Wanted: Your comments on “Intimidation or Free Speech” [cr-95/11/14]

1995-11-14

Sender: PHILIP STILLS    temporarily <•••@••.•••>

Greetings Cyber Rights;

I just read your newsgroup article in comp.org.cpsr.talk,
titled Censorship [cr-95/6/30] #1/3.
I think you'd probably be interested in my situation.

My friend kindly assisted me by loaning me his e-mail address so I could
call for help because I have been suddenly cut off from the Net by my
Internet Service Provider as a result of heavy intimidation from certain
people who objected to receiving my message.  I noticed your interest in the
area of free speech and the internet so I am sharing with you.  I am
committed to protect free speech and open communication on the internet for
all of us.

Would you mind reading the letter that I e-mailed individually to persons
whom I found on the net who had expressed interest in a subject area in
which I wanted to share more information that could help them.

Please feel free to pass along this situation to others and respond to me.
We know that many others have experienced similar situations of intimidation
on the net.  We would like to organize some support to confront this
escalating issue.  However, you may not hear from me or be able to contact
me because this may be my last opportunity to communicate after this ISP
cuts off my friend's account, too.

You may one day find yourself embroiled in this escalating issue with your
internet service provider.

All the best,

Phil  (in care of)   •••@••.•••
(707) 538-1693

(the following is my letter to my internet service provider)

November 9, 1995

Sonoma Interconnect
Dane Jasper   sonic.net
Scott Doty    scott.net
PO Box 3724
Santa Rosa, CA 95402-3724

Dear Dane and Scott,

This morning you suddenly denied me access to my account by invalidating my
login.

You have prevented me from retrieving my e-mail so I cannot respond to very
important messages, and that may result in significant losses of sales of my
books and lost opportunities to appear as a guest on national media talk shows.

I am an author with a best-selling business book with readers around the world.

Yesterday you forwarded e-mail to me which had been distributed to many
people by e-mail which contained obscene expressions containing libelous
profanity directed at me.

In October 1995 you contracted with me to provide reliable connectivity to
the Internet.

You are engaged in censorship, a First Ammendment free speech issue, and
restraint of trade.  This is a federal issue because the U.S Constitution
guarantees the free and unfettered flow of ideas.

You have placed yourselves in a defensive posture, possibly representing
numerous Internet Service Providers, and will be called to testify why you
believe you can control who I can mail to, who should receive my mail, and
what topics I can discuss on the Internet.

Using Sonic.net, I contacted numerous people individually by e-mail after
finding their unique postings in Newsgroups which reflected their specific
interest in the subject of my book. My e-mail addressed them specifically by
their name and made particular reference to their newsgroup posting and
suggested that they might be interested in my book and encouraged them to
get more information by visiting my WebSite.  That some individuals objected
to receiving my message is regrettable, but their intimidating obscenities
are unacceptable.

You also have prevented many other people on the Internet from receiving
valuable information from me which they may want to receive.  I have
previously e-mailed to you numerous examples of responses to my e-mail from
individuals who thanked me for sending e-mail, who needed the information
that I offered, and who wanted to purchase my book.
You may have been intimidated by militant, political forces rampant on the
Internet who are philisophically opposed to certain business communications
that are taking place on the Internet.  As a result, you may have placed
yourself in a defensive position as a co-conspirator in an collusionary
effort to restrict trade and open communication.

What we will create now is a national, legal test case to decide this
important, very complicated Internet issue. You have put yourselves in a
position to represent the rights and responsibilites of ISPs in light of
your contractual obligations to your customers to provide unrestricted, open
communication between free individuals.

You will need to prepare for some serious homework now.  You will be called
to defend your acts of censorship in restricting communications and fair
trade on the Net.  We shall create a major legal test case which will decide
this large and serious communications issue for all of us.

You will be served with a restraining order to allow us free access to
retrieve our data.  This is our first move.

Sincerely yours,

Rodger PhilipStills Doyle


(here is the letter I sent to individuals on the net)

xFrom ???@??? Wed Nov 08 23:08:25 1995
xTo:
xFrom: PHILIP STILLS <•••@••.•••>
xSubject: Get A Life! How to Leave That Dead-end Job Behind
xCc:
xBcc:
xX-Attachments:

Greetings;

I just read your newsgroup article.
I think you'd probably be interested in my new book.

GET A LIFE!
How to Leave That Dead-end Job Behind
and Create Your Perfect Future -- Today!
by Philip Stills

Published by UPLINE Press.  Edited by John Milton Fogg
Second Edition.  Copyright 1995.  210 pages. US$9.95 paperback
Phone 800-800-6349 or Fax 804-929-1602.

The very successful first edition (1994) was titled:
ROMANCING YOUR FUTURE: How to Leverage Time.

This book is endorsed by SUCCESS magazine, Brian Tracy,
Robert Allen, and dozens of high performing, network marketing
professionals and business leaders.  It is used by virtually
every leading group for effective sponsoring and training.

You can Read or Print Chapter One, Contact the Author, Check out the
Table of Contents, Read positive Quotes from numerous industry leaders,
and Contact the Publisher (ask for the special, limited, 2nd edition
volume discount!)  at:  http://sonic.net/~stills.

All the best,

Phil    •••@••.•••
=========================================
cc:
U.S. News & World Report (Vic Sussman and Kenan Pollack  ref.11/13/95 cover
story)
ALCU
Internet Filter
Advertising Law Internet Site
news.admin.net-abuse.announce
PC Magazine
PC World
USA Today
San Francisco Chronicle
Radio KGO San Francisco
Santa Rosa Press Democrat
Radio KSRO Santa Rosa
TV 50 Santa Rosa


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 Posted by Andrew Oram  - •••@••.••• - Moderator: CYBER-RIGHTS (CPSR)
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