Re: The criminal charges -

He had to get the e-mail list from somewhere, no? In light of Mr. Rasch's addendum in the talkbacks, the criminal aspect is much smaller than I had gathered from the original article, but getting the exact number of ISP customers in order to set up the mass mailing may have still been illegal, depending on how he found that number out (remember, it's been 6 months since he left...)

Re: Free Speech Online:

As for "free speech", I have some bad news for you:

There is no such thing as 'free speech' on the Internet. Servers are mostly operated and maintained by private entities, and what governmental servers there are also pass information through those entities as well. Therefore, you can say that the Internet is pretty much a privatized thing. Even the backbones are handled by corporations: MCI/Worldcom, Sprint, MCI, etc.

Since you wouldn't tolerate someone pasting pro-child porn propaganda on your bedroom walls, don't expect a mail server admin to tolerate mail that he/she finds repulsive, for whatever reason. An admin can pull your posts and mails because they contain the words "I love Al Gore", just as legally and easily as if they had contained child porn, and there isn't jack that you can legally do about it.

Tornado also has the perfect right to pull any mail they desire, even ones warning their customers that there's a problem with the ISP. It was a selfish and stupid move on their part, but legally they have the right to do it... please remember that.

/P

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