Re: [Bug-gne]External Servers and Illegal/Extreme Content

[Tom Chance]

> (1) If the server is _not_ a GNE server, then we
> break our own rules
> about external links.

We would make sure the server holding the articles was
a GNE mirror obviously.


> (2) If we do offer up external links to sources of
> illegal material,
> then we could ourselves be acting illegally.
> Especially since we know
> why we are offering the link.

I'm not sure on the exact legalities in every country
in the world, but in general so long as we put up a
disclaimer then it is the person doing the browsing
that is wrong, not us. And if we do get sued or taken
to court some other way we can fight or take it down,
depending on what we feel is best in the
circumstances.


> (3) If the external server _is_ a GNE server (but
> not a GNU one) then
> we could still stand accused of hosting extremist
> propoganda. Whilst it
> wouldn't be on GNU hardware, it is still a GNU
> project, and RMS may be
> seriously unhappy for the FSF to become involved in
> such hosting.
> Imagine the scene at a FSF conference with the
> parents of abused
> children demonstrating out front. Or jewish groups.
> Or... Well you see
> my point.


It would be a pity to not hold this "extremist
propoganda". And what is "extremist propoganda"
anyway? I suggested yesterday to Jimmy that to many,
writing an article on how well the US Government
handled El Salvador and Nicuragua in the 1980s would
be revisionism to the same extent as denying the
holocaust. So we can't ever draw a fair line on
propoganda, lies and similar ideas. We can only draw
the line on informative or useless, and even that is a
tricky distinction to make.

Tom Chance

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