Re: <nettime> French Big Brother Awards 2000 !

[ronda@ais.org (Ronda Hauben)]

rosta - <rosta@free.fr> wrote:

>16  november  2000.  --  The  first  french Big Brother Awards will be 
>bestowed at a special event on 16 December in Paris. 
>"Voltaire" awards will also be given to individuals and organisations 
>which have made an outstanding  contribution  to the protection of 
>privacy, as well as to people  who  have  been  victims  of privacy 
>invasion. 

I have often thought of Voltaire as connected with the principle of "I may
disagree with what you have to say but I will dual to the death to defend
your right to say it". And that is the principle that has especially
important with regard to the early development of the Internet. So I was
surprised to see that there are Voltaire awards being given, but not for
defending the right to free speech, but rather for defending "privacy".
Also being able to speak up and discuss and debate are how I have found
the Internet has made it possible to take on the challenges that Orwell
raised.

I wonder if there are any thoughts about this by those planning the
Voltaire awards.

Ronda
ronda@panix.com

http://www.ais.org/~ronda
http://www.columbia.edu/~hauben/netbook/




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