Wednesday, December 25, 2019

Thomas Wolseys fall from power Essay example - 1416 Words

The most important reason for Wolsey’s fall from power was his failure to obtain a divorce. How far do you agree? Wolsey was a cardinal and statesman, Henry’s lord chancellor and most faithful servant, whom he was most reliant upon. From 1515 to 1529 Wolsey’s rule was undisputed. Henry VIII delegated more and more state business to him, including near complete control of England’s foreign policy. Wolsey’s finest hour was arranging the Field of Cloth of Gold. Wolsey used his wealth to indulge his passion for building, his grand style of living made him increasingly unpopular. Wolsey’s failure to arrange an annulment for Henry was quickly followed by his downfall. In this essay I will look how far this was the main reason for his collapse†¦show more content†¦Catherine was not willing to let go easily as this meant her child Mary could be made illegitimate, she was also a strong Catholic and believed that she was supposed to be Queen of England. She refused to go to a convent and refused to go to the hearing in London, which is why she appealed in Rome, this gave her a stronger chance to win her case. Another strong reason was the fact that Charles V, the Holy Roman Emperor and Catharine’ s nephew was holding the Pope hostage and had him under house arrest. Charles V had invaded Italy and therefore the Pope was in no position to agree a divorce (considering the family connections). In normal circumstances he may have gotten the divorce. When the final failure of Wolsey’s efforts to secure the divorce became apparent the king turned on his once faithful and most trusted servant. Henry felt let down and Wolsey was no longer useful. In addition Wolsey was becoming less successful as on the political front Charles V had taken Italy while Francis I had grown tired of the war and sought peace. In this he abandoned Italy to Charles, and they agreed on a Treaty at Cambrai which Henry effectively ignored. As a result Wolsey`s grand plan for conservative reform and England holding the balance of power in Europe fell. Henry seized the initiative from an absent Wolsey and so the relationship between them worsened. He stopped listening to Wolsey and turned to other advisers and suggestions like of Crammer andShow MoreRelated Wolseys Responsibility For His Own Downfall Essay2581 Words   |  11 PagesWolseys Responsibility For His Own Downfall Thomas Wolsey can be easily viewed as being responsible for his own downfall. John Guy believes that Wolsey was â€Å"brilliant but flawed.† His rise was based on luck, charm, intelligence and opportunism. Wolsey had such high ambitions and gave Henry the idea he was capable of getting him anything, so when Wolsey failed to get Henry a divorce, it was seen as the final nail on the coffin to his downfall. His policies are alsoRead MoreThomas Cromwell : A Great Writer Essay731 Words   |  3 PagesThomas Cromwell Thomas Cromwell was a great English statesman and lawyer who lived in the late 1400s to early 1500s. He was born in 1485 in the district of Putney in London, England. Though he was born into a blacksmith and trade family, he wanted to be self-made and get into the government and politics of England. At a young age, Thomas Cromwell traveled through Europe, including Italy and France, picking up various trades such as military, banking and as a clerk but later ending up as a lawyerRead MoreThe Rule Of The Court Of Henry Viii And The Fall Of Thomas Cromwell2088 Words   |  9 PagesKing’s decision making process. When exploring the idea that Henry VIII was controlled by factions, there are three events during the King’s reign, which suggest that faction was highly influential and prominent: the fall of Cardinal Wolsey, the fall of Anne Boleyn and the fall of Thomas Cromwell. It is intriguing to notice how the changing nature of the Tudor court under Henry and Henryâ€℠¢s changing personality meant that he became more susceptible to the influence of court factions in the later yearsRead MoreDomestic Policy Under Cardinal Thomas Wolsey Was a Failure How Far Do You