Newsgroups: comp.admin.policy
Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!think.com!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!caen!umich!sharkey!tygra!jp
From: jp@tygra.Michigan.COM (John Palmer)
Subject: Re: Canceling someone else's article
Organization: CAT-TALK Conferencing Network, Detroit, MI
Date: Thu, 30 May 91 18:16:28 GMT
Message-ID: <1991May30.181628.2931@tygra.Michigan.COM>
References: <eifrig.675550113@voronoi.cs.jhu.edu> <1991May29.222406.26060@herald.usask.ca>

In article <1991May29.222406.26060@herald.usask.ca> lowey@herald.usask.ca (Kevin Lowey) writes:
>
>Use of the Usenet is definately a privilege.  No one has the RIGHT to 
                      ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Uhmmm, well wait a minute! I don't think that this is necessarily 
true. No one has the right to deny anyone else access to USENET, only
to a particular machine.

>I run a Fidonet BBS (not a Usenet node).  I have to be VERY careful about 
>the traffic on the BBS.  For example, no business messages otherwise the
>telephone company will consider me a "business" and charge higher rates.  
>

Then cancel any articles that come into your machine that are business
related. Don't have your feed site send you the biz. and ads. groups.


> [.. descriptions of rules on his bbs]

>There is no RIGHT for ANYONE to do ANYTHING on my system.  I own it, I make up
             ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

You are correct. Its your box, no one can tell you how to run it. All I'm
saying is that you not try to dictate your rules to other systems. If some
site consistently posts stuff you don't like, put them in your system-wide
killfile.
 
>
>If anyone has a RIGHT here, it is the right of the owner of a computer to
                             ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>control how his computer is used.  
 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Bravo. Again, this means of course, that you have no RIGHT to tell any 
other sysop what she can and cannot allow to be posted and exported from
her system. Again, if you don't like the stuff coming off her system, 
put it in your kill-file but don't think that you have a RIGHT to TELL
ANYONE ELSE what they can and cannot allow on their system.

>- Kevin Lowey

Also, some people are claiming that "certain things should be prohibited
because they may pass through the NSFNet as it may be inappropriate for
that net." I put it to you that the only way it would be legal for NSFNet 
to limit USENET content would be to disallow all of USENET from NSFNet
facilities.  Why - because NSFNet is a government funded animal. 1st
Amendment says that the govt. CANNOT stifle free speech. Therefore NSFNet
cannot dictate the content of USENET postings (except of course, where 
allowed by laws such as transmitting stolen property, some material of
a purient nature, etc).  NSFNet can say "USENET as a whole violates the
conditions of use of the NSFNet, so off it goes.." Thats what drives many
of these doomsday fanatics insane. (Iminent Death of USENET Predicted (tm))

Peace,
John Palmer
-- 
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