From owner-freebsd-questions Sun Jul 16 17:42:18 2000 Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Received: from mta5.snfc21.pbi.net (mta5.snfc21.pbi.net [206.13.28.241]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 2453C37B764 for ; Sun, 16 Jul 2000 17:42:03 -0700 (PDT) (envelope-from amccarty@pacbell.net) Received: from thedoctor ([216.103.209.209]) by mta5.snfc21.pbi.net (Sun Internet Mail Server sims.3.5.2000.01.05.12.18.p9) with SMTP id <0FXT00LP7GJB86@mta5.snfc21.pbi.net> for freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG; Sun, 16 Jul 2000 17:40:24 -0700 (PDT) Date: Sun, 16 Jul 2000 17:43:20 -0400 From: mccarty Subject: customer dissatisfaction To: freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Message-id: <008501bfef6e$dc126fa0$d1d167d8@pacbell.net> MIME-version: 1.0 X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.50.4133.2400 Content-type: multipart/alternative; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_0082_01BFEF4D.54E865A0" X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.50.4133.2400 X-Priority: 3 Sender: owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Precedence: bulk X-Loop: FreeBSD.ORG This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0082_01BFEF4D.54E865A0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable =20 Dear Sirs: =20 I am very disturbed by the growing trend towards institutionalizing = pornography as part of mainstream American culture, and the increasingly = easy access to children of just about anything one can or can't imagine. = Why is Yahoo providing infrastructure to support this? I can only = surmise - for the same reason ATT acquired the rights to distribute XXX = pornographic films over the internet on Xcite@Home (now I understand why = they named it xcite@home?) - pure profits. I'm not trying to take a public stand on whether some or all forms of = pornography should be legal, etc. My main areas of concern are the = following: 1) The issue of accessibility is a serious problem. After a few = keystrokes, a 10 year old can click on a button that says he's 18 and = can get free access to thousands of samples of ANY KIND OF PORNOGRAPHIC = MATERIAL. Regardless of whether you think pornography is good, immoral, = or should be illegal, I think most people would agree that it is not a = healthy thing for kids to get drawn into. Access to physical forms of = pornography are restricted (e.g., magazines, videos, sex clubs), either = geographically, or be physical access restrictions, or both. Access to = electronic formats, including some truly abominable stuff, is virtually = unrestricted. There is a large quantity of EXTREME and potentially even = illegal material available FREE on the internet. It would be an = understatement to say I believe this is having a negative effect on the = emotional development of the world's children. 2) Yahoo! is providing a playground for sexual predators. Yahoo = tolerates (encourages?) these sex clubs because they generate revenue. = The sex clubs exist ostensibly to provide a forum for public discussion = of adult topics. In practice, they are just advertisements and/or links = to pornography sites, and watering holes for child molestors and other = sexual predators. And I believe the easy access and ubiquity helps = condition potential victim's to think of these kinds of sexual = activities as "normal", lowers inhibitions, etc. 3) The third big issue I have with all this is the MAINSTREAMING of = this kind of stuff - the idea that Yahoo! and ATT are turning = dissemmination of pornography int an acceptable profit-making activity = for major US corporations, and expect that noone will blink an eye. No, = I'm sorry, but I don't think pornography should be commercialized and = institutionalized. Guess what, if this trend continues, I bet the kids = won't be trading Pokemon cards at the playground much longer! I plan to boycott Yahoo! until something is done to correct this = situation. Companies that partner with Yahoo! or pay to advertise on = Yahoo! should also understand that they are supporting this = infrastructure with their advertising dollars as well. Please consider = your actions carefully. =20 Sincerely, =20 John McCarty ------=_NextPart_000_0082_01BFEF4D.54E865A0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
 

Dear Sirs:

 

I am very disturbed = by the=20 growing trend towards institutionalizing pornography as part of = mainstream=20 American culture, and the increasingly easy access to children of just = about=20 anything one can or can't imagine.  Why is Yahoo providing=20 infrastructure to support this?  I can only surmise - for the = same=20 reason ATT acquired the rights to distribute XXX pornographic films over = the=20 internet on Xcite@Home (now I = understand why=20 they named it xcite@home?) - pure=20 profits.

I'm not trying to take a public stand on whether some or = all=20 forms of pornography should be legal, etc.  My main areas of = concern are=20 the following:

1)  The issue of accessibility is a serious=20 problem.  After a few = keystrokes, a=20 10 year old can  click on = a button=20 that says he's 18 and can get free access to thousands of samples of ANY = KIND OF=20 PORNOGRAPHIC MATERIAL.  = Regardless=20 of whether you think pornography is good, immoral, or should be illegal, = I think=20 most people would agree that it is not a healthy thing for kids to get = drawn=20 into.  Access to physical forms of pornography are restricted = (e.g.,=20 magazines, videos, sex clubs), either geographically, or be physical = access=20 restrictions, or both.  Access to electronic formats, including = some truly=20 abominable stuff, is virtually unrestricted.  There is a large = quantity of=20 EXTREME and potentially even illegal material available FREE on the=20 internet.  It would be an=20 understatement to say I believe this is having a negative effect on the=20 emotional development of the world's children.

2)  Yahoo! is = providing a playground for sexual predators.  Yahoo tolerates = (encourages?)=20 these sex clubs because they generate revenue.  The sex clubs exist = ostensibly to provide a forum for public discussion of adult = topics.  In=20 practice, they are just advertisements and/or links to pornography = sites, and=20 watering holes for child molestors and other sexual predators.  And = I=20 believe the easy access and ubiquity helps condition potential victim's = to think=20 of these kinds of sexual activities as "normal", lowers inhibitions,=20 etc.

3)  The third big issue I have with all this is the=20 MAINSTREAMING of this kind of stuff - the idea that Yahoo! and ATT are = turning=20 dissemmination of pornography int an acceptable profit-making activity = for major=20 US corporations, and expect that noone will blink an eye.  No, = I’m sorry,=20 but I don't think pornography should be commercialized and=20 institutionalized.  Guess what, if this trend continues, I bet the = kids=20 won't be trading Pokemon cards at the playground much longer!

I = plan to=20 boycott Yahoo!  until = something is=20 done to correct this situation. =20 Companies that partner with Yahoo!  or pay to advertise on = Yahoo!=20  should also understand = that they=20 are supporting this infrastructure with their advertising dollars as = well.  Please consider your actions=20 carefully.

 

Sincerely,

 

John=20 McCarty

------=_NextPart_000_0082_01BFEF4D.54E865A0-- To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-questions" in the body of the message