Drugs, Sex, R&R and the Net

[Paul Mackin]

Naturally p-listers are gladdened a little that the "decency"
part of the new telecom law is on ice (a temporary restraing order
from some federal judge in Philly), but even if They lose this round
They'll keep at it until the Net is free of would-be outlaws. The FBI,
IRS, DEA, BATF, and your local PD will prevail in the end. I'm not even
going to feel let down, because I can see it coming.

The Internet is like the COLLEGE OF THE SURF down on that fractally
repetitive Trasero County Coast. It was supposed to train people to
work for Them. But, who would of thunk it, it became instead a lively 
beachhead of drugs, sex, and rock and roll.

It's the World Wide Web that IMHO is responsible for the inevitable
crackdown. It's too flashy. In fact, it will be a flash in the pan
in my opinion. Sort of like AI in 80s or any number of other boom/bust
fads we all have witnessed over and over again.
                                                            
Hakim Bey, for one, is down on the Web. Says it doesn't involve the whole
self, just the eye and (maybe) the ear. I wonder if not an even more
important reason for his reservation is that it violates a
central HB rule. Draws too much attention to itself. 

Partly, all this comes to mind because of the discussions we have
been having here on the best way to preserve the Pynchon group.
I favor staying as inconspicuous as possible. Seems to me the
best choice for the present is what we have--a list that you have to 
explicitly join. You don't want your newsreader turning up some morning 
inviting you to subscribe to alt.dirty.books.pynchon, or something. Well,
of course that wouldn't exactly happen, but do you take my point?

I can see the day when strong crypto might be needed.
Unfortunately, strong crypto is what Big Brother will go after
next. Also, it will be awkward to apply crypto to a list.
It could be done, though, if things got desperate. A whole lot of
new software would have to be written.

				P.