Agree with This Statement?2564 Words   |  11 Pagesfurther boost his own personal power and increase his income, implying that more of his time should have been allocated to reforming social and economic policy and using his vast intelligence to improve the way government operated in England at the time. However there was very little contemporary discontent with the way the country was being run in the first place. So perhaps these expectations are anachronistically minded as the vast majority expected very little from the government; Rather than radicalRead MoreThe Protestant Reform Movements On The European Continent Against The Roman Catholic Church3669 Words   |  15 PagesCardinal Thomas Wolsey as Lord Chancellor, and later with Sir Thomas More in that same office (Marshall 31). However, in 1526, Henry VIII was in love with Anne Boleyn, and the delay of Pope Clement VII to grant him an annulment of his marriage to Katherine of Aragon set in motion the events leading to the English Reformation. This reformation was distinct in that it was led by the Crown, though influenced heavily by Anne herself and her faction comprising Thomas Cranmer and temporary ally Thomas CromwellRead MoreThe Black Death2711 Words   |  11 Pagesthe medieval world this was not considered. Instead people believed that they were being punished by god and or Jews and witches were behind the disease. In the Medieval world there was no explanation for the Black Death. Many saw it as a punishment from god for committing sin. On the other hand, people also started to blame the Jewish population, they were arrested and even killed. The movement known as the Flagellants started in Germany. The people of this movement believed that the Black Death wasRead MoreHow Did England Change During The Reign Of Henry Viii4123 Words   |  17 Pagescountry into a peaceful kingdom free from foreign and domestic issues, however Henry VIII reverted this work and in doing so had spent most of the money his father had left him with, whilst also reducing the overall income of the crown and treasury. Henry VII To know how England changed during Henry VIII’s reign we must first look at what it was like before he gained control, when his father Henry VII was in power. Henry VII had a weak claim to the throne from his mother Margaret Beaufont howeverRead MoreHenry Viii And The Reformation Of England s Church System4160 Words   |  17 Pagesthe facts in with historical figures. History is not just facts, it is a story, and like any good story it should pull a reader in and make them interested. The historical figures utilized will be Katherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Thomas Wolsey, Thomas Cromwell, and Thomas Cranmer due to their direct correlation to the change in the religious system of England. The sources utilized were chosen and implemented in relation to how they encompassed concepts related to historical figures, the Church, andRead MoreStudy Guide to Renaissance Humanism2965 Words   |  12 Pagesthemselves tried to study and use only the best Greek and Latin in their transla tions. During the Reformation, Anabaptism drew its membership mostly from the ranks of the C. peasants (C) Each of the three major Protestant groups—Lutheran, Calvinist, and Anabaptist—relied in major ways on particular social elements. Although Lutheranism drew support from a broad social spectrum, Luther himself was forced to rely on sympathetic nobles of the Holy Roman Empire in order to defend Lutheranism against theRead More The Child King Henry VII got married in 1509, 1533, 1536, 1540 (twice), and 1543 - why?3433 Words   |  14 Pagesgrew older, but he never grew up. Even in 1540, by which time Henry was advanced in age, the French ambassador Marillac wrote of him that he suffered from lightness and inconstancy which has perverted the rights of religion, marriage, faith and promise, as softened wax can be altered to any form (Douglas 394). One might not expect the ambassador from France, Henrys now-and-again archenemy, to be neutral in his assessment, but Henrys actio ns also reveal his immaturity. During the first half of

