FC: Response from Blackplanet.com on banning "Babcock" last names

[Declan McCullagh <declan () well com>]

[Well, it's not exactly a response, but a paraphrase of one. Close enough. 
--Declan]

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> Date: Thu, 24 Aug 2000 00:04:29 -0400 (EDT)
> From: Shana Skaletsky <skaletsk () ymail yu edu>
> To: Declan McCullagh <declan () well com>
> Subject: Re: FC: Blackplanet.com bans woman named "Babcock" for foul last
>  name
>
> This practice has become increasingly more common, unfortunately. When I
> created a profile at socialnet.com's networking professionals site, I was
> blocked from posting my educational background, since I wrote that I had
> graduated *cum* laude from NYU.
>
> Best,
> Shana Skaletsky

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> Date: Wed, 23 Aug 2000 14:57:04 -0400 (EDT)
> From: Ross Stapleton-Gray <director () embassy org>
> To: Declan McCullagh <declan () well com>
> Subject: Re: FC: Blackplanet.com bans woman named "Babcock" for foul last name
>
> >  > "Would St. Francis of Assisi or Emily Dickinson also have been banned
> >  > from
> >  > BlackPlanet.com?", asked Bobson Wong, executive director of the
> >  > Digital
> >  > Freedom Network.
>
> Sure, along with that celebrated offender, John Hancock.

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> From: "Bass, Kenneth C., III" <kcbass () venable com>
> To: "'declan () well com'" <declan () well com>
> Subject: RE: Blackplanet.com bans woman named "Babcock" for foul last name
> Date: Wed, 23 Aug 2000 13:46:42 -0400
> X-Mailer: Internet Mail Service (5.5.2650.21)
>
> Ah! Fond memories!
>
> In 1995 when I first tried to register my wife's business domain 
> (bassandco.com) the registrar balked.  I finally got to talk to a live 
> body over there who agreed that just because three objectionable letters 
> appeared in sequence in the proposed name was no reason to refuse to 
> register it!
>
> Ken

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> From: "Bobson Wong" <bwong () dfn org>
> To: "Declan McCullagh" <declan () well com>
> Subject: Re: Blackplanet.com bans woman named "Babcock" for foul last name
> Date: Wed, 23 Aug 2000 13:31:53 -0400
> X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2014.211
>
> Declan,
>
> Omar Wasow responded to us with a very thoughtful and respectful e-mail.
> Basically, he distinguished between editorial decisions made by private
> entities and censorship by the government, and he says that the First
> Amendment addresses the latter and not the former. "The real threat to
> freedom of speech in this country and especially abroad is from hostile
> governments," he argued.
>
> Ironically, the filtering technology being used by China and other hostile
> governments to keep "objectionable" material out of the hands of their
> citizens is the same as that used by private corporations.
>
> FYI, I'm putting the finishing touches on a piece for Internet Freedom
> (netfreedom.org) about Babcock and the shortcomings of filtering technology.
> I imagine it'll go up soon, since it's due today!
[personal note snipped --dbm]
- Bobson

> ____________________
> Bobson Wong
> Executive Director
> Digital Freedom Network
> 520 Broad Street
> Newark, NJ 07102-3111
> U.S.A.
> Phone: +1 (201) 928-4378
> Fax: +1 (201) 928-2984
> E-mail: bwong () dfn org
> Web: http://dfn.org

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