Re: [TCLUG:8245] FidoNet

[bob@math.umn.edu]

> 
> >	'Course, if you're looking for security through obscurity, there's always
> >Gopher...
>         there's something to be said for that. :)

Something short and furry.
 
> <political rant>
> what worries me about the whole censorship buisness, is that gov't has long
> since stopped being a servant and _gestalt_ of the people; and become a
> self-justifying entity. it now takes itself (and it's power) for granted;
> and seeks to entrench itself in it's current position of 'taking care of
> you', whether you want to be taken care of in that fashion or not.
> </political rant>
> 
> Carl Soderstrom

IMHO modern censorship is a wonderful example of popular politics in action.

A very few people yell very loudly about "the children" for a long time, 
get organized politically, and our elected representatives then listen to
them.  Seeing an opportunity to engage some well-organized groups to support
him/her in the next election, bills are introduced.

This is how it is supposed to work.  The problem is that anti-censorship
forces are mainly represented by "the media," who have low popular credibility
at present.  The rest of us are a disorganized mob, waving the occasional
torch or pitchfork in the town square.

The answer?  "Write your congressman."  Where have I heard that before?  Or
perhaps "Buy your congressman."  :^)

By analogy, this is one difficulty here.  Until recently the Linux platform has
not been "organized" at that level, especially as compared with the historical
record of the most widespresd OS's.  We must organize the workers, peasants, 
and students to form collectives in order to bring about the dictatorship of
the proleteriat.

Of course, I could be wrong.  :^l

Adios,
Chris 
-- 
C.S. Cornuelle 
School of Mathematics/MCIM
206 Church St. SE
University of Minnesota
Minneapolis, MN 55455
(612) 626-8930, 624-9069
bob@math.umn.edu
--
Ferventer Vestite