PeFrom: edi...@eff.org
Subject: EFFector Online 08.09 - June 13 '95 - ALERT: Only Hours to Exon Vote
Date: 1995/06/13
Message-ID: <3rkoql$bv9@eff.org>
X-Deja-AN: 104332922
x-eff_membership_queries_to: members...@eff.org
distribution: world
approved: edi...@eff.org
sender: m...@eff.org
followup-to: comp.org.eff.talk,alt.politics.datahighway,misc.legal.computing,
alt.privacy,alt.activism.d,alt.society.civil-liberty,alt.society.civil-liberties,
alt.bbs.allsysop
admin: b...@eff.org
errors-to: b...@eff.org
summary: IMMEDIATE ACTION NEEDED: Do or die time!
organization: Electronic Frontier Foundation
x-url: http://www.eff.org/pub/EFF/Newsletters/EFFector/
keywords: EFF EFFector activism activist Senator Sen Sen. Exon Leahy Gorton Lott
Robb Feinstein ratings tags tag Communications Decency Act indecency CDA censor
censorship free speech freedom of S. S 314 652 714 H.R. HR 1004 S.314 S.652 S.714
H.R.1004 S314 S652 S714 HR1004
reply-to: edi...@eff.org
newsgroups: comp.org.eff.news,comp.org.eff.talk,alt.politics.datahighway,misc.legal,
misc.legal.computing,alt.activism,alt.activism.d,alt.censorship,comp.org.cspr.talk,
alt.society.civil-liberty,alt.society.civil-liberties,alt.bbs.allsysop
x-eff_general_info: i...@eff.org
[Apologies to the handful of people that got a mangled copy of EFFector
just now; most of our readers did not, as we culled it from the mail
spool before it went to many subscribers. The EFFector posting script
has been rewritten to prevent that from occuring again.]
=========================================================================
________________ _______________ _______________
/_______________/\ /_______________\ /\______________\
\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\/ ||||||||||||||||| / ////////////////
\\\\\________/\ |||||________\ / /////______\
\\\\\\\\\\\\\/____ |||||||||||||| / /////////////
\\\\\___________/\ ||||| / ////
\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\/ ||||| \////
=========================================================================
EFFector Online Volume 08 No. 09 June 13, 1995 edit...@eff.org
A Publication of the Electronic Frontier Foundation ISSN 1062-9424
IN THIS ISSUE:
ALERT: Exon Bill - Only a Few Hours Left in Senate; Please Act!
The Latest News
What You Can Do Now -- U.S. and non-U.S. citizens
Senate Contact List
For More Information
List Of Participating Organizations
Newsbytes
Feinstein/Lott Amendment to S.652 Requires Manadatory Cable Scrambling
Sen. Robb Calls for Study Too, but Also Calls for "Tags" System
Calendar of Events
Quote of the Day
What YOU Can Do
Administrivia
* See http://www.eff.org/Alerts/ or ftp.eff.org, /pub/Alerts/ for more
information on current EFF activities and online activism alerts! *
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: ALERT: Exon Bill - Only a Few Hours Left in Senate; Please Act!
------------------------------------------------------------------------
As of the lastest news: The Exon bill will be considered by the full
Senate very shortly - within a couple of hours at most. Things do not
look good. This is the absolute last chance to make your calls to your
Senator about this legislation. To make matters worse, Exon and Grassley,
co-sponsor of Dole's even worse Internet censorship bill, have combined
forces to introduce yet another censor-the-Net proposal. Details are
unknown at this time.
Seriously, everyone, it's do or die time.
________________________________________________________________________
CAMPAIGN TO STOP THE EXON/GORTON COMMUNICATIONS DECENCY ACT
(SEE THE LIST OF CAMPAIGN COALITION MEMBERS AT THE END)
Update: -Senate debate scheduled tomorrow, vote expected Tuesday
-What You Can Do Now (US and non-US citizens)
(This only takes two minutes. You can spare two
minutes, can't you?)
CAMPAIGN TO STOP THE UNCONSTITUTIONAL COMMUNICATIONS DECENCY ACT
June 11, 1995
PLEASE WIDELY REDISTRIBUTE THIS DOCUMENT WITH THIS BANNER INTACT
REDISTRIBUTE ONLY UNTIL June 25, 1995
REPRODUCE THIS ALERT ONLY IN RELEVANT FORUMS
Distributed by the Voters Telecommunications Watch (v...@vtw.org)
________________________________________________________________________
CONTENTS
The Latest News
What You Can Do Now -- U.S. and non-U.S. citizens
Senate Contact List
For More Information
List Of Participating Organizations
________________________________________________________________________
THE LATEST NEWS
We've seen some great responses from several people who called their
Senators. At one office, the receptionist figured out what the big
surge in phone calls was about (amazing powers of abstraction!) and
finished one caller's sentence for him. Another person who wrote us
said he appreciated the list of Technology staffers, as it turns out
he actually knew one of them already!
