Compromised said:
Really? Someone should really get in touch with Microsoft then, to let them know that their dozens of NG are actually being used for smut. And someone should let various universities know that they can no longer use the NG for course material.
Sure, there is abuse of usenet, but there is abuse of every technology. Are you demanding that cell phones be banned because a few people take up skirt picts with them?
No, I don't think technology should be banned, or even limited. Upskirt shots, or even hidden webcams and the lot are one issue.. they invade our privacy and civil liberties. If we get caught, we are charged and bad things happen to us. Child porn is entirely different.. it's exploiting children. We're not talking 16 or 18year olds here, but pre-pubescent boys and girls. If doing away with Usenet helps protect children from abuse, I'm all for it. Anything that makes getting child porn more difficult is a step in the right direction. Sure, there are other ways to get it, but that doesn't mean that we shouldn't, as responsible adults take and support what measures we can to protect our children.
You'll notice that the "Internet" or its providers have never made a move to stop or censor other types of traffic. Software piracy runs rampant, software companies scream for a solution, but essentially it's up the the developer to "catch" someone using pirated software, and take legal action. The same is said for music. Even other things that are illegal in Canada, beastiality for example, remain untouched by the Internet providers.
Child pornography is different. It's practiced by a group of individuals who share their exploits (through pics and movies) over various mediums.. Usenet, the web, email. There is no governing body for those, and it is left to independant "child watch" groups to protect the children. Where Usenet is concerned, it is extremely easy to anonymize the source of material, so one can fearlessly post anything without a reasonable expectation of getting caught. So, with such an easy tool to spread child pornography, not only do Internet providers facilitate the transfer of this material, but in a way, also encourage it.
Usenet is an old, antiquated technology which is very resource intensive, and really redundant in this day and age. There are so many other options that fill the same space as Usenet.. P2P networks for your smut and illegal software/music enjoyment, Yahoo and other groups for specific topic discussion, etc.
Is having Usenet really worth the damage and emotional scarring it causes to these abused children?