Tuesday, December 17, 2019

Case Study 2001 Recession - 1278 Words

Ashley Alaniz ECON1301 Mr. Armstrong 06 November 2014 CASE STUDY: 2001 RECESSION ANALYSIS Beginning in March 2001, America soon fell into another recession that lasted eight months and ended in November of that same year. 2001 also happened to be the year 9/11 occurred which fueled the low confidence in the economic industry. The decline in services and employment after the attack made it inevitable that there is a recession underway. The recession of 2001 came during the introduction to the new electronic age when the technology industry was in full effect but little did the economy know that would play a major role in its downfall. The main factor that contributed to the recession was the collapse of the dotcom bubble, the rise of the technology industry and the new trend of internet websites. Many of these companies engaged in daring business practices with the hopes of dominating the market. Most used the practice of growth over profit, with the idea that if they built up their customer base, their profits would rise as well. As a result, the stock price of many high tech companies started to rise. This led to a lot of investors’ money going to any kind of high tech company, whether or not they were showing profits, and unfortunately many of these companies failed when the bubble finally burst. The loss of consumer faith in the tech industry also took a hit on earnings for technology ventures. The market also took a major downturn in the event of the terroristShow MoreRelatedJohn Moody Case Study Essay1318 Words   |  6 Pagesaround the Organization? Charlotte Wilson Chancellor University Abstract This paper explores a case study in which an organization went into a recession and had to reorganize everything. I will be explaining how recession works and what happens in a recession. I will also talk about planning and organization of a business. We will also explore what people have to do when in a recession. John Moody What Should be Done to Turn Around the Organization Often times people in this countryRead MoreA Review On Currency Devaluation1120 Words   |  5 Pagesthe late 1900’s after many decades of prosperity. Even the best intended responses to an economic crisis may or may not correct the situation or may even exacerbate it, as outlined in the Case Study by Gerber (2010) in Argentina. A review of currency devaluation will set the stage for an analysis of the case and Argentina’s response to their lengthy crisis. Currency devaluation is the deliberate lowering of the value of a county’s currency to combat trade imbalances, causing a county’s exportsRead MoreEssay Risk Management1556 Words   |  7 Pagesrisks and rewards undertaken with each investment. Risk focuses on the future and our ability to forecast that future. In turn, the ability to predict the future is largely dependent on what you’ve learned from the past. The best you can do is to study the record and draw on experience - your own and that of others. There is no easy scientific method that will guarantee all risks will be identified. Examine all sources of risk from the perspectivesRead MoreEssay on The Minimum Wage Should Be Increased1048 Words   |  5 Pagesdemand for labor. A recent study by Andreas Georgiadis (2008) supported this view. In the study, Georgiadis states â€Å"estimation results suggest that higher wage costs were more than offset by lower monitoring costs, and thus the overall evidence implies that the national minimum wage may have operated as an Efficiency Wage.† These policies also encourage employers to increase training investments. Economists Daron Acemoglu and Jà ¶rn†Steffen Pischke showed in their study (1999) that compression inRead MoreMinimum Wage Should Be Increased1057 Words   |  5 Pagesdemand for labor. A recent study by Andreas Georgiadis (2008) supported this view. In the study, Georgiadis states â€Å"estimation results suggest that higher wage costs were more than offset by lower monitoring costs, and thus the overall evidence implies that the national minimum wage may have operated as an Efficiency Wage.† These policies also encourage employers to increase training investments. Economists Daron Acemoglu and Jà ¶rn†Steffen Pischke showed in their study (1999) that compression in theRead MoreEssay about Welfare Reform: Promoting Independence and Self-Reliance1740 Words   |  7 PagesClinton proposed that states and communities should develop training programs to help people get the basic skills they need to remain a strong contestant in the job market. Many communities took the initiative and developed these programs. In most cases, the training programs have been successful, but there are still critics who argue against them. Those who stand in opposition claim that most state and employer programs focus on getting recipients quickly into jobs, rather than on providing trainingRead MoreU.S. Automobile Manufacturing in the Twenty-First Century1540 Words   |  7 Pagesautomobile industries as well of organizational practices have changed since the 20th century (Greer, 2001 ). Several developments such as global competition, advanced technology, and reengineering are more likely to affect human resource managers in the automobile industry (Greer, 2001, p. 68). Human Resource Issues Managers in the Automobile Industry Should Be Prepared For Based on the case study, global competition is an issue that human resource managers should be prepared for in the future. Read MoreBenefits Of Developing Countries Adopting Capital Controls During A Recession1529 Words   |  7 Pagesadopting capital controls during a recession, a case study on Malaysia’s success through the imposition of capital restriction during the 1998 Asia crisis and whether developing countries should adopt such capital restrictions. I. Costs of developing countries adopting capital controls Capital controls that restrict capital inflow will halt foreign financing for high-return investments, thus impeding the growth rates of the developing countries. During a recession, firms are affected from fundingRead MoreProblems and Questions817 Words   |  4 PagesI. Briefly explain the meaning of R-squared. A time series analysis of demand tends to result in a higher R-squared than one using cross-sectional data. Why do you think this is the case? R-squared measures the goodness of fit of a regression equation. A time series analysis of demand tends to result in a higher R-squared than one using cross-sectional data because data is being gathered at multiple periods of time as opposed to one period of time when using cross-sectional data. II. What isRead MoreBenefits of Congestion Charge in Tokyo1604 Words   |  7 Pageshousehold by prefecture was Tokyo with 0.497(Automobile Inspection Association, 2009). Nevertheless, there are chronic enormous traffic jams in Tokyo. Congestion charging systems have been considered because many suburbanites have gathered to work, study and make a purchase in the city. As a result of the consideration, the new systems have been practised in many cities, such as Oslo, Singapore and London, to resolve urban traffic congestion. At the end of the 20th century, the issue of whether or

