Netspeak

I enjoyed Mark Schlack's book review of Sex, Laws, and Cyberspace in the October 1996 issue (page 38). However, the authors' point that the Internet should be treated as a series of printing presses and bookstores may mean protection in the U.S., but it has exactly the opposite effect in other places. The current efforts of Scotland Yard to censor Internet providers in the U.K. are based on exactly this premise. In most European countries, you may not publish anything you want. You may, however, say whatever you want -- and write it, too -- if it's meant as personal communication.

In this context, comparison of the Usenet and e-mail via the Internet to verbal communication gives much more freedom to users. Arguably, the Web might be considered to be publishing. But to consider e-mail between friends or messages to a Usenet group as publishing seems to be stretching thi ngs. Is letter-writing or speaking to friends in public places also publishing? Should those activities be censored? That's the debate we should be having. The medium of communication is irrelevant.

Maggie Mulvaney
Auckland, New Zealand