From: Mike Lorrey (mlorrey@yahoo.com)
Date: Tue Apr 08 2003 - 13:35:47 MDT
--- Steve Davies <steve365@btinternet.com> wrote:
> > Mike Lorrey wrote:
> > While my example is somewhat mirthful, there are plenty of rather
> > serious and useful applications of the principle.
> >
> Interesting, that hadn't struck me (probably because as a Brit the
> idea of the government here ever letting anyone *ever* get their
> hands on information is just inconceivable). Does that mean you
> favour this or just
> that you think it will have good results as well as bad ones?
Being a victim of the Official Secrets Act as you are, I can understand
that stance. I don't know to what degree other nations have analogs to
the Freedom Of Information Act. This might be something that other
nations should work toward enacting.
It is my opinion that tcpa, in order to comply with the letter of the
law, will have to have some sort of minimum amount of transparency.
Otherwise, corporations will be able to hide documents from subpoenas
and congressional oversight committees will be kept in the dark by any
branch of government that desires to do so.
My opinion is that it will simply automate existing statute, making it
less prone to human error in either direction. This might have the
effect of reducing the degree of whistleblowing on unjust activities,
which can be unfortunate. This only indicates that such legitimate
activities need to be built into this architecture, while continuing to
prevent espionage, sabotage, and other sorts of information leakiness.
I think the concern about potentially abusive marketing techniques,
like, with, say, music distribution, are overblown. Companies that
attempt techniques which the public does not like will pay the price.
They will lose more money in public disapproval than they will earn by
better enforcement (or abusive exploitation) of IP rights.
=====
Mike Lorrey
"Live Free or Die, Death is not the Worst of Evils."
- Gen. John Stark
"Pacifists are Objectively Pro-Fascist." - George Orwell
"Treason doth never Prosper. What is the Reason?
For if it Prosper, none Dare call it Treason..." - Ovid
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