Sunday, August 22, 1999, 5:02:47 PM, Planet Communications Computing Facility
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> As I expected there are no gurantees. The issue is not weither the
> Berkman Center is composed of angels - or fruits aging in fine wine, it is
> privacy, a right granted to democratic societies.
Really?
This "right to privacy" only goes so far. When it comes to many areas
of our society, there is no right to privacy. For example, property
ownership is a matter of public record, and indeed there are companies
who specialize in compiling data from the various country halls of
records and placing them into a searchable database. This is just one
of MANY public databases used by companies such as 1800ussearch.com to
locate people.
There are NUMEROUS other areas. Privacy and anonymity are not one in
the same. Try and enter a proceeding of Congress without
identification sometime, and without being logged in. See how far
this "right to anonymity" goes in public proceedings such as that.
It is really anonymity you are fighting for rather than privacy. And
in that area we have to place real limits on that. We have seen the
abuses that can arise from anonymity on these very lists. I say that
if someone wants to be a participant, then they have an obligation to
register their participation and to have their name and affiliation
attached to their comments.
This is inline with many areas of public policy where government
meetings are conducted as well. For example, in our City Council,
before you are allowed to address the Council openly, you must
identify yourself.
These concerns are nothing more than an area to try and be nitpicky
and to find any possible fault whatsoever, for the sake of having a
plethora of things to point to as criticisms.
I say its not the quantity of criticisms, but the QUALITY of the
criticisms that is important. They need to stand up on their own
merits, not as a huge body of complaints that gain legitimacy because
of their sheer number.
--
William X. Walsh - DSo Internet Services
Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Fax:(209) 671-7934
Editor of http://www.dnspolicy.com/
(IDNO MEMBER)
Support the Cyberspace Association, the
constituency of Individual Domain Name Owners
http://www.idno.org
