[LINK] A legal request to add a disclaimer to an old link posting

[Stilgherrian]

At 15:56 +1000 16/4/03, Bernard Robertson-Dunn wrote:
>IMHO, adding information to an archive, as long as it is clearly an
>addition and nominates the source of the addition, would serve to clarify
>original information, or at least, indicate that the surface value of the
>original information is suspect.
>
>I would have thought that it is little different from writing in the margin
>of a library reference book, or (less offensive to me) inserting a post-it.

Agreed 100%.

Gosh, a "me too" posting... Shame upon me!

I don't think we need to become paranoid about "interference from the 
gov'mint" just because a request for a clarification happened to 
originate in a government body. A clarification -- that is the 
marginal note to clarify -- is fine. But I would resist any attempt 
to *change* the item itself. That's historical revisionism and my 
name isn't Winston Smith. ;)

Organizations such as the SE Sydney Area Health Service tend to be 
paranoid about how they're perceived. They fund projects to promote 
awareness of sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV, to all 
sorts of affected communities, including youth. The far right of 
politics looks out for any excuse to claim they're "using taxpayers' 
money to promote sex" or, worse, "to promote homosexualism [sic] to 
children". Personally, I feel that health promotion is A Good Thing, 
and that sexual health promotion is A Very Good Thing. Protecting the 
body that does it seems reasonable.

One thing I would worry about, though, is that they're asking for a 
note to say "they have no connection to child pornography". We have 
no way of knowing that one way or the other. As long as it's clear 
that is SESAHS saying that, fine. I don't think *we* are in any 
position to make that claim for them.

Mind you, I reckon that adding the note will actually *increase* the 
chances for misunderstanding and subsequent negative action. Most 
people finding that page after a search for SESAHS wouldn't have a 
clue as to the meaning of those grep'd lines. Adding an "official 
denial" will doubtless increase suspicion.

Stil


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Stilgherrian <contour at prussia.net>
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