WWW: Beyond the Basics

5. Freedom of Speech

5.10. Vision of the Future

Having reviewed vast amounts of material and opinion on the issue of censorship, and free speech, and having my own voice with which to express freely, I feel compelled to outline how I think this situaiton should progress. I therefore offer my own vision of the future for the Internet and freedom of speech.

We need to understand the medium, global society, and existing law concerning free speech before decisions can be made concerning regulating the net. The rising answer appears to be self-regulation coupled with passive government monitoring/responding to complaints. As government involvement warrants, existing laws, with judicial bent towards understanding the medium, can be used to ensure that legality and morality exists on the Net.

Cyberspace is not a federal construction project needing exacting requirements to operate efficiently; it is a globally unowned mental playing field of the masses. It is controlled chaos, and chaos makes it strong. No physical or geographical borders should equate to no intellectual borders; i.e., no censorship.

And finally, it is important to remember the context of the issue of free speech, and free speech on the Internet. Illiteracy and poverty are the true barriers to free speech that cannot be overcome by ensuring that free speech is legal in the courts. Access to the Internet and speaking freely on it is ultimately limited by local infrastructure (e.g., phone lines, modems, computers) and economy. Until the entire world population can be hooked up, the millions of free speaking Internet users will still be a very small minority to the billions without the opportunity to speak on the Net.

This concludes this effert to clarify and simplify the discourse on censorship and freedom of expression on the Internet. Having read voluminous materials on the subject, it seems woefully inadequate. Hopefully, new readers to the topic will have a greater understanding, and a more appreciative ear the next time this issue raises its head. And for more knowledgeable readers, I hope that I have given you an interesting, thoughtful account.

[PREV][NEXT][UP][HOME][VT CS]

Copyright © 1996 Mike McGee, All Rights Reserved

Mike McGee <mmcgee@vt.edu>
Last modified: Thu Nov 27 13:13:33 1996