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Re: Libel obsolete on Net?



Libel is not obsolete on the net. Congress tried to regulate speech on the
net, and while this was defeated in the courts for the most part, there is
still a sentiment of desire to control information. Call it government
conspiracy, fear that someone will spread the "wrong" information or
whatever, but I think they will try in a clever way again. Since libel is
one of the most concretely defined forms of "controlled" information, it
will certainly be considered with pornographic material.

Further, journalists' main media are still broadcast and print, and some
well-defined ethics have evolved around the use of these media. When
broadcast/print companies move to the Web, they will still have these
ethics to some degree. Further issues will arise, be discussed, and be
codified into a code of ethics. Since libel is a recurring issue, it will
certainly be considered among these issues. If not, then Congress or the
Courts will decide.

On Thu, 4 Sep 1997, Paul Jones wrote:

> So says Mike Godwin of the Electronic Frontier Foundation. Now way says
> Robert O'Neil of the Thomas Jefferson Cneter for the Protection of Free
> Expression.
> http://www.nytimes.com/library/cyber/law/090497law.html
> Let's talk about it in class--if enough of us can read e-mail...
> 
> ==========================================================================
>                              Paul Jones
> Certified Black Helicopter Pilot *** Unwitting Dupe of One World Gov'ment
> http://sunsite.unc.edu/pjones/     The Unix Web Server Book (Ventana 1997)
>   pjones@sunsite.unc.edu   voice: (919) 962-7600     fax: (919) 962-8071 
> ===========================================================================
> 
> 

john

http://sunsite.unc.edu/smiley/

Eschew obfuscation.



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