LinuxSA Mailing list archives

  From: C4IS <C4IS@EISA.NET.AU>
  To  : Linux SA <LinuxSA@linuxsa.org.au>
  Date: Tue, 29 Jun 1999 20:14:32 +0930

Re: POLITIX

-----Original Message-----
From: romana <tpnet@ozemail.com.au>
To: linuxsa <linuxsa@linuxsa.org.au>
Date: Tuesday, June 29, 1999 5:30 PM
Subject: Re: POLITIX


> craig was trying to put his point of view across..


I believe he did so, at length.

He also called only for "nice feedback"
(rather than an open & free debate...)

> having had many pleasant arguments with him,
> let me tell you a cpl of things..
>
> this is an intelligent, gifted, and qualified individual.
> patronising him is insulting

Don't you think it was just a patronising to ask 
only for warm fuzzy feedback to his ideas?

> Differing political beliefs dont mean
> insulting someone's professional ability,


Agreed.  It can & should lead to open/free discussion
(not enouraged by the call for only nice feedback...)

> nor denigrating them on the basis of age.


If the use of "son" and/or "sonny" can divert you from the points
of an argument, that is your choice.  A confident writer will not
be adversely affected by such labels; nor should his/her readers.

Just skip over them... like we do banner ads... ;)
and weigh the arguments (of all sides)

> for the record, i disagree with point 2 of the young libs suggestion.
> as a parent, i choose what my children visit, and
> sit with them all when they are online.


With all due respect, how can this help them to feel confidence in
deciding for themselves what to choose (be it on the 'net or in Life)?

This is the whole idea:  since the gov't seeks to choose for adults,
adults come to feel that they must choose for their children.

What are the underlying values at work here?

I would like to suggest that some ethical framework might be better
than a "this is OK... no, that's forbidden to you" approach.

Something like: "that kind of thing may excite you, in the short term,
but leave you feeling less human than the warm arms that might
have held you in a loving relationship..." (there must be shorter
expressions of ethical imperatives... "day & night"... "alive or dead"
or the like)

(In fairness, I suppose it depends on the age of the children here.)

> however, i know craig is fighting strongly, and for some time, on his
> beliefs, and greatly respect his efforts. he IS against internet
> censorship, very strongly, and has merely been attempting to find a
> middle ground.

Your applause for Craig is noted, and I'm sure he appreciated it.
But his arguments must stand for themselves.

> while i disagree with his middle ground, i think very highly of him
> for suggesting it, and for the intense efforts he has made.


Too bad he's not living in a place where the gov't doesn't waste
its clever people's time by moving impracticle bills...

He might have been better able to contribute to advancing the
quality of Life... rather than fighting his own land's government

>can't we be civil in our disagreements?


Of course... here's a "self-censored" seed for debate for you:

How many people have recently been bothered by I'net content?
Now, how many have recently been bothered by telemarketing?

Lots more - I'd bet - in the 2nd case...

But, because we have all this hoo-haw on the former issue...
(and no axiomatic protections against censorship laws
in our political system), we seem to have no time to fight
the invasion of privacy (read: peaceful quality time at home)
on the latter issue.

If this 2nd issue isn't high on your list, replace it with e-commerce
infrastructure & faclilitating legislation (or anything else that you
really care about) and you may begin to see where I'm coming from.

I.e. if the gov't can "waste" time & energy by moving censorship
bills - however ineffective they may turn out to be - it can "use up"
the more of time that would have been available for the kind of laws
that improve the quality of Life (or, if you prefer e-commerce issues,
the business climate, etc.).

There... no son's or sonny's to distract/insult anyone.

I'm flexible...  ;)


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