Kindly Inquisitors (was: Webster Newspeak...)

[Nick Arnett]

If you are interested in these issues, I highly recommend Jonathan Rauch's
"Kindly Inquisitor,'" in which he outlines threats to free speech from
fundamentalists of all sorts (religious, environmental, etc.) for acting as
if they have direct access to truth, and humanitarians for trying to stop
speech that might be painful, even the dialog may be productive.

And for a technologist's look at related issues, David Brin's new book,
"The Transparent Society," just came out.  I read the manuscript and it was
great.

Both books argue that criticism is the only reliable means by which truth
emerges.  Brin postulates that this means we will have to give up some
privacy in order to have freedom in a world where technology can snoop
effectively.

Nick
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Phone/fax: (408) 733-7613  E-mail: narnett at mccmedia.com