In all seriousness, we're not out of the woods yet. We've seen some
encouraging signs, but we're still on the dark side of this issue. There
are more Senators with bills before Congress to censor the Internet than
there are co-sponsors of Leahy's bill. This should worry you. Friday
morning you may wake up and discover that the Senate has passed a law
against "indecent, filthy, lewd, and lascivious" expression on online
systems.
You will suddenly realize that even discussions of movies that might
fit the above categories (such as R rated films) are now subject to
criminal prosecution. Things you would normally find in bookstores and
in print will never become available online. Discussions about them
will become a strange dance of schizophrenia.
Imagine trying to discuss a book that everyone has read while trying to
talk around a part that's illegal to discuss online. Consider that
even Andrea Dworkin's treatises against pornography could not even be
discussed because they contain arguments and descriptions of why
pornography is wrong within the book itself.
We have before us some very clear choices; they have been created for us
(and in some cases by us) by the last few years of the "mainstreaming
of the Internet".
We can simply oppose the bills that censor electronic expression. This
will result in us being viewed as "out of touch" and "radicals" by the
Senate. They have been indoctrinated with two years of the press
telling them that the Internet is a big red light district. They have
been given their "mission" by the nation's voice, the press, and
they're now responding to it.
They'll pass an Internet bill alright, so they can go to their
constituents and say "Look what I did! I helped clean up the
Internet." In the end, we'll lose this fight. People who simply
oppose popularly-perceived issues are labeled as "shrill" and ignored.
Or, we can support Leahy's bill (S 714) that would direct the
Department of Justice to do a study of whether or not such legislation
is even needed. This is the hearing that the Exon bill never got.
This is a chance to drag these bills that are clearly unconstitutional
into the light of day and wither them with all the First Amendment
sunlight we can get into a Senate hearing room. Most importantly,
this buys us time.
If we don't support Leahy, we'll get the Exon bill. It's too hard for
legislators today to stand up and say they support the First Amendment
over "decency".
But wait! "The Exon bill is unconstitutional", you say. "It can't pass!"
I point out that if it's so obvious that it's unconstitutional, why are
all these Senators jumping on the bandwagon to support similar measures?
But wait! "The Supreme Court will nullify it", you say. Perhaps.
Odds are even pretty good. But what will happen in the seven years it
takes to find a martyr to take their case to the Supreme Court? How
many bulletin boards will be seized? How many people will take on a
new habit of "not communicating", in a medium which has fostered more
many-to-many communication than has ever been seen before?
You can make the difference. You can call your Senator first thing
Monday morning and tell he or she that you think this issue ought to
get a good long look before anything is legislated. There's not likely
to be a vote in the Senate before Monday 5pm, so you have the whole day
to call.
[EFF Note: That was then, this is now. Please don't delay even 1 minute
before phoning or faxing your Senators after reading this. There is no
more time left.]
The Telecomm Reform bill is on the floor right now. Senators are debating
restrictions on your speech right now. Shouldn't you pipe up, while
you still can?
________________________________________________________________________
WHAT YOU CAN DO NOW -- U.S. and non-U.S. citizens
The Telecomm Reform Bill currently includes the Exon/Gorton Internet
Censorship bill. Leahy intends to offer a swap, to remove the Exon
language in exchange for his bill which advocates a study of the issue,
with an emphasis on the preservation of the First Amendment and
parental control.
It is essential that the Leahy language be substituted for Exon's, and
therefore it is essential:
1. That all citizens call or fax their Senators as soon as possible.
There is no time for written letters and email is too easily
discounted or ignored. Non-U.S. citizens should contact Vice
President Gore. Note, if you decide to send a fax, you'll want to
write an expanded version of the statement below.
It's very important that you always be cool, collected, and polite.
U.S. citizens:
<call your Senators' offices, contact info below>
"Hello, Senator ________'s office"
"Hi, I'm a constituent and would like to register my
opinion on the Telecommunications Reform bill to the
Senator. May I please speak to the technology staffer,
_________?"
"Hold On please. Alright, go ahead."
"Please oppose the Exon/Gorton bill (Title 4 of the Telecomm
bill) and other bills for censoring the Internet. Please
support the Leahy alternative (S714) which examines these
issues. My name and address are ________."
"Thanks for calling."
