Navigation: Return to: Seth Finkelstein - EFF 2001 Pioneer Award or Anticensorware Investigations
Dear Committee,
I nominate Seth Finkelstein for an EFF Pioneer Award. His phone is [SF: redacted]. His email address is sethf[at-sign]mit.edu.
As you may know, I've been an EFF member since its founding. (I believe I have the lowest, nonstaff membership number, 25). This is my 10th year an EFF volunteer, working on the Computers and Academic Freedom Project. Professionally, I'm a research programmer working in Industry. I became involved in civil liberties, computers, and EFF while working on my Ph.D. My email is kadie[at-sign]eff.org. My phone number is [SF: redacted]
In all this time, I believe the most difficult issue we have faced is "filtering". It is not hard to find support for due process, freedom of expression, and academic freedom. "Filtering", on the other hand, is initially appealing to almost everyone. It seems to offer -- theoretically -- a technical solution that can end all controversy about freedom of expression and government censorship.
What many have come to learn, however, is that this theory and practice are miles apart. How did we learn this? From the pioneering work of Seth Finkelstein.
Seth's unsung work provided the first real data about how filtering works in practice. Because of his continuing important work, people have a much deeper understanding of issues that most at first thought were cut and dry.
I believe his early and continuing work has helped save us (I hope) from a Censorship-Ready Internet.
Finally, I note that because the idea of filtering is so seductive, Seth has had to fight not only the traditional opposition to civil liberties, but also the initial enthusiasm of many civil libertarians who at first thought filtering was a panacea. This makes his efforts all the more important and meritorious.
Yours,
Carl Kadie
Computer and Academic Freedom Project
http://www.eff.org/CAF/
Return to: Seth Finkelstein - EFF 2001 Pioneer Award or Anticensorware Investigations