There are more important things for the government to concern itself with than being able to monitor people in Virtual Worlds. Has anonymity on IRC allowed terrorists to plot? Shall our government abolish ALL forms of anonymous speech?
I recently found out that it's now impossible to get a PO Box anonymously. I must present my ID card and the mail which comes MUST be addressed to me with exactly the spelling indicated that is to say if are Joe Shmoe at PO Box 1234, Nowhere TX USA then it better be addressed to Joe Shmoe, not Jo Shmoe or Joe Shmo or Jo Shmoe or any permutation thereof.
It is frightening to see the attack on anonymous speech that is occurring in this country. Previously anonymous speech was an allowed and, indeed, necessary thing. Now, at least according to the postal employee I spoke to when I made this startling revelation, "The people on the other end have a *right* to know who is sending them a message."
Do they?
What if I'm writing to the government complaining about some policy, or to my employer or to a utility or to a company or to anyone where revealing my identity might cause me some adverse effect?
Anonymous speech is very necessary. Any government which seeks to quash it is, honestly, becoming fascist. I suppose this shouldn't be too much of a shock given everything that has happened in the US over the past few years. And there seems also to be no shortage of people willing to support such moves for the sake of "security." (I will not reference the trite, but oh so true quote of Ben Franklin here... oh wait... I just did)
Anyway, That's my $0.02
Anony Mouse
Slashdot Mirror
See how easy it is to simply hand down a directive? AM.
There are more important things for the government to concern itself with than being able to monitor people in Virtual Worlds. Has anonymity on IRC allowed terrorists to plot? Shall our government abolish ALL forms of anonymous speech? I recently found out that it's now impossible to get a PO Box anonymously. I must present my ID card and the mail which comes MUST be addressed to me with exactly the spelling indicated that is to say if are Joe Shmoe at PO Box 1234, Nowhere TX USA then it better be addressed to Joe Shmoe, not Jo Shmoe or Joe Shmo or Jo Shmoe or any permutation thereof. It is frightening to see the attack on anonymous speech that is occurring in this country. Previously anonymous speech was an allowed and, indeed, necessary thing. Now, at least according to the postal employee I spoke to when I made this startling revelation, "The people on the other end have a *right* to know who is sending them a message." Do they? What if I'm writing to the government complaining about some policy, or to my employer or to a utility or to a company or to anyone where revealing my identity might cause me some adverse effect? Anonymous speech is very necessary. Any government which seeks to quash it is, honestly, becoming fascist. I suppose this shouldn't be too much of a shock given everything that has happened in the US over the past few years. And there seems also to be no shortage of people willing to support such moves for the sake of "security." (I will not reference the trite, but oh so true quote of Ben Franklin here... oh wait... I just did) Anyway, That's my $0.02 Anony Mouse