IP: The rule of the mob

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

> Date: Mon, 03 May 1999 23:20:32 -0400
> From: David Rosensweig <dlrosens () sas upenn edu>
> Organization: University of Pennsylvania
> X-Mailer: Mozilla 4.5 [en] (WinNT; U)
> X-Accept-Language: en
> To: farber () cis upenn edu
> Subject: regulating internet content
>
> here are some discouraging numbers:
>
> According to the latest CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll, 65  percent say the
> federal government should do more to regulate violence on the Internet;
> 12 percent say the government should do less to regulate violence on the
> Internet and 17 percent say that the government is doing the right
> amount to regulate violence on the Internet.
>
> http://cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/stories/1999/05/03/media.poll/
>
> unfortunately, not enough people realize the following, from a recent IP
> email:
>
> > The point to remember is that basic constitutional principles do not
> >    arise and disappear as each new technology comes on the scene. We
> > have  come to this conclusion rather slowly.
>
> the following is quote is from a friend:
>
> " Otherwise, Government becomes based on the whims of the majority, the
> same
> way that the tv entertainment industry relies upon ratings to determine
> the
> course of the tv show.  Would you want a government based on ratings?"
>
> and lastly, an NPR story on a student being expelled from school for
> expressing his displeasure with people who've beat him up.  what kid
> wouldn't be displeased?
>  http://www.npr.org/ramfiles/atc/19990503.atc.04.ram
>
> david