Mountain Area Information Network continues that tradition of universal access for all registerd account holders without regard to beliefs, affiliations, race, gender, or PARTISANSHIP. [my emphasis. C.K.J.]
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We cannot emphasize this enough!
I cannot disagree strongly enough. We are not the world's censors.
Why not choose, equally as arbitrarily, the LEAST restrictive communtity standards worldwide?
Despite laws on the books already (which may be unconstitutional) there is nothing in the constitution which makes it illegal to appeal primarily to my prurient interests, and plenty in the constitution and other founding documents to suggest the opposite is the case--that such appeals are protected
The most restrictive community standards worldwide might be those of Iran, Iraq, Lybia, Syria, or the United Arab Emirates. (Yes, I'm picking on predominantly muslim countries.) Will we adhere to, say, attitudes toward women and the uses of the name of God, that are written into the statutes of these countries?
The first sentence of the First Amendment of the U. S. Constitution says, "Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; . . . ." Despite this, Congress has tried, by passing the Telecommunications Decency Act, to force upon the electronic community, monotheist, and, particularly, paternalistic, christianity-based religious values. This excludes the free expression and exercise of many other religious traditions, particularly Pagans.
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Sanctions for running abusive processes:
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Aside: this implies that the "homeless," those without a permanent mail address cannot participate in MAIN.
Is the above in bold a dependent or independent clause? That is, are all those items forbidden, and, by the way, they overload the system, or are only those that DO overload the system forbidden?
(Should we define advertising? Claims that go beyond the statement of fact or the clear expression of a single person's opinion. Fact: MAIN is a community network. Opinion: I [CKJ] think MAIN is the greatest! Advertising: MAIN is the best community network.
MAIN registerd account holders are able to create their own Web pages. The material placed online or linked to by registerd account holders in these publishing areas should not be sexually explicit,violent, racist, illegal, or harmful.
What about the Skinhead Home Page? How is this consistent with our policy of universal access?
. . . , link to a commercial Web site, . . . you must sign up for a commercial account.
WHAT?!?!?!?!?
. . . [Others have commented]
See above, "most restrictive standards worldwide."
How MAIN responds to unacceptable use of the MAIN system.
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Examples: significant or serious hate speech, . . . .
As determined without due process by whom? Again, many forms of hate speech are protected by the First Amendment. [I only hate the intolerant.]
Let a myriad flowers bloom, let a myriad ideas contend. We ought to be encouraging discourse, even if it is controversial. We should leave the determination of political correctness to those who have nothing better to do. We should let ideas stand or fall on their merit. Hate speech falls flat fastest when it is not made a "forbidden fruit," and when the speakers are not made martyrs for the First Amendment. Light and air are the best disinfectants.
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Examples: repeated serious hate speech, . . . .
Ditto.
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Referral to law enforcement or other third party:
Referral to law enforcement or other third party would
change to "may" occur . . . .
We don't want to put ourselves in the position that CompuServe has regarding complaints from state prosecuters in Germanany. Specifically, we don't want to make the claim that we will report every illegal use