On Tue, 22 May 2001 22:53:14 +0100 "Patrick Kirk" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
writes:
> Hi all,
>
> I'm learning to program and thinking of using Freenet as a back-up
> resource
> in a project I'm working on. I doubt this will ever have commercial
> value
> but its an interesting thing to work on...
>
> The question is one of legal responsibility if some child porn is
> dumped on
> the server. Ian Clarke's essay makes clear his view that freedom of
> speech
> and copyright protection can't co-exist. But computers and HR
> managers with
> the authority to fire you do comfortably co-exist. Is some kind of
What does that mean? The computer and the manager don't comfortably
coexist because the manager has total control over the computer. If the
manager doesn't want something on the computer, it gets deleted. If YOU
want something on the computer, too bad. I am of course talking about
computers that are owned and operated by the company for which you work.
If my dad were to install an MP3 player on his computer at Intel, he
would probably be reprimanded, and the program would probable be deleted.
But even if he managed to somehow keep it a secret, they do automatic
hard drive wipes and software reinstalls like once a week on ALL
computers. So, the employee has no real control over his/her computer at
work. Just as a citizen has no control over the internet at large
because it is owned and controlled by Governments and large businesses.
Except for freenet exists.
This isn't a very good analogy of the relationship between freedom of
speech and censorship. A better analogy would be the relationship
between Fire and Ice. Fire melts Ice, and Ice, by its very lack of heat
and it's water, quenches or causes the flames to die. Fire and Ice can't
coexist comfortable, they are constantly absolute enemies. The freedom
of speech is like fire, and censorship is like ice. Censorship tries to
quench and kill freedom of speech, while freedom of speech tends to melt
away efforts at censorship. To have a system that totaly supports
Freedom of Speech you cannot have any power of censorship. To have a
system that totaly supports censorship you cannot have freedom of speech.
They cannot coexist because they are deadly enemies and shall awlays be
deadly enemies.
Freenet is the only online environment which truely allows absolute
freedom of speech. No other system can do it. Period.
> filtering possible to ensure that your machine either excludes
> certain types
> of files? For example, .jpg or .mpg? Or perhaps a way to specify
> that all
> files that are not of a certain range of types simply don't end up
> on a hard
> drive that I have resposibility for?
There is no way to censor something while also guaranteeing freedom of
speech, and you cannot guarantee freedom of speech while you are
excersising censorship. You can only have one or the other, not both.
It is like guaranteeing 24-hour sunlight while also rotating the earth
around on it's axis as well as setting in orbit around the sun. It can't
be done. Or like guaranteeing breathable air while also reserving the
right to remove the air, replacing it with a vacuum whenever you feel
like it. It can't be done. Guaranteeing freedom of speech while
reserving the right to censorship is a lie, an outright lie!!! Period.
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