IP: DLD Digest Censored in Germany

[Dave Farber <farber () central cis upenn edu>]

It is all real complicated read end djf




From: vantek () northcoast com (VANTEK COMMUNICATIONS)


Pat,


    I have just been informed that my publication Discount Long
Distance Digest will no longer be available to our subscribers in
Germany. It seems that the ISP we use to store our World Wide Web
Homepage, FTP Archives and Mailing List has another client who's
neo-nazi material has been banned for viewing by the German
Government.


  Since the German ISP's are not sufficiently technically competent to
manage blocking access to this single user's site, all 1,491 customers
of Webcom Communications (webcom.com) in Santa Cruz, California, will
have access to their sites shut-off by Deutsche Telekom, one of only two
major ISP's in Germany (Compuserve is the other).


  Unfortunately, this means that we will no longer be able to send our
readers in Germany our telecom-realated news articles. I know that we
have several subscribers in Germany, some have even called me from
overseas to ask questions, give feedback, etc. I feel very badly that
they will be left out in the cold because of this.


  I absolutely do NOT support these Nazi wacko's views, but banning
over 1,400 providers Homepages with no regard to content is eerily
reminiscent of Hitler's tactics during the 30's and 40's. I guess they
feel that the end justifies the means.


  Since we both serve many of the same subscribers, I would greatly
appreciate it if you could publish this note to let me bid my (former)
German subscribers a fond farewell. Hopefully we will be able to serve
you again someday, somehow.




Van Hefner - Editor of
Discount Long Distance Digest
http://www.webcom.com/longdist/




[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: I am sorry to have to be the bearer of
this bad news to your German readers. Perhaps also you could try to
serve them through email or via a different ISP. Over the weekend I
had occassion to correspond with Computer Underground Digest about an
ISP who wrote saying he would never 'censor' anyone who wanted an
account. Your ISP may have felt the same way, and now in the process
has managed to harm many innocent users like yourself as a result.


I think we will see a lot more of that this year. It has already 
happened as we know with countless news groups whose only 'crime'
was they happened to be located in the 'alt' hierarchy. When Compuserve
made the decision to drop 'alt' on account of some of the totally
outrageous stuff there the Germans were protesting, well poof! there
went lots of good groups in the process now no longer getting
forwarded by Compuserve. Your ISP apparently thought it was okay to
allow the Nazi people free reign at his site, and now in the process
all you legitimate users have lost out. Have you or other subscribers
there been in contact with the ISP to convince him to get rid of that
client or face losing the rest of you instead?   


A lot of ISPs are getting pressured -- even harassed -- by a group
calling itself the American 'Civil Liberties' Union. They are being
told 'you do not have the right to pick and choose among users; you
do not have the right to decide what traffic you will pass on your
network; it is censorship and a violation of the First Amendment
when you refuse access to a user or group of users based on their
speech.'  Unfortunatly, a lot of ISPs are buying into that argument.
A fellow writing to CuD even had the audacity to say he 'agreed'
with the theory that the ISP's have the right to use their private
property as they wished. Isn't that special! He did say he hoped
they would not exercise that right however, preferring 'free speech'
as the way to operate the net instead, with one speech piled on top
of another speech, all the while the meter ticking as users wade
through one pile of sewage after another to get to wherever they
really want to be. 


Hopefully the ISPs won't fall for the guilt-tripping that is going
on now about how they have some sort of moral and ethical obligation
to provide a platform for everyone who comes along. The print media,
with all it has to lose in the demise of the First Amendment, never
fell for that song and dance, and neither have radio or television
stations. They print and say *exactly what they please*, and they
permit their columns or airwaves to be used *exactly as they please*
period. The 'new-breed' of publisher/broadcaster/information provider
we call Internet Service Providers should do the same. It only makes
good sense to allow a wide diversity of opinions and ideas -- that
is even a very good business decision quite often -- but not to the
extent other users are harmed in the process. 


I guess where Discount Long Distance Digest and 1490 other users of
that site are concerned, the ACLU would say 'Van Hefner be damned!
At least the Nazis have their free speech on that site, no matter who 
else got hurt in the process.'      PAT]