MSNBC Column on David Burt

[Christopher Locke]

I consider myself a guest on this list, not being a librarian
myself, so you can kick me off it if you like.  But what I
really find annoying -- and I've seen it several times here and
been the object of it once myself -- is this talk of so-called
"self-promotion."  The issue of filtering is certainly germane
to this list, and Brock Meeks (who happens to be a good friend)
is hardly some newbie yahoo; he's written some of the strongest
stuff on the net about the First Amendment -- and often
seriously risked his ass to do so.  I'd say his column is worthy
of discussion on the issues it raises (or ignores).  The
self-promotion gambit is a a patent ruse to short-circuit free exchange.  

I wonder whether, if David Burt (whom I do not know at all)
hadn't posted a notice of this article himself, it would have
shown up here at all.  Collectively ignoring unpopular ideas is
surely an odd approach to making them "go away" -- and, I would
venture, unworthy of a profession for which I have much respect.  

Just for the record, none of this should be taken to indicate
that I place myself in the pro-filtering camp.  I just dislike
power-tripping and intimidation from *any* quarter.  

best

chris

At 06:26 AM 8/21/97 -0700, CMUNSON wrote:
>     Believing one's press does not a revolutioon make, as any seasoned 
>     political activist will tell you.
>     
>     Does anybody else find David's self-promotion annoying?
>     
>     I'm having a problem seeing the grass roots movement behind the 
>     Filtering Facts organization. So far it looks like a mouthpiece for 
>     David's views, which he is of course entitled to.
>     
>     Chuck0
>
>
>______________________________ Reply Separator
_________________________________
>Subject: MSNBC Column on David Burt
>Author:  filteringfacts <David_Burt at filteringfacts.org> at Internet
>Date:    8/20/97 7:54 PM
>
>
>Brock Meeks, cyber columnist for MSNBC, has written a column about me called 
>"The Case of the "Radical" Librarian" 
>     
>See http://www.msnbc.com/news/104439.asp
>     
>I'm finally starting to make some headway in my battle to
counter ALA's views on
>filtering.
>     
>David Burt, Filtering Facts, www.filteringfacts.org 
>David_Burt at filteringfacts.org
>
>