If you are under 18 who is in beach of the law

[Tony Barry]

At 11:53 96/02/10, Keith Engwall wrote (quoting the legislation):
>
>              `(1) in interstate or foreign communications knowingly--
>
>                    `(A) uses an interactive computer service to send to a
>                    specific person or persons under 18 years of age, or
...
>
>              any comment, request, suggestion, proposal, image, or other
>              communication that, in context, depicts or describes, in terms
>              patently offensive as measured by contemporary community
>              standards, sexual or excretory activities or organs,
>              regardless of whether the user of such service placed the call or

Lets see now if I've got this right.  If I write -

        "The law is an ass" I'm OK but if I write "This law is a bummer"

and you, the reader are under 18, I have broken the US law and so has your
system admistrator, ISP provider/University network administrator, my
university and probably a few other people in between?

On the other hand I cannot be sure whether "bummer" is currently in breach
of "contemporary community standards" where you are located.  It used to be
offensive here but not know.  The trouble is, you in the US, can't put up a
server which lists the unsuitable words without being in breach of the law.
How are we to observe your law?

If you are under 18 and your "contemporary community standards" are
offended can you email me in case I want to visit the US again?

OK, my sense of humour has got away with me a bit. Its a serious problem
adressed by an unworkable law.

Tony

__________________________________________________________________________
Tony Barry                  URL:http://snazzy.anu.edu.au/People/TonyB.html
Centre for Networked Information and Publishing & also
Centre for Networked Access to Scholarly Information  fone  +61 6 249 4632
Australian National University Library                phax  +61 6 279 8120
Canberra  A.C.T. 0200, AUSTRALIA             Tony.Barry at library.anu.edu.au