Monday, December 9, 2019

Effect of Intellectual Property Law on Business-Free-Samples

Question: Write a Literature review on Intellectual Property Law and its Impact on Business. Answer: Introduction Intellectual Property Law provides IP rights to the owners and creators of intellectual property. The main purpose of the IPLs is to ensure that people are given rights and protection over the intellectual property created and owned by them. Rights are provided to the individuals or groups in relation to literary works, photography, painting, music and scientific innovations. This is to ensure that people are motivated to make new discoveries and innovations as their rights in relation to such work would be protected. On the other hand there are some disadvantages of the application of IPL as well. The purpose of this paper is to conduct a review of literature in relation to the impact of Intellectual property law on modern day businesses Intellectual property rights According to Bently Sherman (2014) the main purpose of IPL is to provide and protect IP rights to the creators of intellectual property. These rights allow the owner to sell the property rights or earn royalty of them. The primary legislation which deals with intellectual property law in UK is the Intellectual Property Act 2014. Through the application of IPRs the businesses are able to protect their brand name or sign in form of trademark. They can also protect any exclusive innovation done by the business through obtaining patents and were any original work is created by the business they are automatically provided with a copyright. Therefore the main areas in which the intellectual property law operates are patents, copyrights and trademarks. Copyrights Hart, Clark Fazzani (2013) defines copyright as a intangible property right which subsists in a certain qualified subject-matter. In the UK the laws in relation to copyrights are governed through the provisions Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 which is amended from time to time. As stated by Hovenkamp (2016) a comprehensive picture of the law can be acquired only through recourse towards the European Union Jurisprudence as harmonization and legal integration throughout the EU is increasing. According to Torremans (2016) copyright requires the considerations of issues like subsistence (Whether the subject matter is qualified for the copyright to subsist), ownership (whether the person is a owner ), incidents of ownership (rights flowing from ownership and term of monopoly) infringement (primary and secondary), defenses and remedies. Subsistence of copyright As stated by Tan Loy (2013) copyright subsists in the expression of an idea and not the Idea itself. This means that unless an idea is not expressed it is not eligible to be protected under the copyright laws. There are certain kinds of work as provided by Torremans (2016) which are eligible for protection these include original dramatic works, original literary works, original artistic works and original music works. However the work must itself be original in order for a copyright to subsist. This means the work has been produced by the labor, judgment and skill of the owner. Out of these there are also fixation requirements imposed on a few works such as a dramatic, musical or literary work has to be recorded irrespective of the fact that it has been done with the permission of the author or not. Multiple copyrights and the Music industry Kelbrick Visser (2013) states that one single item can contain more than one copyright. For instance, where an album is to be released by a group of musicians their copyrights would be divided. The divisions is into copyright on sound recording, copyright on lyrics, copyright in cover artwork and copyright in sheet music. Amidst such division there is a profound possibility of conflicts. As argued by Williams (2015) division of such rights is although fair but the process of unequal divisions dose not satisfies those parties who have been provided a lesser part. The division of such copyrights differs in the music industry from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. Those who crate the lyrics are provided less part in copyrights as compared to those who compose the music. The music industry as a result generates substantial amount of litigation in relation to copyrights on music albums. The litigations originate in relation to rights such as reproduction of the work, distribution of copies o f the work, publically performing the work, making derivative works or displaying the work. Nimmer (2013) states that it is important to register a copyright even if it is provided upon the recording of the work in order to stay away from disputes and gain additional protection and benefits. Copyrights and employees According to Joyce et al. (2016) the general principle of law provides that the owner of the work produced by an employee during the course of employment using the tools provided by the employer belong to the employer. There have been several disputes regarding the ownership of a copyright between an employer and an employee in the history. The question which the court has to determine is that who is the actual owner of the work which has been produced. The general rule subjected to any separate arrangements made between the employer and the employee. This means that when there is any agreement to the contrary than the employer would not be regarded as the first owner of the copyrights. The legislation does not define what the phrase in the course of employment which means that the term is left ambiguous and courts have been provided a broad range of power towards interpreting the phrase. Hart, Clark Fazzani (2013) provides that generally the court apply a simple provisions to analy ze employment which means whether the work has been produced under a contract of service or a contract for services . Through the application the courts are able to determine the control of the employer on the employee. Copyright and joint authors To the contrary in the music industry where a single work has been created by more than one author the copyright of authors are not distinct from each other. This feature of copyrights again provides the scope for conflict between the authors. These people are considered as joint owners. The rule is exempted where there is a distinct and separate contribution of the authors towards the work. In such cases the authors are provided different ownership such as in the music industry. The joint authors have the right to transfer their ownership in a single person as a result of the transferable nature of copyright. In case of a joint ownership the owners are entitled to equally receive profits in relation to the copyrights. Thus if one of the owners bears all the cost of production he would not be provided with any additional copyright as compared to the other owners. Defenses There are certain defenses which attempt to mitigate the disadvantages