<click>
Non-U.S. citizens:
<call, fax, or send email to Vice President Gore>
"Dear Vice President Gore,
The world looks to the United States as one of the leaders in
developing a Global Information Infrastructure. Title 4 of
the Telecomm Reform bill and other Internet censorship bills
imperil that leadership. Please work to remove them from the
Telecomm Reform bill (S652) and support Senator Leahy's
sensible alternative (S714). I'm calling from ____________."
2. Send VTW a note telling us what you did. If you contacted your two
Senators, send a letter to v...@vtw.org with a subject line of
"XX ack" where "XX" is your state. For example:
To: v...@vtw.org
Subject: OH ack
I called my Ohio Senators and expressed my opinion.
If you contact Senators outside your state, please let us know what
state you're from. Also, if your exchange with the Senate staff
was anything but droll and boring, please let us know. For example:
My Senator's receptionist said he's gone out for the day, to
try and find a copy of the First Amendment. He thinks it's
a seditious idea and wants to know who started it.
If you contacted Vice President Gore, send a letter to v...@vtw.org with
a subject line of "gore ack". For example:
To: v...@vtw.org
Subject: gore ack
I called VP Gore and expressed my opinion. I'm from France.
An automatic responder will return an updated contact tally.
3. Forward this alert to relevant forums on other online services and
BBS's. Check the letter you get back to see which Senators are
underrepresented by citizen contacts. Forward the alert to any
friends and colleagues in those states.
4. If you haven't yet signed the petition to support Sen. Leahy,
do so now at http://www.cdt.org/petition.html. If you don't have
WWW access, send mail to v...@vtw.org with a subject line of
"send petition" for directions.
5. Congratulate yourself! Your two-minute activism joins that of many
thousands of others over the past two months.
________________________________________________________________________
SENATE CONTACT LIST
Vice President Gore can be reached at:
White House comment line
Telephone: (202) 456-1111 (M-F 9-5 EST)
Facsimile: (202) 456-2461 (M-F 9-5 EST)
Email: vice-presid...@whitehouse.gov
*** Note that we have included names of the several Senators ***
*** Telecommunications Policy staffers below. Please attempt ***
*** to speak to them when you call. ***
US Senate Listing:
D ST Name (Party) Phone Fax
= == ============ ===== ===
R AK Murkowski, Frank H. 1-202-224-6665 1-202-224-5301
R AK Stevens, Ted 1-202-224-3004 1-202-224-1044
Earl Comstock - Technology staffer
D AL Heflin, Howell T. 1-202-224-4124 1-202-224-3149
R AL Shelby, Richard C. 1-202-224-5744 1-202-224-3416
D AR Bumpers, Dale 1-202-224-4843 1-202-224-6435
Thomas Walls - Technology staffer
D AR Pryor, David 1-202-224-2353 1-202-224-8261
R AZ Kyl, Jon 1-202-224-4521 1-602-840-4848
R AZ McCain, John 1-202-224-2235 1-602-952-8702
Mark Buse - Technology staffer
D CA Boxer, Barbara 1-202-224-3553 na
Leanne Shimabukuro - Technology staffer
D CA Feinstein, Dianne 1-202-224-3841 1-202-228-3954
Robert Mestman - Technology staffer
R CO Campbell, Ben N. 1-202-224-5852 1-202-225-0228
Lori Fox - Technology staffer
R CO Brown, Henry 1-202-224-5941 1-202-224-6471
Liz Woodard - Technology staffer
D CT Dodd, Christopher J. 1-202-224-2823 na
D CT Lieberman, Joseph I. 1-202-224-4041 1-202-224-9750
D DE Biden Jr., Joseph R. 1-202-224-5042 1-202-224-0139
Demetra Lambros/Michelle Deguerin - Technology staffer
R DE Roth Jr. William V. 1-202-224-2441 1-202-224-2805
D FL Graham, Robert 1-202-224-3041 1-202-224-2237
Bryant Hall - Technology staffer
R FL Mack, Connie 1-202-224-5274 1-202-224-8022
Stacy Hughes - Technology staffer
D GA Nunn, Samuel 1-202-224-3521 1-202-224-0072
Jonathan Reif - Technology staffer
R GA Coverdell, Paul 1-202-224-3643 1-202-228-3783
Therese Marie Delgadillo - Technology staffer
D HI Akaka, Daniel K. 1-202-224-6361 1-202-224-2126
Nanci Langley - Technology staffer
D HI Inouye, Daniel K. 1-202-224-3934 1-202-224-6747
Margaret Cummisky - Technology staffer
