IP: Re: NYPost Op-Ed on Ohio Man Convicted For "Obscene" Stories

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

> Date: Fri, 13 Jul 2001 15:31:06 -0700
> To: farber () cis upenn edu
> From: Ari Ollikainen <Ari () olteco com>
> Subject: Re: IP: NYPost Op-Ed on Ohio Man Convicted For "Obscene" Stories
>
>
>         "1984" has come true!!! Dalton was committed of a thoughtcrime...
>
>         Be afraid, be VERY afraid.

Comment from Dave Farber

For my upcoming visit and lecture at Microsoft Research in Redmond, I was 
asked to answer 5 questions for inclusion in their announcement. Two of 
them were  (and my answers)

> > 3.  What book must every Microsoft employee read?

Two books: The first is Snow Crash by Neil Stephenson. Why? Besides being a 
very entertaining book, it describes a future which the technology of 
computing and the network is eventually leading us to. It raises, hidden in 
the entertainment , a set of social issues that us technologists must 
answer about the future world we are creating. It also establishes a goal 
for a set of technology that can in fact completely change our nation and 
culture. Read it between the lines.

The second book is 1984 by Orwell. Old and unfortunately more and more 
relevant as we create the technological capabilities of providing a future 
Big Brother with all the tools to create that world. Another case where we 
can learn the negative consequences of our technology and hopefully try to 
make sure it "does not happen here"


> > 5.  If you could give to only one charity, what would it be and why?

The ACLU. I am a firm believer in the power of our form of government to 
bring "life , liberty and the pursuit  of happiness " to a world which has 
had a lack of all of these. In order for us to spread this to the future, 
we must preserve our rights in a world made much more complicated by very 
technology we have developed. This is not a political issue of left vs 
right but rather the heart of what has made this nation what it is. It 
would be a shame if having "won" the cold war, we become more like our 
opponents were. The pressures are there and we need to defend 
others  rights even if it is painful for us to do so.



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