Interesting People mailing list archives
more on Google Maps Imagery and National Security
From: David Farber <dave () farber net>
Date: Fri, 10 Jun 2005 12:39:22 -0400
Begin forwarded message: From: Rob Raisch <info () raisch com> Date: June 10, 2005 10:44:40 AM EDT To: dave () farber net Cc: Ip ip <ip () v2 listbox com> Subject: Re: [IP] Google Maps Imagery and National SecurityIf we were to outlaw everything terrorists might use to perpetrate their crimes, we would live in a world without books, libraries, colleges, trade schools, computers, calculators, two-way radios, cell phones, wristwatches, alarm clocks, washing machines, microwave ovens, street maps, copper wire, transistors, cigarette lighters, matches...the list is almost endless. As readers of this list might remember, one of my favorite topics is how people modify technology created for one purpose to serve another: Speak-N-Spell(tm)s used as instruments of experimental electronic music, Furby(tm)s hacked to say and do new things, BIC(tm) pens used to open im*pen*etrable bicycle locks. Everyday it seems, we hear of some new, startling example of humanity's boundless ingenuity.
So it seems the problem of terrorism must be addressed within a larger context.
Rather than trying to control access to "dangerous" knowledge, shouldn't we be concentrating on understanding why dangerous people do the things they do, and apprehending them? As I am sure we have all heard, Stewart Brand once said: "Information wants to be free", but I wonder how many of our elected officials really understand what this seemingly simple statement means.
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