D IA Harkin, Thomas 1-202-224-3254 1-202-224-7431
Phil Buchan - Technology staffer
R IA Grassley, Charles E. 1-202-224-3744 1-202-224-6020
John McNickle - Technology staffer
R ID Craig, Larry E. 1-202-224-2752 1-202-224-2573
Elizabeth Criner - Technology staffer
R ID Kempthorne, Dirk 1-202-224-6142 1-202-224-5893
D IL Moseley-Braun, Carol 1-202-224-2854 1-202-224-2626
Bill Mattea - Technology staffer
D IL Simon, Paul 1-202-224-2152 1-202-224-0868
Susan Kaplan - Technology staffer
R IN Coats, Daniel R. 1-202-224-5623 1-202-224-8964
David Crane - Technology staffer
R IN Lugar, Richard G. 1-202-224-4814 1-202-224-7877
Walt Luken - Technology staffer
R KS Dole, Robert 1-202-224-6521 1-202-224-8952
R KS Kassebaum, Nancy L. 1-202-224-4774 1-202-224-3514
Ed Bolen - Technology staffer
D KY Ford, Wendell H. 1-202-224-4343 1-202-224-0046
Martha Maloney - Technology staffer
R KY McConnell, Mitch 1-202-224-2541 1-202-224-2499
D LA Breaux, John B. 1-202-224-4623 na
Thomas Moore - Technology staffer
D LA Johnston, J. Bennett 1-202-224-5824 1-202-224-2952
Michael Gougisha - Technology staffer
D MA Kennedy, Edward M. 1-202-224-4543 1-202-224-2417
Jeff Blattner - Technology staffer
D MA Kerry, John F. 1-202-224-2742 1-202-224-8525
Scott Bunton - Technology staffer
D MD Mikulski, Barbara A. 1-202-224-4654 1-202-224-8858
D MD Sarbanes, Paul S. 1-202-224-4524 1-202-224-1651
Fred Millhiser - Technology staffer
R ME Snowe, Olympia 1-202-224-5344 1-202-224-6853
Angela Campbell - Technology staffer
R ME Cohen, William S. 1-202-224-2523 1-202-224-2693
Kelly Metcalf - Technology staffer
D MI Levin, Carl 1-202-224-6221 na
R MI Abraham, Spencer 1-202-224-4822 1-202-224-8834
D MN Wellstone, Paul 1-202-224-5641 1-202-224-8438
Mike Epstein - Technology staffer
R MN Grams, Rod 1-202-224-3244 na
R MO Bond, Christopher S. 1-202-224-5721 1-202-224-8149
R MO Ashcroft, John 1-202-224-6154 na
R MS Cochran, Thad 1-202-224-5054 1-202-224-3576
R MS Lott, Trent 1-202-224-6253 1-202-224-2262
Chip Pickering - Technology staffer
D MT Baucus, Max 1-202-224-2651 na
Brian Cavey - Technology staffer
R MT Burns, Conrad R. 1-202-224-2644 1-202-224-8594
Mark Baker - Technology staffer
R NC Faircloth, D. M. 1-202-224-3154 1-202-224-7406
R NC Helms, Jesse 1-202-224-6342 1-202-224-7588
D ND Conrad, Kent 1-202-224-2043 1-202-224-7776
Steve Super - Technology staffer
D ND Dorgan, Byron L. 1-202-224-2551 1-202-224-1193
Greg Rhode - Technology staffer
D NE Exon, J. J. 1-202-224-4224 1-202-224-5213
Christopher MacLean - Technology staffer
D NE Kerrey, Bob 1-202-224-6551 1-202-224-7645
Carol Ann Bischoff - Technology staffer
R NH Gregg, Judd 1-202-224-3324 1-202-224-4952
R NH Smith, Robert 1-202-224-2841 1-202-224-1353
D NJ Bradley, William 1-202-224-3224 1-202-224-8567
Mark Schmitt - Technology staffer
D NJ Lautenberg, Frank R. 1-202-224-4744 1-202-224-9707
Bruce King - Technology staffer
D NM Bingaman, Jeff 1-202-224-5521 na
Wayne Propst - Technology staffer
R NM Domenici, Pete V. 1-202-224-6621 1-202-224-7371
D NV Bryan, Richard H. 1-202-224-6244 1-202-224-1867
Andrew Vermilye - Technology staffer
D NV Reid, Harry 1-202-224-3542 1-202-224-7327
D NY Moynihan, Daniel P. 1-202-224-4451 na
R NY D'Amato, Alfonse M. 1-202-224-6542 1-202-224-5871
Kraig Siracuse - Technology staffer
D OH Glenn, John 1-202-224-3353 1-202-224-7983
Kathy Connolly - Technology staffer
R OH Dewine, Michael 1-202-224-2315 1-202-224-6519
Josh Ruben - Technology staffer
R OK Inhofe, James 1-202-224-4721
R OK Nickles, Donald 1-202-224-5754 1-202-224-6008
R OR Hatfield, Mark O. 1-202-224-3753 1-202-224-0276
R OR Packwood, Robert 1-202-224-5244 1-202-228-3576
Hans Haney - Technology staffer
R PA Santorum, Rick 1-202-224-6324 1-202-228-4991
R PA Specter, Arlen 1-202-224-4254 1-717-782-4920
Dan Renberg - Technology staffer
D RI Pell, Claiborne 1-202-224-4642 1-202-224-4680
R RI Chafee, John H. 1-202-224-2921 na
D SC Hollings, Ernest F. 1-202-224-6121 1-202-224-4293
Kevin Josephs - Technology staffer
R SC Thurmond, Strom 1-202-224-5972 1-202-224-1300
D SD Daschle, Thomas A. 1-202-224-2321 1-202-224-2047
