I used to run some irc channels back in the early 90’s, and they were true free for all’s. We had a lot of ftp’s, a lot of anonymous users, and it was a full ti

I used to run some irc channels back in the early 90’s, and they were true free for all’s. We had a lot of ftp’s, a lot of anonymous users, and it was a full time job keeping it clear of child pornography. Let me tell you, it takes something out of you when you see that stuff, and it’s something you don’t get back. We weren’t even aiming for a free speech utopia, but we were unregulated and that was enough. That kind of porn. The freaks and creeps are parasites on free speech, but like parasites, hard to manage. If you open a free speech haven, they’ll be first through the door. I don’t recommmend it. I don’t know what the solution is, but it isn’t too much censorship, and it isn’t too little. I’m afraid that the reality is that as people we need to do the hard work of a balancing act, so any ideology that is too unbalanced is doomed to fail. Absolute freedom is as doomed as absolute tyranny.