
Brandon's flame; Tim got booted from UNC (Chapel Hill if you want to be
specifice, there are several UNCs), not NCSU, which is NC State. As the
bumper stickers say, "Honk if you're from Carolina, Moo if y'all fum State".

I get real nervous when I read someone going something like "I usually
am a strong supporter of free speech, but in the case of x, I don't support
it". Sounds to me like the old "Some of my best friends are ..." arguments.
To me, freedom of speech applies to those items which I disagree with,
those I find obnoxious, etc. I find it particularly amusing when people
on the net start calling for censorship of an individual, since the net
is such that one's opinion of an individual is formed solely by their
postings; seems that what the would be censor is really saying is "I'm 
worried that others might believe x over me, so I'd better do something
about it".

On the other hand, there are various standards about harrassment, which I'd
much prefer to see argued and bandied about rather than attempts to restrict
free speech just due to obnoxiousness or dislike.

tyg