R SD Pressler, Larry 1-202-224-5842 1-202-224-1259*
Katie King - Technology staffer
R TN Thompson, Fred 1-202-224-4944 1-202-228-3679
Kevin Moxley - Technology staffer
R TN Frist, Bill 1-202-224-3344 1-202-224-8062
Dave Berson - Technology staffer
R TX Hutchison, Kay Bailey 1-202-224-5922 1-202-224-0776
Amy Henderson - Technology staffer
R TX Gramm, Phil 1-202-224-2934 1-202-228-2856
R UT Bennett, Robert 1-202-224-5444 1-202-224-6717
Amy Henderson - Technology staffer
R UT Hatch, Orrin G. 1-202-224-5251 1-202-224-6331
Mike O'Neill - Technology staffer
D VA Robb, Charles S. 1-202-224-4024 1-202-224-8689
Bill Owens - Technology staffer
R VA Warner, John W. 1-202-224-2023 1-202-224-6295
Russel Wilkerson - Technology staffer
D VT Leahy, Patrick J. 1-202-224-4242 1-202-224-3595
Beryl Howell - Technology staffer
R VT Jeffords, James M. 1-202-224-5141 na
Bill Testerman - Technology staffer
D WA Murray, Patty 1-202-224-2621 1-202-224-0238
Mike Egan - Technology staffer
R WA Gorton, Slade 1-202-224-3441 1-202-224-9393
Terri Claffey - Technology staffer
D WI Feingold, Russell 1-202-224-5323 na
Jeannine Kenney - Technology staffer
D WI Kohl, Herbert H. 1-202-224-5653 1-202-224-9787
Jon Liebowitz - Technology staffer
D WV Byrd, Robert C. 1-202-224-3954 1-202-224-4025
D WV Rockefeller, John D. 1-202-224-6472 na
Cheryl Bruner - Technology staffer
R WY Simpson, Alan K. 1-202-224-3424 1-202-224-1315
Michael Stull - Technology staffer
R WY Thomas, Craig 1-202-224-6441 1-202-224-3230
________________________________________________________________________
FOR MORE INFORMATION
For more information on the Communications Decency Act, visit the
following resources:
Web Sites
URL:http://www.panix.com/vtw/exon/
URL:http://epic.org/
URL:http://www.eff.org/pub/Alerts/
URL:http://www.cdt.org/cda.html
FTP Archives
URL:ftp://ftp.cdt.org/pub/cdt/policy/freespeech/00-INDEX.FREESPEECH
URL:ftp://ftp.eff.org/pub/Alerts/
Gopher Archives:
URL:gopher://gopher.panix.com/11/vtw/exon
URL:gopher://gopher.eff.org/11/Alerts
Email:
v...@vtw.org (put "send help" in the subject line)
cda-i...@cdt.org (General CDA information)
cda-s...@cdt.org (Current status of the CDA)
________________________________________________________________________
LIST OF PARTICIPATING ORGANIZATIONS
In order to use the net more effectively, several organizations have
joined forces on a single Congressional net campaign to stop the
Communications Decency Act.
American Civil Liberties Union * American Communication Association *
American Council for the Arts * Arts & Technology Society * Association
of Alternative Newsweeklies * biancaTroll productions * Californians
Against Censorship Together * Center For Democracy And Technology *
Centre for Democratic Communications * Center for Public Representation
* Citizen's Voice - New Zealand * Computer Communicators Association *
Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility * Cross Connection *
Cyber-Rights Campaign * CyberQueer Lounge * Electronic Frontier Canada
* Electronic Frontier Foundation * Electronic Frontier Foundation -
Austin * Electronic Frontiers Australia * Electronic Frontiers Houston
* Electronic Frontiers New Hampshire * Electronic Privacy Information
Center * Feminists For Free Expression * First Amendment Teach-In *
Florida Coalition Against Censorship * Friendly Anti-Censorship
Taskforce for Students * Hands Off! The Net * Human Rights Watch *
Inland Book Company * Inner Circle Technologies, Inc. * Inst. for
Global Communications * The Libertarian Party * Marijuana Policy
Project * Metropolitan Data Networks Ltd. * MindVox * National Bicycle
Greenway * National Coalition Against Censorship * National Public
Telecomputing Network * National Writers Union * Oregon Coast RISC *
Panix Public Access Internet * People for the American Way * Rock Out
Censorship * Society for Electronic Access * The Thing International
BBS Network * The WELL * Voters Telecommunications Watch
(Note: All 'Electronic Frontier' organizations are independent entities,
not EFF chapters or divisions.)
