more on DOD IPv6 director arrested for possession of child porn

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: Lauren Weinstein <lauren () vortex com>
Date: April 7, 2006 3:25:27 PM EDT
To: dave () farber net
Cc: lauren () vortex com
Subject: Re: [IP] DOD IPv6 director arrested for possession of child  
porn


> From: Ross Stapleton-Gray <amicus () well com>
> Date: April 7, 2006 1:06:23 PM EDT
>
> This is not going to bode well for the IPv4->IPv6 transition, but
> what the heck is up with high-level DC bureaucrats and the kid pr0n??

Dave,

I wrote about this general issue in one of my "Wired News" columns
several years ago (relating to Pete Townshend's arrest):

http://www.wired.com/news/culture/0,1284,57397,00.html

In that column, I suggested that the Internet has created an entire
class of what we might call "opportunistic" collectors of this
kind of disgusting material.

By "opportunistic," I mean people who in the absence of the Internet
were unlikely to ever seek out such photos, etc., and who are
apparently unable to fully internalize the consequences of seemingly
private mouse clicks in their home or office.  I suggested that some
sense of proportionality was necessary for the punishment to
fit the crime in such cases -- difficult given the horrid nature
of the subject matter involved.

I just looked over that column again, and I believe that it
still applies.

--Lauren--
Lauren Weinstein
lauren () vortex com or lauren () pfir org
Tel: +1 (818) 225-2800
http://www.pfir.org/lauren
Co-Founder, PFIR
   - People For Internet Responsibility - http://www.pfir.org
Co-Founder, IOIC
   - International Open Internet Coalition - http://www.ioic.net
Moderator, PRIVACY Forum - http://www.vortex.com
Member, ACM Committee on Computers and Public Policy
Lauren's Blog: http://lauren.vortex.com
DayThink: http://daythink.vortex.com




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