Newsgroups: rec.video.cable-tv
Subject: Re: Cable TV Consumer Protection Act of 1992
From: jack@myamiga.mixcom.com (Jack Decker)
Date: Wed, 30 Sep 92 15:53:00 GMT
Organization: Northern Bytes BBS - Sault Ste. Marie, MI U.S.A.

In article <CURT.92Sep29124624@vtucs.cc.vt.edu> dated 29 Sep 92 16:46:24 GMT,
curt@vtucs.cc.vt.edu (Curt Tilmes) wrote:

 > Without taking sides, I think this argument is missing something:

.....

 > Now Person A, who doesn't want to see sex is switching channels and
 > sees sex, or his kids are changing channels from the Family channel to
 > Nick and see sex.  Since you have allowed sex on TV, you have made it
 > more difficult for Person A to watch TV while attaining his goal of
 > not watching sex.

Exactly.  I'm glad that at least SOMEONE is paying attention!

 > Isn't there some way *both* of you can attain your goals easily?  Some
 > sort of TV kill-file that will allow someone to filter out things.

 > Someone said you don't like your kids to watch movies with graphic
 > violence, just preview the movie, and don't let them watch the 'bad'
 > ones.  But what if Person A doesn't want to see the graphic violence
 > himself?

True again.  I don't want to have to watch filth just so I acn tell my kids NOT
to watch it.  Not only would that make me appear hypocritical, it would give
them the idea that it's perfectly okay for adults to feast on this stuff, which
is NOT the idea I want to convey to them (they may come to that decision on
their own, but I certainly don't want to encourage that notion!).

 > The rating system that has been proposed here may be a step toward
 > user filtering rather that establishment censoring.  Suppose
 > independent ratings organizations could have their own ratings
 > included with the TV signal, you could say "I think like the
 > Fundamentalist Christians, so I will set my TV set to watch only F. C.
 > condoned shows" or "I just want to see everything", or "Don't show me
 > anything that the F. C. says has too much graphic violence, but ignore
 > their advice about sex".

I had thought about that, too.  Given the amount of bandwidth available on
satellite, it might even be possible for several groups to develop rating
systems.  Basically it would just be a data stream coming down an unused part
of a channel, so even if you had a few dozen groups that each wanted to rate a
show, you could give each one a few bits and transmit the information in a few
seconds prior to the start of each show or something.  Certainly, the
technology is available to allow many groups to participate in the system, and
you could still ignore ALL of them if you so choose.

 > Even if you just want to be able to watch anything, this rating
 > system, with adequate end user filtering would take away a lot of the
 > pro-censor arguments.

I have to agree with you on this, even though I still think there are some
programs that no one should be watching... but you are right; given the ability
to have absolute control over what appears on the TV in my home (without
throwing out the TV altogether!), I'd be far less likely to complain about what
others see.

 > (And then you can move to things like 'I like Westerns, but I don't
 > like John Wayne.'... :-)

In my case, it would be "I don't like Country & Western music programs!"  :-)

Thanks for your comments... as I say, it's nice to know that someone is
listening, considering all the knee-jerk reactions I've received!

Jack

Jack Decker                               | No, I don't own an Amiga; I just
Internet address: jack@myamiga.mixcom.com | get Internet mail via a gateway
Fidonet address:  1:154/8                 | system that runs on an Amiga.
Newsgroups: rec.video.cable-tv