of copyright law in relation to restricting innovations. The defense is in relation to the fair use of copyright material. When literary works are produced the students are allowed to use such work in a fair manner with proper acknowledgement. This allows for fair research work without infringing the copyright of others. The concept had been discussed in the case of Hubbard v Vosper, [1972] 2 Q.B. 84. In case the copyright owned by a business or an individual is infringed there are both civil and criminal remedies available to the owner. The civil remedies which are available to the owners of the copyright under the legislation includes interlocutory injunctions, pecuniary remedies, Anton Pillar orders , Mareva injunctions and Norwich Pharmacal order. The infringer is also liable to be prosecuted criminally by the courts. Patents As defined by LaLonde Gilson (2016) a patent is an exclusive right which has been provided by the state to a business for a limited period in return of publically disclosing the invention. The invention has to be a solution for a particular problem, process or product. The right to make sell or use an invention is not provided by a patent under law. From the legal point of view it is the right to exclude others from selling, using, or making the patented discovery for a specific period which is generally for twenty years and subjected to maintenance fee or payments. In the business content a patent provides the right to its owner from using it in court to exclude the others. A patent like any intellectual property can be sold, assigned, mortgaged or abandoned. Rights for business under patents Although the patent is an exclusionary right it does not give the owner a fixed right to exploit the invention in relation to the patent. Dispute arises as many patents are a extension of prior invention and may be covered by other patents as well. Only if the previous patent holders givers permission the new patent holder would be allowed to use the invention. In some jurisdictions patents are imposed with working provisions which means that they can only be exploited in a particular jurisdiction which is covered by them. The consequence of not continuing research on an invention also varies between jurisdiction which includes revocation of the patent and proving compulsory license to the other parties towards exploiting the invention. The revocation can be challenged by the patent holder by providing evidence which suggests that reasonable public requirements have been met (Horwitz Horwitz 2016). Challenges The validity of an issued or allowed patent can be challenged by any party in the national patent offices in a process known as opposition proceedings. The validity of a patent can also be challenged in court. In both the cases the parties making the challenge tries to prove that the patent should not have been granted. There are various grounds of challenges which are available to the parties. These include that the subject matter cannot be patented, the subject matter was not new, was general to experts in the same filed and there was fraud in obtaining the patent. If any of such reasons succeed the patent is found to be invalid as a whole or in part. Trademarks Boldrin Levine (2013) defined a trademark as an expression, sign or design which can be recognized in relation to the identification of a service or a product. They are used to distinguish the source of a particular product or services from the other. A trademark can be owned by a business or an individual or any legal entity. A trademark may be found on the voucher, label or package of the product. The trademarks are displayed on the company building in the sake of corporate identity. Trademarks also come under intellectual property rights. Usage in business The brand owner of a particular product or service is identified through a trademark. Trademarks can be provided as licenses to others. The unauthorized use of trademark gives rise to civil penalties where the owner can claim monetary compensation and injunctions. Legal action can be commenced by the trademark owner in case of any infringement of their rights. Common law rights of trademark are recognized in the UK. There are several disputes between the business where identical trademarks are developed and used. Summary Form the review of the above discussed literature it is clear that the IPL have a significant impact on businesses. These impacts are visible in industries like the music industry. The rights and ownership allocation also raises significant issues in the employment relations are there is a lack of concrete provisions of deal with the issue. The courts have broad range of powers towards interpreting the term in the course of employment. In addition there are significant challenges in the music industry towards analyzing the ownership of copyrights as the rights have to be divided among several owners. Businesses also uses patents in order to prevent the others form involving in relation to a particular product, process or problems. The grant of patents can be challenged by the other parties in court and they can be revoked in part or as a whole. Trademarks are also used by the business in order to distinguish the brand from the others. A business is not allowed to copy the trademark o f another business or they may be subjected to provisions of trademark infringement. References Bently, L., Sherman, B. (2014).Intellectual property law. Oxford University Press, USA. Boldrin, M., Levine, D. K. (2013). The case against patents.The journal of economic perspectives,27(1), 3-22. Hart, T., Clark, S., Fazzani, L. (2013).Intellectual property law. Palgrave Macmillan. Horwitz, L., Horwitz, E. (2016). Discovery in Trademark Cases in the Courts and Trademark Trial and Appeal Board.Intellectual Property Counseling Litigation,5. Hovenkamp, H. (2016).IP and antitrust: an analysis of antitrust principles applied to intellectual property law(Vol. 1). Wolters Kluwer Law Business. Joyce, C., Ochoa, T. T., Carroll, M. W., Leaffer, M. A., Jaszi, P. (2016).Copyright law(p. 85). Carolina Academic Press. Kelbrick, R., Visser, C. (2013). Intellectual property law.Annual Survey of South African Law,2013(1), 691-715. LaLonde, A. G., Gilson, J. (2016).Foreign Trademark Protection(Vol. 3). Gilson on Trademarks. Lerner, J., Tirole, J. (2015). Standard-essential patents.Journal of Political Economy,123(3), 547-586. Moser, P. (2013). Patents and innovation: evidence from economic history.The Journal of Economic Perspectives,27(1), 23-44. Nard, C. A. (2014).The Law of Patents. Wolters Kluwer Law Business. Nimmer, D. (2013).Nimmer on copyright. LexisNexis. Tan, T. J., Ng-Loy, W. L. (2013). Intellectual property law.Singapore Academy of Law Annual Review of Singapore Cases, (Annual Review 2013), 412. Torremans, P. (2016).Holyoak and Torremans intellectual property law. Oxford University Press. Williams, M. (2015). Intellectual Property at the Edge: The Contested Contours of I

