From: utzoo!decvax!harpo!npois!cbosgd!mark
Newsgroups: net.news.group
Title: Re: Proposal for Two New Newsgroups
Article-I.D.: cbosgd.2426
Posted: Thu Jul  1 10:22:30 1982
Received: Fri Jul  2 01:59:40 1982
References: pyuxcc.284

A political discussion newsgroup called net.safety?  Huh?  Why don't
we just name it net.peanut-butter-sandwich?

There is already an arpanet mailing list called poli-sci which is
on fa.poli-sci.  I don't subscribe, so I don't know how healthy
it's been lately, or whether it overlaps what Bruce has in mind,
but hopefully the people who are interested will know.

As I understand it, there is some federal law that says that facilities
paid for by the federal government cannot be used for distribution
of political opinions.  (Lauren told me this - I don't know the
details.)  Please - no flames about whether this law is stupid.
I think it is silly too, but think for a minute about what would
happen if someone called up the press and said "Hot tip!  Top secret
military computers are being used to promote communist propaganda!"

Since the ARPANET is DOD funded, this meant that fa.poli-sci
was supposed to die.  While it seems reasonable for USENET to take on
this newsgroup, we do have to address two issues: (1) what does this
mean for arpanet sites on USENET? (2) what does it mean for other
federally funded USENET sites?  In particular, I bet most of the
university sites on USENET are machines that were paid for by either
DOD or NSF funds.  And some of the commercial sites may be DOD contractors
too.

Can someone who is familiar with this law give us some more informed
commentary?

	Mark