From: MichaelP <papadop@peak.org>
Newsgroups: misc.activism.progressive
Subject: Cyber Patrol censoring Industrial Worker
Followup-To: alt.activism.d
Date: 9 Apr 1997 01:16:05 GMT
Lines: 114
Approved: map@pencil.math.missouri.edu
Message-ID: <5ieqkl$13uc$1@news.missouri.edu>
NNTP-Posting-Host: pencil.math.missouri.edu
Originator: rich@pencil.math.missouri.edu

cyber nanny doesn't like politics either !!

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: 07 Apr 1997 20:25:31
From: fpc@usa1.com
To: Recipients of conference <iww-news@igc.apc.org>
Subject: Cyber Patrol censoring Industrial Worker

Fellow Workers,

After reading FW Chris' message about CyberPatrol
blocking the online Industrial Worker, I was curious
about why these cretins have put the IW on their list.

As Chris suggested, I went to:

http://cgi.pathfinder.com/@@L7ZsqQcA1KSchefE/netly/spoofcentral/censored/

I typed iww.org/~iw into the search engine and got the following strange
result:

Blocked!! results:

CyberPatrol:
    http://fletcher.iww.org/~iw Violence/Profanity

If you believe your site has been listed in error and should not be blocked, yo
u can
try sending email to
these addresses:

    CyberSitter:
        bmilburn@solid
    oak.com
    NetNanny:
        gordonR@netnann
    y.com
    CyberPatrol:
        sydrubin@aol.com

Talk about intellectual dishonesty! Violence and profanity!?
Why are they ashamed to admit that they don't want working
people to learn about the revolutionary program of the IWW?
Why can't they just admit that they're afraid of the economic
and political ideas that are communicated in the pages of the
Industrial Worker? Instead of labeling us as "Communist subversives",
which of course is what they think we are, these cowards have
tried to brand us with "Violence and profanity", as if the IW
is like some tasteless TV show. The boss class has always tried to
stifle the voice of the IWW because we scare the hell out of them,
no matter how small we are.  (Look at that, violence and profanity
in the last sentence, oh my god!) The only threat to their continued
and eternal bamboozlement of the toiling masses is that ideas such
as those conveyed by the Industrial Worker start to spread and catch
fire.  So the attempt of a money-grubbing capitalist outfit such as
CyberPatrol to block out access to the Industrial Worker comes as
no surprise. That they would use such a gutless pretext to block us
is a bit more surprising, but maybe they're afraid that "liberals"
might object to blocking our newspaper on purely political grounds.

To the censors:

So, CyberPatrol bootlicking lackeys, here's my challenge:  Show the
courage of your slimy capitalist convictions and give us the label
we deserve: Red.  If you can't bring yourself to be honest enough to
admit that you don't want young people to be free to learn about the
Industrial Workers of the World because we are Reds, and proud to be
Reds, than how about lifting your ban altogether?

Who appointed you to trample over the sacred right to Free Speech, anyhow?
The Industrial Worker is the official newspaper of the Industrial Workers
of the World, and bills itself as "The Voice of Revolutionary Industrial
Unionism".  Any but the most degraded cynic would have to acknowledge that
it is precisely publications like the Industrial Worker that embody the
concept of Free Speech.  By attempting to deny young people the right to
hear the voice of the IWW, you reveal your total contempt for the "free
marketplace of ideas" that you no doubt claim to uphold.

Here's some unsolicited personal advice:

For your own good, while you still have a shred of self-respect, why not
try to find a less shameful line of work?  No freedom loving individual
likes a censor, and I'm sure you are already circumspect about revealing
your unfortunate occupation to people you meet.  You'll feel a lot better
about yourself if you find an honorable trade, and people will respect you
more too.

For the One Big Union,
Frank Callahan,
X342780

Chris wrote:
)
) Dear Vice President of Public Relations,
)
) I am writing to express concern that the newspaper of my union, the
) Industrial Workers of the World  http://iww.org/~iw, has been targetted
) by your corporation for potential censorship by customers of your
) CyberNot product. I was referred to you by another person whose equally
) legal web page was also suggested for potenial censorship.
)
) I confirmed that our newspaper's website is blocked by searching for it
) on the
) http://cgi.pathfinder.com/@@J0YSIQcAt6RG20S1/netly/spoofcentral/censored/
) web page.
)
) I request that you immediately remove our newspaper from any part of your
) product and provide clarification as to how and why our newspaper was
) targetted in the first place.
)
) Looking forward to your reply (and please cc our union's discussion list,
) iww-list@iww.org),
) Chris Vance
) co-worker of on-line _Industrial Worker_ newspaper