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Hello all,<br>
<br>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 17/07/2015 00:49, Belin, Daniel
wrote:<br>
</div>
<blockquote
cite="mid:CAAUXzDMVr5M9Ru7YCtgYaV4L+OEBcxq-oznqc1s7HmDFyppk+g@mail.gmail.com"
type="cite">
<div>Today, the Washington Post <a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/we-cannot-let-the-internet-trolls-win/2015/07/16/91b1a2d2-2b17-11e5-bd33-395c05608059_story.html">published
an editorial by Ellen Pao</a>, in which she asserted, "The
Internet started as a bastion for free expression."</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>This piqued my interest, as I felt it was an inaccurate
characterization. My understanding was always that the early
research focused on improving network facilities for research
collaboration, and that these issues of free speech really
didn't start to come to the forefront until the 1990s when the
Internet began to take root in society. However, I wasn't there,
so I respectfully pose these questions to you all:</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>What were the attitudes towards speech/appropriate conduct
early in the ARPAnet project? Was an environment of collegiality
and respect generally expected?</div>
</blockquote>
<br>
Internet <-> ARPAnet -- is it the intent that the two are
mixed together? When I joined in 1988 there certainly was no freedom
of speech per-se. I had several immature student colleagues that got
banned from the privilege of using the Internet after having posted
stupid comments on mailing lists. Yes, even then, there were some
pretty strong self appointed vigilantes that would email your system
administrator to complain about your postings. Some systems of
course allowed free speech but a bastion for free expression? You
were better off standing on a soap box at Speaker's Corner in Hyde
Park. <br>
The nineties saw the collapse of several Acceptable Use Policies on
many networks, yet the Green Card Lottery ppl got attacked:
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laurence_Canter_and_Martha_Siegel">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laurence_Canter_and_Martha_Siegel</a> and
even Julf's Penet.fi server was shut down eventually
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penet_remailer">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penet_remailer</a><br>
<br>
In short: for as long as I remember, there has always been a
struggle between the partisans of free speech and others. Thinking
that yesteryear was better is just nostalgia. :-)<br>
Kindest regards,<br>
<br>
Olivier<br>
<br>
<pre class="moz-signature" cols="72">--
Olivier MJ Crépin-Leblond, PhD
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.gih.com/ocl.html">http://www.gih.com/ocl.html</a>
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