On Mon, 4 Jun 2001, Matthew Gaylor wrote:
>As I thought of "carnivore" I reflexively mentioned that the real
>threat doesn't lie with the FBI, but rather with the filtering that
>goes on in our schools and libraries. Censorware has got to be one
>of the most Orwellian concepts yet implemented. Not only does the
>software not work as advertised, but when it does work it frequently
>filters out information of a political nature.
Fuck.
That one word assures that this email will never be read by anyone
who lives behind such a filter. Even though it has nothing to do
with the content of the letter.
I believe in the right of people to filter their own feeds however
the hell they want. Laws requiring them to do so are utterly
ridiculous and oppressive.
As a technical challenge, building better filterware (ie, stuff
that works) would actually be a good project. But I'd want to
release it with a license that absolutely prohibited its use in
any situation where filterware were required by law. I support
the right of people to filter their *own* pipe, not *other*
people's pipes.
Also, to the extent that filters bogotify your perception of the
world, using them too extensively can be damaging to your integrity
and your sanity. It's your right, of course, to become hypocritical,
or insane, or even naive, but for most it's not a pleasant mode of
being.
Bear