________________________________________________________________________
End Alert
------------------------------
Subject: Newsbytes
------------------
* Feinstein/Lott Amendment to S.652 Requires Manadatory Cable Scrambling
Senators Lott and Feinstein introduced an amendment yesterday to the
Telecom Reform bill, S.652, requiring manadatory scrambling of audio and
video for "adult" cable tv programming. How this will affect other
information and entertainment services, such as Internet service providers,
BBSs, etc., if at all, is unclear, but the language at first analysis
appears to apply to "multi-channel video programming distributors" and
should not directly affect online services. The amendment did not
affect in any way the Communications Decency (Exon bill) provisions of
the Telecom Reform bill, but rather another section. The amendment
passed, according to Senate staffers, 91-0.
The text of the amendment as it was passed by the Senate and folded into
the bill is available at:
http://www.eff.org/pub/Legislation/Bills_by_number/
s652_a1269_feinstein_lott.amend
ftp.eff.org, /pub/Legislation/Bills_by_number/s652_a1269_feinstein_lott.amend
gopher.eff.org, 1/EFF/Legislation/Bills_by_number,
s652_a1269_feinstein_lott.amend
* Sen. Robb Calls for Study Too, but Also Calls for "Tags" System
Amendment 1271 to Senate Telecom Reform bill was proposed yesterday by
Sen. Charles Robb (D-VA). This amendment was tabled June 12, 1995. A "Sense
of Congress" resolution to "encourage the voluntary use of tags" or
identifying marks or names for online materials that are sexually
explicit. Like other tagging and rating schemes, this idea has a number
of serious flaws. Unlike other proposed systems, the Robb amendment
calls for a centralized industry board to oversee labelling and
implementation of software to block access to labelled material, and
requires the Secretary of Commerce to publicize the tags. The scheme
would be voluntary under this version of the Robb amendment. Calls
for a study one year down the road regarding the tags' proliferation and
effectiveness. Some good points, some bad points. Mostly bad. Yet
another attempt to centralize the uncentralizable, ignores the global
nature of the net, and calls for a single rating system, the almost
guaranteed failure of which will likely be the basis for yet more
Internet censorship legislation a year from now. The tabled resolution
curiously labels the Internet and BBSs "public information networks".
However, like Sen. Leahy, Robb calls for a study, and reconsideration,
rather than deciding like Exon, et al., that he's right and that's that.
When and if the amendment will be reconsidered is unknown to us at present.
The text of the amendment as it was tabled by the Senate is available at:
http://www.eff.org/pub/Legislation/Bills_by_number/
s652_a1271_robb_tabled.amend
ftp.eff.org, /pub/Legislation/Bills_by_number/s652_a1271_robb_tabled.amend
gopher.eff.org, 1/EFF/Legislation/Bills_by_number,
s652_a1271_robb_tabled.amend
------------------------------
Subject: Calendar of Events
---------------------------
This schedule lists EFF events, and those we feel might be of interest to
our members. EFF events (those sponsored by us or featuring an EFF speaker)
are marked with a "*" instead of a "-" after the date. Simlarly, government
events, such as deadlines for comments on reports or testimony submission, are
marked with "!" in place of the "-" after the date.
If you know of an event of some sort that should be listed here, please
send info about it to Stanton McCandlish (m...@eff.org)
The latest full version of this calendar, which includes material for
later in the year as well as the next couple of months, is available from:
ftp: ftp.eff.org, /pub/EFF/calendar.eff
gopher: gopher.eff.org, 1/EFF, calendar.eff
http://www.eff.org/pub/EFF/calendar.eff
Updated: Jun. 13, 1995
1995
----
June 13-
15 - IDT 95 - 12th Congress on Information Markets and Industries;
Paris, France. Organized by ADBS (a society of information
professionals), ANRT (National Association of Technological
Research), and GFII (French association of information industries).
