Scientific American's March Issue had a special report on the Internet, part of which covered labeling. The author admitted that labeling would make the Net more like TV but it was worth it if the Net would be a safer place for kids. This is a despicable attitude. Why bother working so hard at making something out of the Net if its going to turn into TV? Only the larger sites will be able to afford getting authenticated labels which people can trust so most small sites will disappear off the Net to people using PICS or a similar system.
Not only will labeling will kill the diversity of the Net but it also has serious civil liberties implications. Right now its an option on browsers but what about when you can't turn it off from the library or at school? So people who can only afford public terminal usage (the vast majority in the world) won't be able to see most of the Net. And children at school will be looking at the world through blinkers. Is that a modern or intelligent way of bringing up children? Children are scared of being stabbed or shot yet we worry more about whether they'll see some people doing the natural act of sex on the Internet. Sex is a far better and more desirable than killing isn't it? Children are already tired of censorship systems which block educational and useful sites as well as "naughty" sites through their stupid rules-based systems.
The Net is an embodiment of freedom and diversity, we cannot afford to lose that through stupid, mindless labeling systems.
Netizens cry out and stop it now, let us defend our nation!
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