Wed, 08 Oct 2003 15:59:33 GMT

Answering Thomas' Question.

Thomas Roessler asks a question
in his blog – “What kind of innovation should be encouraged (or dicouraged)“?

Let me answer that by citing my First Law of the Internet: 
(See my blog entry at

http://www.cavebear.com/cbblog-archives/000059.html)

The First Law of the Internet

Every person shall be free to
use the Internet in any way that is privately beneficial without being publicly
detrimental.

• The burden of demonstrating
  public detriment shall be on those who wish to prevent the private use.

  • Such a demonstration shall
    require clear and convincing evidence of public detriment.

• The public detriment must be of
  such degree and extent as to justify the suppression of the private activity.

I believe that there is massive evidence, evidence that is both
clear and convincing, proving that Sitefinder creates not only present damage to
the internet but also substantially compromises the future development of the
internet.  That, to me, is a public harm that is of such a degree and
extent as to justify the suppression of Sitefinder.

[CaveBear Blog]

——-

innovation should be encouraged if and only if it does not directly harm others or disempower them in significant ways.