[WikiEN-l] censorship

[Vicki Rosenzweig]

At 01:20 PM 5/18/03 -0700, LittleDan wrote:

>--- Vicki Rosenzweig <vr at redbird.org> wrote:
> > At 09:49 AM 5/18/03 -0700, LittleDan wrote:
> > >I wrote:
> > > > [ ] Censor inapropriate content
> > >
> > >But I meant
> > > > [ ] Censor obscene content
> > >or
> > > > [ ] Censor content that may be considered
> > obscene.
> >
> > "Content that may be considered obscene" is
> > incredibly wide,
> > depending on who is doing the considering: diagnosis
> > and
> > treatment of breast cancer, for example. Two people
> > of the same
> > gender kissing. A woman nursing a baby. The bare
> > human calf
> > used to be considered shocking and provocative.
> > --
> > Vicki Rosenzweig
> > vr at redbird.org
> > http://www.redbird.org
>
>I hate to say this, but you know what I mean.

No, I don't know what you mean. "Obscene" is not
a well-defined category in the first place and, more to
the point, *obscene according to what standards*?
The server is in California, but will users understand the
differences between the standards of that state's law and
of wherever they happen to be?

The breast cancer example is one of the things that is
routinely blocked by censorware designed to "protect"
users from obscene material.
-- 
Vicki Rosenzweig
vr at redbird.org
http://www.redbird.org