Contact: +33 1 43 72 25 25 (voice), +33 1 43 72 30 41 (fax)
June 17-
19 - NECC'95: Emerging Technologies and Lifelong Learning: 16th Annual
National Educational Computing Conf., sponsored by International
Society for Technology in Education; Baltimore, Maryland.
VP Gore and Sec'y. of Labor Robert Reich invited as keynote
speakers. Other speakers include: John Phillipo (CELT), Frank
Knott (MGITB)
Contact: +1 503 346 2834 (voice), +1 503 346 5890 (fax)
Email: nec...@ccmail.uoregon.edu
June 18-
21 - ED-MEDIA'95; Graz, Austria. A world conference on educational
multimedia and hypermedia. Sponsor: The Association for the
Advancement of Computing.
Contact: +1 804 973 3987 (voice)
Email: a...@virginia.edu.
June 24-
28 - Workshop on Ethical & Professional Issues in Computing;
Rensselaer Polytechnic Inst., Troy, NY. Deadline for submissions:
Apr. 15.
Contact: +1 518 276 8503 (voice), +1 518 276 2659 (fax)
Email: che...@rpi.edu
June 27-
29 - Women in Technology Conference: Channels for Change; Santa Clara
Conv. Ctr., Santa Clara, Calif. Speakers include: Gloria Steinem.
Sponsored by Int'l. Network of Women in Technology (WITI).
Contact: +1 818 990 1987 (voice), +1 818 906 3299 (fax)
Email: w...@crl.com
June 28-
30 - INET '95 Internet Society 5th Ann. International Networking
Conf.; Honolulu, Hawaii. Sponsored by Internet Society (ISoc).
See Jan. 13 for proposal deadline
Contact: +1 703 648 9888 (voice)
FTP: ftp.isoc.org, /isoc/inet95/
Gopher: gopher.isoc.org, 1/isoc/inet95
WWW: http://www.isoc.org/inet95.html
Email: ine...@isoc.org
July 5-
7 - Key Players in the Introduction of Information Technology: Their
Social Responsibility & Professional Training; Namur, Belgium.
Sponsored by CREIS.
Email: no...@ccr.jussieu.fr, clo...@info.fundp.ac.be
July 5-
8 - Alliance for Community Media International Conference and Trade
Show. [See Jan. 31 for proposal submission deadline info].
Contact: Alliance c/o MATV, 145 Pleasant St., Malden, MA 02148
Fax: (617) 321-7121; Voice: Rika Welsh (617) 321-6400
Email: m...@world.std.com
July 5-
8 - 18th International Conf. on Research & Development in Information
Retrieval; Sheraton Hotel, Seattle, Wash.
Email: sigi...@u.washington.edu
July 6-
7 ! Interoperability & the Economics of Information Infrastructure;
Freedom Forum, Rosslyn, Virginia. IITF/NSF/Harvard/FFMSC joint
workshop to "analyze and evaluate economic incentives and
impediments to achieving interoperability in the National
Information Infrastructure. The goal is to help agencies,
associations, the Administration, and the Congress to develop
sound policies for realizing the vision of a seamless,
interoperating NII. Deadline for proposals: Mar. 17. Deadline
for submissions: June 15.
Contact: +1 617 495 8903 (voice), +1 617 495 5776 (fax)
Email: ka...@harvard.edu
July 11-
15 - '95 Joint International Conference: Association for Computers and
the Humanties, and Association for Literacy and Linguistic
Computing; UCSB, Santa Barbara, Calif. Will highlight the
development of new computing methodologies for research and
teaching in the humanities
Contact: Eric Dahlin, +1 805 687 5003 (voice)
Email: hcf1d...@ucsbuxa.ucsb.edu
July 22-
26 - Syllabus'95; Sonoma State U., Rohnert Park, Calif.
"The premier conference covering the use of technology in the
curriculum"
Contact: 1-800-773-0670 (voice, US-only), +1 408 746 200 (voice,
elsewhere)
Email: sylla...@netcom.com
------------------------------
Subject: Quote of the Day
-------------------------
"There are already laws prohibiting the promotion of hatred and we are
now considering new laws to establish limits on the use of the Internet
and other forms of communication in a way that might be harmful to us all."
- Allan Rock, Canadian Minister of Justice, in response to a question
regaring whether or not students should be censored from "unwanted
exposure" to "extremist movements promoting anti-social behaviour"
online. From a virtual conference hosted by Canada's SchoolNet MOO
forum, May 1995. The second meaning one can infer ("...limits...
harmful to us all") is really a delicious bit of double entendre.
Find yourself wondering if your privacy and freedom of speech are safe
when bills to censor the Internet are swimming about in a sea of of
surveillance legislation and anti-terrorism hysteria? Worried that in
the rush to protect us from ourselves that our government representatives
may deprive us of our essential civil liberties?
