From: gomes@cs.tamu.edu (Carlos M Gomes)
Subject: Re: Problem with Laws in Cyberspace
Organization: Computer Science Department, Texas A&M University
Date: Thu, 23 Jul 1992 02:51:41 GMT

Just to throw in another thread on this argument (a rather important one that
I'm not so sure has gotten any attention), has anyone that is arguing for 
more privacy on the internet ever read the Usenet docs that states, paraphrase,
Usenet is not a demogracy??  Sure the US is a %democracy% but the internet was
originally intended to for military use of connecting the coutries
supercomputers to research nuclear energy and weapons.  The work of Larry 
Smarrs at the National Center for Supercomputer Applications in Illinois was
an important part for the network becoming open to research, ie universities, 
and now companies and commercial internet hookups.

The point I'm striving for rather blindly since it's late is that the only 
money most people on the net, or cyberspace, pay for their access is through 
tuition or some such thing.  By no means have I ever heard of an individual 
person paying for an independant hookup to the internet.  Those who pay 
therefore are relinquishing some rights of privacy because they do not own 
much more than their own password on their accounts.  And even those who pay
for hookup to the already existing internet don't have to deal with the burden
of creating a backbone network for their files to be transferred on.  You are
relying on the other systems mailers to do that for you in most cases (ie 
unless your mailing something to someone in a physically short distance).

The way I see it, the internet is still very young for something of its size..
It was opened to research and companies in the mid 80's.  The blossoming of
its extensive connections all over the world is yet a recent phenomenon.
The internet was not originally intended for friends to be mailing each other 
little notes about parties or assasination plots or the latest drugs....
The people who were given access were researchers, military, and company 
executives who were thought to be above hacking into others accounts and
mail...

I kinda lost my train of thought, but I believe I have stated enough to 
demonstrate what my opinion is on the privacy of the internet.  Another
thread that might be drawn from my statements towards the goal of making
the internet more secure would be to limit access to individual sites that
don't foster research or that rely for its survival on an internet hookup.
This is not my argument and I don't support it but I know people who 
vehemelty believe that it is a waste of bandwith to have any kid with a modem
rise up and get himself a site (which is now legal thanks to UUNET and several
other commercial internet hookups and a few bucks a month)

My philosophy is...remember before you get your underwear in a bundle, the
internet is young and people are working everyday to make it %productive%
for all involved.  Air your opinions and try to make changes you think are
necessary but keep an open mind....

I'm going to bed now...hope I don't get flamed for saying domething stupid 
above...please excuse all the typos...

take care,	 	  .
Carlos			 . .
			. . .
--		       . . . .
gomes@cs.tamu.edu

The opinions herein are mine, mine mine mine alll amine you see???
Newsgroups: alt.cyberspace