Sunday, December 1, 2019

Virtual Controversies Essays - Computing, Content-control Software

Virtual Controversies It was once forcasted that computers in the future would weigh no more than 1.5 tons. Of course, in today's technologically savvy times, it's a common occurrence to see people holding their computers in their lap, or even in their hand. There's no doubt about it: the computer already plays an important role in our lives and that role is likely to expand as more advancements are made. However, new innovations mean new controversies. The Internet, for example, has transformed the way people communicate, conduct business, learn, and entertain themselves. With a simple click of the mouse key, one can do things that were thought science fiction just a few decades ago. For all the benefits associated with the Internet, the presence of pornography, hate groups, and other distasteful topics has lead to a nationwide debate on first amendment rights and censorship. The goal for the Internet should not be total freedom for unsavory groups to deliver their message to whomever they can, but a balance between the freedom of those who want this material and the freedom of those who do not. When President Clinton signed the Communication Decency Act into law on February 8, 1996, he effectively approved the largest alteration of national communication laws in 62 years. In order to elicit a response from web creators who published ?indecent? sites, the bill instituted criminal penalties. However, the emphasis in the bill was on ?decency? and not ?obscenity?- which had long been established as the method to determine what was supported by the first amendment and what was not. The CDA was eventually overthrown in Reno vs. ACLU because of the unconstitutionality vague wording and the noted importance in keeping the Internet a hospital arena for free expression and speech. In 1998, another piece of legislation was approved called the Child Online Protection Act, or COPA, that is considered less stringent than the Communication Decency Act, but is currently undergoing the same analysis of its adherence to the Constitution by the ACLU. Even if the Child Online Protection Act managed to pass the court's high standards, there exists no way for a national piece of legislation to control an international network. The Internet is massive and chaotic in nature since it is technologically infesible for any one group to own or organize it. According to latest estimates, more than 40 percent of US households own a computer and 90 million adults use the Internet regularly (?Cyber Eyes?). Users can access the are many wonders of the online world like email, gopher sites, IRC (Internet Relay Chat) channels, newsgroups, and web pages. The idea that censorship could restrict this freedom, a trademark characteristic of the Internet, would altogether defeat the purpose of it. Once a person places information on a Web page or bulletin board, there is little control over, or knowledge of, who gains access to it. The government has no right infringing on the rights and freedoms of adult individuals in order to make the Internet ?safe? for children. The hallmark of a democratic society is allowing a variety of ideas and information to be accessible to its citizens. If that means allowing hate groups to post a site on the Internet, then so be it. Journalist Howard Rheingold predicts that Heavy-handed attempts to impose restrictions on the unruly but incredibly creative anarchy of the Net could kill the spirit of cooperative knowledge-sharing that makes the Net valuable to millions (Rheingold n.p.). Perhaps the reason why government censorship is so attractive is because some people are not willing to learn about the Internet and take the initiative to seek alternatives that better suit their needs. Blatant laziness should not excuse the right of government to interfere in people's lives and repress certain individual liberties that are sacred. Internet users treasure their Constitutional rights and the idea that the Internet is another instrument by which to express their freedom of speech. And, while it is true that the Internet poses some very real dangers to children, those dangers must be addressed in a meaningful manner; blind censorship will simply not do the job. The presence of pornography and other distasteful sites are relative to the overall size and uses of the Internet. Some argue that there is no amount of censorship or filtering available that will altogether restrict access to questionable material. Children are bound to learn about the less positive aspects of the world one way or the another, either through friends, the media, or