RE: The Economist and e-Archiving

["Rick Anderson" <rickand@unr.edu>]

> Who decides what is unlawful to publish?

Legislative bodies and the courts.

> To archive?

Legislative bodies and the courts.

> About your right to speak?

Legislative bodies and the courts.

> To archive?

Legislative bodies and the courts.

Let's be clear about something here: libel and slander are not civil
rights. The law does indeed limit what we can say and publish, and I don't
believe any thoughtful person would have it otherwise.  The question is
whether a slander, once illegally published, thereby acquires the special
status of being part of the "public record" and therefore must remain
available to the public.  Personally, I don't think that needs to be the
case, but I can understand arguments to the contrary.

-------------
Rick Anderson
Director of Resource Acquisition
The University Libraries            "Perfect clarity is the
University of Nevada, Reno           ultimate style. A sentence
1664 No. Virginia St.                should be as lean as an
Reno, NV  89557                      equation."
PH  (775) 784-6500 x273                 -- David Quammen
FX  (775) 784-1328                    (paraphrasing Russell)
rickand@unr.edu