Diebold, that notorious manufacturer of dodgy electronic-voting machines and of dodgy cease-and-desist letters, is making trouble for academics again. After the leak of some internal memos, they started firing off cease-and-desist letters, claiming it was copyright infringement to make available copies of the memos.
Students at Swarthmore College, offended by Diebold's censorious tactics, decided to engage in an "electronic civil disobedience" by hosting the files and by linking to sites hosting the files. Swarthmore has responded by shutting off the Internet access of any student linking to the site with the leaked memos as part of the disobedience. (Never mind the strong public-interest fair use reply; why should we expect a college to stand up for the public interest or for open discussion?)
Let's see. Can't host the files. Can't link to the files. Can't link to a site with the files. Where will the madness end? This is the Internet. Hyperlinking doesn't supply easy dividing lines, and when you start telling people what they can and can't link, you start murderizing the Web.
More inside, including a BANNED hyperlink . . .
Here's a link to a site with the memos. At Swarthmore, posting that link would be enough for me to have my internet access revoked.
Here's a link to a site that links to a site with the memos. Is that wrong? We're talking one mouse click and a few seconds reading more than just linking straight to the Why War site. Would Swarthmore boot me for that?
Here's a link to a site that links to a site that links to a site with the memos. Is three hops enough for you?
Here's a link to a site that links to a site that links to a site that links to a site with the memos. Far enough? I don't know. I mean, with some searching and clicking, you could still retrace your way through the above trail.
Here's a link to a site that links to a site that links to a site that links to a site that links to a site with the memos. Whoops, that's the Diebold home page.