Text 17552, 84 rader
Skriven 2014-08-08 23:42:44 av Lee Lofaso (2:203/2)
Ärende: Z1 Censorship of Fidonet
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Hello Everybody,

It has been brought to everyone's attention that the current
echolist keeper is censoring entries, choosing to add or keep
only those entries approved by either himself or his higher
ups (Janis Kracht, Ross Cassell, Bob Seaborn).

It has also been previously brought to everyone's attention
that Ross Cassell continues to misuse the echolist for his own
nefarious purposes, most notably in a conspiracy with Janis
Kracht to take over the FIDONEWS echo as their own.

Ross Cassell has taken it upon himself to personally go to war
against certain individuals, using his fake moderator echotag
as a means to blackmail sysops into refusing read/write access
to the FIDONEWS echo.  In addition to myself, other individuals
Ross Cassell has sought to ban from this echo are John Wilson,
Frank Scheidt, Bob Klahn, Ross Sauer, Tim Richardson, and others
who simply were not to his liking.

Ross Cassell did this with the full blessihg of Janis Kracht.

That is why you have seen both Ross Cassell and Janis Kracht
have a grand mal seizure, making personal attacks against my
character.  You see, they are both out of arguments, having
nothing in their arsenal to dispute a single thing I have
said or written.

Ross Cassell has gone so far as to call me a "professional
shit stirrer."  I take that as a compliment, as I can indeed
be a hellraiser when the occasion calls.

Censorship is the control of the influx of information and
ideas in a society.  Fidonet is a society of sysops from around
the world, a society that accepts non-sysops to participate
almost as if they were one of their own.

I do not believe that any individual or group of individuals
who claim to represent fidonet or any part of fidonet should
keep secrets from their fellow sysops, or from non-sysops.
Sysops should have the best interest of their fellow sysops
(and non-sysops).  As such, why should they keep secrets?
Especially from other sysops and non-sysops who participate
in fidonet?

It is the right - the absolute right - of every sysop and
non-sysop to know what their fidonet administrators are up to.
Nobody should be kept in the dark, with all sysops and non-sysops
being well-informed.

The internet is an information highway.  So is fidonet.  This
information highway is (or should be) ready and available for
anyone who wants to access it at any given time.  As such, why
should any individual or group of individuals be allowed to
deny or restrict anyone this basic right?

The most destructive weapon created by man is not a nuclear
weapon or deadly virus like ebola.  It is information control.

Everyone has an opinion.  Without exception.  Including that
guy in the corner screaming his lungs out for censorship may be
the next guy to have his ideas cut off by the gestapo of fidonet
known as the NAB.

One more thing.

For those sysops in the US of A.

The founding fathers established freedom of the press for a very
specific purpose - for people to be able to criticize government.

Now think about it.  This right extends to all media invented
since that time and in times to come.  If sysops allow fidonet
censorship (an individual or group of individuals acting as a
censor in fidonet) those sysops may never get it back.  And
then fidonet will be nothing more than an approved speech
rather than a free speech movement.

Talk about anti-American!

--Lee

--- MesNews/1.08.05.00-gb
 * Origin: news://felten.yi.org (2:203/2)