Join EFF!
Even if you don't live in the U.S., the anti-Internet hysteria will soon
be visiting a legislative body near you.
------------------------------
Subject: What YOU Can Do
------------------------
* The Exon Bill (Communications Decency Act)
The Communications Decency Act poses serious threats to freedom of
expression online, and to the livelihoods of system operators. The
legislation also undermines several crucial privacy protections.
Business/industry persons concerned should alert their corporate govt.
affairs office and/or legal counsel. Everyone should write to their own
Senators and ask them to support the replacement of Exon's
communications decency language in the Senate telecom reform bill s.652
with S. 714, Sen. Leahy's alternative to the Comm. Decency Act. Explain
quickly, clearly and politely, why you feel the Exon language is dangerous.
S.652, the Senate telecom deregulation bill, now contains Sen. Exon's
"Communications Decency Act" (formerly S.314.) The House version of the
CDA, H.R.1004, is essentially stalled. The House telecom reform bill
will almost certainly include the Leahy language, a fact that may be
worth mentioning to your Senators.
For more information on what you can do to help stop this and other
dangerous legislation, see:
ftp.eff.org, /pub/Alerts/
gopher.eff.org, 1/Alerts
http://www.eff.org/pub/Alerts/
If you do not have full internet access, send your request
for information to a...@eff.org.
* Find Out Who Your Congresspersons Are
Writing letters to, faxing, and phoning your representatives in Congress
is one very important strategy of activism, and an essential way of
making sure YOUR voice is heard on vital issues.
EFF has lists of the Senate and House with contact information, as well
as lists of Congressional committees. These lists are available at:
ftp.eff.org, /pub/Activism/Congress_cmtes/
gopher.eff.org, 1/EFF/Issues/Activism/Congress_cmtes
http://www.eff.org/pub/Activism/Congress_cmtes/
The full Senate and House lists are senate.list and hr.list, respectively.
Those not in the U.S. should seek out similar information about their
own legislative bodies. EFF will be happy to archive any such
information provided. If you do not know who your Representatives are,
you should contact you local League of Women Voters, who typically maintain
databases that can help you find out.
* Join EFF!
You *know* privacy, freedom of speech and ability to make your voice heard
in government are important. You have probably participated in our online
campaigns and forums. Have you become a member of EFF yet? The best way to
protect your online rights is to be fully informed and to make your
opinions heard. EFF members are informed and are making a difference. Join
EFF today!
For EFF membership info, send queries to members...@eff.org, or send any
message to i...@eff.org for basic EFF info, and a membership form.
------------------------------
Administrivia
=============
EFFector Online is published by:
The Electronic Frontier Foundation
1667 K St. NW, Suite 801
Washington DC 20006-1605 USA
+1 202 861 7700 (voice)
+1 202 861 1258 (fax)
+1 202 861 1223 (BBS - 16.8k ZyXEL)
+1 202 861 1224 (BBS - 14.4k V.32bis)
Membership & donations: members...@eff.org
Legal services: sste...@eff.org
Hardcopy publications: p...@eff.org
General EFF, legal, policy or online resources queries: a...@eff.org
Editor:
Stanton McCandlish, Online Services Mgr./Activist/Archivist (m...@eff.org)
This newsletter printed on 100% recycled electrons.
Reproduction of this publication in electronic media is encouraged. Signed
articles do not necessarily represent the views of EFF. To reproduce
signed articles individually, please contact the authors for their express
permission. Press releases and EFF announcements may be reproduced individ-
ually at will.
To subscribe to EFFector via email, send message body of "subscribe
effector-online" (without the "quotes") to lists...@eff.org, which will add
you to a subscription list for EFFector.
Back issues are available at:
ftp.eff.org, /pub/EFF/Newsletters/EFFector/
gopher.eff.org, 1/EFF/Newsletters/EFFector
http://www.eff.org/pub/EFF/Newsletters/EFFector/
To get the latest issue, send any message to effector-reflec...@eff.org (or
e...@eff.org), and it will be mailed to you automagically. You can also get
the file "current" from the EFFector directory at the above sites at any
time for a copy of the current issue. HTML editions available at:
http://www.eff.org/pub/EFF/Newsletters/EFFector/HTML/
at EFFweb.
------------------------------
End of EFFector Online v08 #09 Digest
*************************************
$$
--
<A HREF="http://www.eff.org/~mech/"> Stanton McCandlish
</A><HR><A HREF="mailto:m...@eff.org"> m...@eff.org
</A><P><A HREF="http://www.eff.org/"> Electronic Frontier Foundation
</A><P><A HREF="http://www.eff.org/1.html"> Online Services Mgr. </A>