[Cathar]

I was just after some people's opinion on this. It seems that some (many?) believe that the internet should be totally bereft of ANY form of censorship.

First, let's get our terminology clear. Censorship means the definition, classification, and subsequent enforcing (removal and prosecution), in whole or in part, of those purveying material that is deemed to be absolutely unacceptable.

Now that, of course, leaves a rather wide hole whereby what is legal depends on what country you are in, however there does seem to be at least one thing which is universally recognised as unacceptable in every country, and that is child pornography and/or paedophilia.

Now the natural progression of logic goes that child pornography should be "censored". Those who violate such censorship should be hunted down and dealt with to the full extent of the law wherever they are.

Child pornography is unacceptable, world-wide, in every medium, with snuff movies and racial hatred sites coming in pretty close on child porn's tail, although these others do seem somewhat open to debate apparantly depending on where you live.

However, it seems that a major stumbling block for many, in my experience, occurs when the words "censorship" and "internet", are used in the same context. Suddenly it appears that people who were leaping up and down claiming that censorship of child pornography was wholly appropriate and necessary, then turned around and even more strongly stated that the internet should never be censored, even if that includes the internet being used to transfer child pornography.

I found myself totally unable to accept that point of view, however I am open to a healthy debate for someone to explain to me just in what manner that child pornography should be excused from being censored (sought out, found, and shut-down - which is what censorship is) when it comes to the internet.

Opinions? I have yet to hear a satisfactory explanation as to why the internet should be immune to the censorship of child porn, even though a recent poll at another forum found that around 95% of people believed that the intenet should have absolutely zero censorship whatsoever.