any defense attorney worth their salt could argue out of a charge such as this.... i mean, incognito mode because wife! seriously, if you knew my wife and my, um, habits, you would know all of this already..... just sayin'. /CF

Cotse maintains a strict Abuse Policy and an even more strict Privacy Policy. What you have been witness to is the whinning of usenet posters that think all the information about someone should be open to the public and nothing to be held Private.

Cotse will not release the information of someone to the general public without a subpoena, it says so plainly in their Terms of Service. People want that IP address to harrass posters. They want the ability to send the originating ISP an abuse complaint and try to get their Internet Service term'd.

With Cotse, if you don't have a subpoena, you don't get the info. Don't like that? Tough.

The problem with usenet is not anonymity. The problem is people don't know how to use a kill file. If you don't like the way someone posts, use a kill file and get over it.

What's the difference between one posters idea of having "...Cotse.com banned at my ISP level." and using a kill file???

ISP's blocked at the ISP level will still be delivering messages to usenet, in this case, you won't be able to read ANY OF THEM. But, if you had it kill filed, at least you have the ability to turn it off/on whenever you want. If the ISP blocks, you no longer have that right.

And that's what this is all about isn't it? Individual Rights?

Do I have the right to tell you to "...kiss my ass." Of course I do. Do I also have the right to say ".... there's a bomb on the plane." Of course I have that right. The difference is, I must be held accountable for my actions. If I violate the law, whether using anonymous services or not, I should be held accountable.

If a judge/jury see's fit to find me guilty of libel because I told you to "kiss my ass", then so be it. But, and here's where the shit hits the berry bowl, the law of the land says that if I make threats concerning a bomb on an airplane, I can be held for questioning immediately. It's criminal. Libel is Civil.

Cotse users are accountable for their actions. Which is more to say for the thousands of anonymous remailer proxy types that have no accountability for their actions.

I applaud Mr. Gielda's efforts and the efforts of other privacy advocates out there. They are fighting "the good fight" and whether you like to admit it or not, they are also boosting your rights as an individual.

--
Colonel Flagg
http://www.geocities.com/pentagon/1475/

"Big Brother is watching you, Little Brother is too. When Big Brother goes to sleep, Little Brother goes through his stuff." - Unknown Author

"...Pepper spray works nicely, unless your assailant uses it as a condiment." - CF, 2001