Date of Award

5-1996

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Departmental Honors

Department

Languages, Philosophy and Speech Communication

Abstract

Cyberspace, in its present condition has a lot in common with the 19th Century West. It is vast, unmapped, culturally and legally ambiguous ... hard to get around in, and up for grabs. ...It is, of course, a perfect breeding ground for both outlaws and new ideas about liberty...1

So assesses Grateful Dead lyricist-turned-cyberguru John Perry Barlow the new frontier, that vast expanse of computer networks known as the Internet. Yet, in recent months, the law has come to this chaotic domain, where anything goes and nothing remains unsaid. With the passage of the Communications Decency Act of 1996 (CDA), Congress has given the federal government the task of civilizing the Net. In the Department of Justice's sights are a particular brand of outlaw: those who peddle smut to minors, and those who allow it to happen.

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Faculty Mentor

Penny M. Byrne