Librarian's attitudes toward filtering: The turning tide

[Nick Arnett]

At 08:30 PM 4/26/97 -0700, Burt, David wrote:

>Let's keep up the fight, we're winning.

Hmm.  If "we" win, who loses?  I certainly wasn't sharing my thoughts on a
list for *librarians* with the idea of that some of them are enemies of my
ideas.  I subscribe to this list and contribute to it for the opposite
reason -- because I believe that librarians must be allies of technologists
and publishers to bring about the realization of the creative potential of
computers and networks.  Even when I advocate unplugging the Internet in
libraries, it is out of respect for the true calling of librarians, though
some thing I'm crazy.  They just disagree, they aren't enemies.

As the cliche goes, one must choose one's enemies wisely.  In this
situation, the enemies are those who try to cling to power by controlling
communications channels.  They are those who pretend they are presenting the
truth that people want (as revealed in the false oracle of the Neilsen
ratings) when they are actually focused on delivering impressions to
advertisers.  The enemies are their allies in business and government who
gain wealth and power from the small group that owns and controls
advertising-based media in the modern world.  These are the people and
organizations who should lose something; they have far too much power today.

Nick

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