Date: Tue, 5 Jun 2001 05:36:01 -0400
From: freematt@coil.com (Matthew Gaylor)
Subject: J.D. Abolins on forced "opposing view" links
To: freematt@coil.com (Matthew Gaylor)
Cc: csunstei@midway.uchicago.edu (Cass Sunstein)


Date: Mon, 4 Jun 2001 07:41:19 -0400 (EDT)
From: "J.D. Abolins" <jda-ir@pluto.njcc.com>
To: Matthew Gaylor <freematt@coil.com>
Subject: Re: Cass Sunstein On "worthwhile" "governmental responses"

An early morning pondering on the risks of forced links...

Because a Web server can log the referring link page, "opposing view"
sites can gather some info on the people visiting their "opposing" site.
Many people still don't realize how much a Web server can learn about
them.

With forced links, the Web server would not learn anything about most of
the "opposing" site's visitors (unless... see below). But they may deem
that the visitors who click their link are undecided or wavering on the
issues. In fact, knowing from where the person is coming, the site pops up
propaganda designed for the fence sitters. (I haven't read Prof.
Sunstein's book but has consider this aspect of info techniques and its
impact upon his thesis. Would he then call for outlawing server logs
because they could undermine a republic via selective info presentation?)

So far, a Web visitor to a site with forced links would have to select the
"opposing view" link in order to show up the "opposing" site's logs. But
the access to opposing view site's scheme could creep into going to more
of a push, say, by requiring the loading of the opposing view site's
content automatically in a separate browser window. The argument could be
that with TV broadcasts equal time, the various views are "forced" to pop
up on the viewer's TV set so why not force the same for Web viewers.


J.D. Abolins
Meyda Online -- Infosec & Privacy Studies
Web: http://www.meydabbs.com


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