Re: Regulating Multimedia [Was Re: Pueblo and Java.]

• Date: Sun, 10 Nov 1996 01:22:04 PST
• From:
  Michael Brundage <brundage@laurel.ipac.caltech.edu>
• Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII
• In-Reply-To: <199611100118.RAA23349@castor.ipac.caltech.edu>

I wrote:
>> This is not true.  There is another way, namely filtering.  A responsible
>> client will provide options to refuse or accept content from other users.
[...]
>> Once I have the ability 
>> to "fax" you a document thro0ugh your MOO client by printing it out on 
>> your printer, you want to be able to say "Who is this person? Do I really 
>> want to let them print something out on my printer?"

On Sat, 9 Nov 1996, jer wrote:
> Well yeh, obviously users need to be able to turn off what comes at them, 
> but they can't just turn off offensive stuff [...] SO they look to your
> options, what do they see? 'turn off multimedia' so they figure heck..i
> dont want to be offended like that again, so I'll just turn it off.

Go back and read what I wrote.  I didn't say anything about turning off 
ALL multimedia (though, that could be one way of dealing with it).  I 
clearly indicated that the users should be able to refuse information 
from specific individuals.  Most MOOs already provide this functionality 
for text, and by extension, could do the same for other forms of 
communication as well.  With some additional client/server support, this 
could be turned into a more sophisticated security system.

For bulk multimedia encountered throughout the MOO, this probably means
avoiding rooms which contain offensive material, and in "gagging" 
offensive users.  For specific multimedia transactions (such as the print 
example I used), this probably means prompting from the client 
(perhaps also giving a preview of the information being transmitted).
Short of shunning all contact whatsoever, no solution is 100% complete -
just like celibacy is the only way to be 100% sure of avoiding pregnancy.

Incidentally, the problem of selective acceptance of information in 
cyberspace is part of the basis for Neal Stehenson's best-selling novel 
_Snow Crash_.



michael
brundage@ipac.caltech.edu

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