Here's the article

[Joe Kohn <joko@crl.com>]

(Note: The following essay/article was written in late 1995. It was 
written as a reaction to hearing about misguided attempts to censor the 
Internet.) 

Some Thoughts About The Internet
By Joe Kohn
 
(Note: Joe Kohn is the publisher of Shareware Solutions II, a bi-monthly
newsletter about the Apple II computer. For information about that
publication, send an e-mail to joko@crl.com or write to Joe at 166 Alpine
St, San Rafael, CA. 94901)
 
What a difference a year can make. Last year at this time, the popular
press was filled with articles about the Internet, and many of those
articles touted the educational and social benefits of being connected to
the Internet. More recently, articles about the Internet have tended to
focus on the underside of life online; recent exposes have uncovered child
pornography rings, software piracy and the proliferation of hate groups
online.
 
The Internet is indeed changing quite rapidly, and with the massive growth
that it has experienced lately, we have seen some morally repugnant
individuals come online, and have seen some bigoted and hateful sites
springing up on the world wide web.
 
Now that almost anyone with a computer and modem can afford access to the
Internet, the make-up of the Internet community has changed, and it now
represents a true cross section of individuals and groups. Just as valuable
and educational materials are available online, so are many documents that
many would consider to be horrifying.
 
One of the US's greatest gifts is the concept of Free Speech. It's
guaranteed to all of us, so any attempts to regulate or censor the Internet
would be misguided and unconstitutional. It's important to remember that
the hateful words posted online by hate groups and bigots are not the
problem. Instead, they merely represent beliefs, and it's those beliefs
that are dangerous to a civilized society.
 
If you are concerned about hate being spread on the Internet, listen to
talk radio. What's said on talk radio is no different than what is said on
the Internet, yet no one is seeking to ban free speech on talk radio. The
medium through which hate is spread is irrelevant; it's the underlying
belief systems that must be attacked.
 
If you are concerned that our society is changing and is just a little less
tolerant than before, you need to work to change people's attitudes. It's
not the Internet that's the problem; it's the underlying beliefs that are
dangerous. In other words, if you are concerned about making positive
changes in our society, voting and/or being politically active will give
you much more of a chance to effect a societal change than railing against
the hate groups that are proliferating on the Internet.
 
Also, please remember that sensationalism sells magazines and newspapers,
so it's more likely that the media will focus on the "underside" of the
Internet. Time Magazine did that this summer, when it proclaimed that 90%
of the graphics found on the Internet are pornographic. Unfortunately, that
article received a lot of press, yet the follow up article was largely
ignored. In the follow up, Time admitted that its research was faulty, and
they recanted their previous accusations.
 
Please don't let the current backlash against the Internet prevent you from
trying it out. It really is the most wonderful computer system in
existence, with many more museums online than hate groups. But most
important, don't attack the messenger. The Internet is merely the medium
people use to communicate with each other. And in the case of the Internet,
the medium is no longer the message.
 
Joe Kohn
Publisher, Shareware Solutions II
 
         (e-mail or finger joko@crl.com for subscription info)
         (       or point your favorite web browser to       )
         (        http://www.crl.com/~joko/ssii.html         )