Note on GAO Peer-to-Peer Network Report vs. Censorware Research

Ed Felten writes about "GAO Data: Porn Rare on P2P; Filters Ineffective", extensively analyzing "GAO-05-634 - File Sharing Programs: The Use of Peer-to-Peer Networks to Access Pornography" To me, the most interesting part oif the article was the conclusion:

The policy prescription here is clear. Don't mandate the use of filters, because they don't seem to work. And if you want filters to improve, it might be a good idea to fully legalize research on filtering systems, so people like Seth Finkelstein can finish the job the GAO started.

(and echoed by Ernie Miller).

Thanks guys ... it's a long weekend, I'll leave it at that.

Seth Finkelstein's Infothought blog (Wikipedia, Google, censorware, and an inside view of net-politics) - Syndicate site (subscribe, RSS)