Re: Web news services refuse to rate their material

Michael Betancourt (mwb2@netside.net)
Fri, 29 Aug 1997 19:18:23 -0700

When will we be asked to rate our minds? It is the unpopular that need the
most protection. The earth would still be flat if the "right thinkers" had
their way. I think the dirty picture is less dangerous than a closed mind.
Arabella

oes this count as a blow to their rating system?

Not necessarily.

Here's my reasoning why:

The TV rating system (although a bad analogy) is being used as the model
for the internet, at least by Gore and Clinton. TV NEWS is *not rated.* So
this announcement does not necessarily mean anything good.
The great part about the internet is that anyone can post information with
the same level of content as anyone else -- including the news services. By
setting them(selves) apart, what this does is essentially the same as
CyberPatrol making its distinction between museum and not be the basis of
art and not.

Now we have "news" and not.

Michael Betancourt

e-mail: mwb2@netside.net
web: www.art.net/~betan