Save the net!

[Michael A. Schoenfield]

>Date: Mon, 13 Mar 1995 14:49:23 PST
>From: David Morgan <HJDM%PSUORVM...@wigate.nic.wisc.edu>
>Reply-To: Social Science Research Methods Instructors
> <METHODS%UNMVMA...@wigate.nic.wisc.edu>
>Sender: Social Science Research Methods Instructors
> <METHODS%UNMVMA...@wigate.nic.wisc.edu>
>Subject: Save the net!
>To: Multiple recipients of list METHODS
> <METHODS%UNMVMA...@wigate.nic.wisc.edu>
>Comments: To: QUAL...@UGA.CC.UGA.EDU
>Comments: Resent-From: David Morgan <HJDM@PSUORVM>
>Comments: Originally-From: Jenny Doerfler <doer...@STUDENTS.WISC.EDU>
>
> I am forwarding this after receiving it on another list. The folks there
>have also tracked down additional resources for people who want to know
>about this issue. If there is interest here, I will forward that information
>as well.
>
>David L. Morgan hjdm@PSUORVM (Bitnet)
>Institute on Aging hj...@psuorvm.cc.pdx.edu (Internet)
>Portland State Univ. 503-725-5199 (Fax)
>
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>>
>>Just in case some of you haven't heard, there are some maniacs in Washington
>>who want to censor (i.e. shut-down) the freedom of speech and ease of
>>communication we enjoy over the net. Please read the forwarded message and
>>sign the accompanying petition, if you are so inclined. I don't know about
>>y'all, but this is all pretty scary to me!
>>
>>Jennifer DOerfler
>>
>>P.S. Please forward this to as many people as you can.
>>
>>**************************************************************************
*****
>>> Simply put, a couple of senators have proposed a
>>>particularly heinous piece of legislation titled the "Communications
>>>Decency Act of 1995" (Senate Bill S. 314). Basically, the
>>>bill would subject all forms of electronic communication --
>>>from public Internet postings to your most private email --
>>>to government censorship. The effects of the bill onto the
>>>online industry would be devastating -- most colleges and
>>>private companies (AOL, Compuserve, etc.) would probably have
>>>to shut down or greatly restrict access, since they would be
>>>held criminally liable for the postings and email of private
>>>users.
>>>
>>>Obviously, this bill is designed to win votes for these senators
>>>among those who are fearful of the internet and aren't big
>>>fans of freedom of speech -- ie., those who are always trying to
>>>censor "pornography" and dirty books and such. Given the
>>>political climate in this country, this bill might just pass
>>>unless the computer community demonstrates its strength as a
>>>committed political force to be reckoned with. This, my friends,
>>>is why I have filled your mailbox with this very long message.
>>>
>>>A petition, to be sent to Congress, the President, and the media,
>>>has begun spreading through the Internet. It's easy to participate
>>>and be heard -- to sign it, you simply follow the instructions
>>>below -- which boil down to sending a quick email message to a
>>>certain address. That's all it takes to let your voice be heard.
>>>(You know, if the Internet makes democracy this accessible to the
>>>average citizen, is it any wonder Congress wants to censor it?)
>>>
>>>Finally, PLEASE forward this message to all your friends online.
>>>The more people sign the petition, the more the government will
>>>get the message to back off the online community. We've been doing
>>>fine without censorship until now -- let's show them we don't plan on
>>>allowing them to start now. If you value your freedoms -- from
>>>your right to publicly post a message on a worldwide forum to your
>>>right to receive private email without the government censoring it --
>>>you need to take action NOW. It'll take fifteen minutes at the most,
>>>a small sacrifice considering the issues at hand. Remember, the age
>>>of fighting for liberty with muskets and shells is most likely over;
>>>the time has come where the keyboard and the phone line will prove
>>>mightier than the sword -- or the Senate, in this case.
>>>
>>>Yours in liberty,
>>>
>>> -don
>>>
>>>>
>>>> Here's what you have to do to sign the petition:
>>>>
>>>> send an e-mail message to: S314-p...@netcom.com
>>>> the message (NOT the subject heading) should read as follows:
>>>> SIGNED <your online address> <your full name> <U.S. Citizen (y/n)>
>>>> eg. SIGNED lse...@leland.Stanford.EDU Laura Sewell YES
>>>>
>>>> If you are interested in signing the petition, I would highly suggest
>>>> investigating the details of the situation. You can find out more on
>>>> the Web at http://www.wookie.net/~slowdog or in the newsgroup
>>>> comp.org.eff.talk
>>
>>
>>
>>==========================================================
>>Jennifer Doerfler
>>University of Wisconsin - Madison
>>Department of Educational Policy Studies
>>==========================================================
>

=======================================================
Michael A. Schoenfield masc...@students.wisc.edu
Michael A. Schoenfield & Associates (608) 238-6121 Voice
University of Wisconsin - Madison
2637 Mason St.
Madison, WI 53705-3709