Date: Sun, 16 Jul 2000 17:43:20 -0400 From: mccarty <amccarty@pacbell.net> To: freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: customer dissatisfaction Message-ID: <008501bfef6e$dc126fa0$d1d167d8@pacbell.net>
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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 <!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=3DContent-Type content=3D"text/html; = charset=3Diso-8859-1"> <META content=3D"MSHTML 5.50.4134.600" name=3DGENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2> <P class=3DMsoSalutation style=3D"MARGIN-RIGHT: 0.5in">Dear Sirs:</P> <P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN-RIGHT: 0.5in"> <?xml:namespace = prefix =3D o=20 ns =3D "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></P> <P class=3DMsoBodyText style=3D"MARGIN-RIGHT: 0.5in">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. <B>Why is Yahoo providing=20 infrastructure to support this?</B> I can only surmise - for the = same=20 reason ATT acquired the rights to distribute XXX pornographic films over = the=20 internet on <A href=3D"mailto:Xcite@Home">Xcite@Home</A> (now I = understand why=20 they named it <A href=3D"mailto:xcite@home">xcite@home</A>?) - pure=20 profits.<BR><BR>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:<BR><BR>1) The issue of accessibility is a serious=20 problem.<SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>After a few = keystrokes, a=20 10 year old can <SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>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.<SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> = </SPAN>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.<SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>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.<BR><BR>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.<BR><BR>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!<BR><BR>I = plan to=20 boycott Yahoo! <SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>until = something is=20 done to correct this situation.<SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> =20 </SPAN>Companies that partner with Yahoo! or pay to advertise on = Yahoo!=20 <SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>should also understand = that they=20 are supporting this infrastructure with their advertising dollars as = well.<SPAN=20 style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Please consider your actions=20 carefully.</P> <P class=3DMsoBodyText style=3D"MARGIN-RIGHT: = 0.5in"> <o:p></o:p></P> <P class=3DMsoBodyText style=3D"MARGIN-RIGHT: 0.5in">Sincerely,</P> <P class=3DMsoBodyText style=3D"MARGIN-RIGHT: = 0.5in"> <o:p></o:p></P> <P class=3DMsoBodyText style=3D"MARGIN-RIGHT: 0.5in">John=20 McCarty</P></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML> ------=_NextPart_000_0082_01BFEF4D.54E865A0-- To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-questions" in the body of the message
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