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  • From: Calvin Powers <powers AT attglobal.net>
  • To: "InterNetWorkers" <internetworkers AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
  • Subject: Freedom on the web
  • Date: Sat, 06 Jan 2001 08:42:15 -0500

At 01:01 PM 1/5/2001 -0500, you wrote:
Hummmmmm..... Why, could this be yet another stride toward corporate
overrunning of the formerly free state of Cyberspace? Once all of the
"free" content is out of here -- why, those left can charge whatever the
market will take and all we sheep will be able to do is gripe about how
baaaaad it is.... Of course, charging for links and per view will
certainly help clear out those idealistic speakers who were anti
capitalistic anyway.............

(I just couldn't resist. <not>Sorry.</not>)

Hmmmm, I don't think so. Just as there is a place for both free music on the internet (MP3.com, Napster, etc) and paid-for music (CDNow, pick your favorite CD store), there is also a place for both free information, sponsored information, and commercial information.

The key to keeping the internet free is preserving _everyone's_ right to publish sites on the web. Now, the day the ruling class starts talking about the need for "responsibility" on the web and the need to "license" people for publishing on the web is the day I start to get very worried about the freedom of cyberspace.




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Calvin Powers                                             current events
mailto:powers AT attglobal.net                          cultural phenomena
http://www.sff.net/people/powers                           true stories
"the revolution will not be televised"    http://www.StuckInTraffic.com/
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