Goddamn Nazi.

Mike Godwin is a brilliant writer, legal theorist, and defender of the First Amendment on the internet. I think like many good people, he viewed his hiring by the Wikimedia Foundation more than likely as an opportunity of a lifetime, as he gave up a successful legal practice for the job. Now, he's finding out the hard way that he's been hired to be the guard dog of a very sick organization that's rife with trouble at every level.

His latest and worst trouble, and at least part of the reason why he canceled this talk so hastily, more than likely has to do with Erik Moller. If Moller's writings were anything similar to Godwin's own on the issue of children, pedophilia and the internet in Godwin's book "Cyber Rights - Defending Free Speech in the Digital Age," there wouldn't be an issue. Instead, the discovery of Moller's views have obviously led to a firestorm on the internet, that no doubt leaves Godwin in a very difficult position. Moller's views dance on the very thinnest tightrope of free speech, from which he could lose his balance very easily. Remember, if Wikipedia were a for-profit company, it would be valued at several billion dollars. What would happen if the world found out that for instance, the #2 of "The New York Times" commonly espoused approval for adult/child sexual interaction, if the child approved?

Godwin probably thought, rightly, that he would be asked about this, and either he's not prepared, or not willing to discuss it. It's a shame too. Godwin's books makes me thankful for people like him, and proud that we have the 1st Amendment. Moller spits in the eye of free speech, and makes me see that freedom also has a not oft seen, but nonetheless ugly side to it.

In short, I feel for Mr. Godwin.

"The best answer for bad speech is more speech".

Jesus, that should be the official motto of the Barack Obama campaign.

Speech title: "Wikipedia...Ethics and Values..."??

I can see why he bailed. I wouldn't be able to give a speech like this with a straight face, either. LOL

@Rachel Marsden

I see your point and always appreciate your humor. However, Godwin is a *real* person. He's actually worked for a living, and although his expertise is speech, it's not of the hot air variety.
It's the substantive issues of speech.

Unfortunately, in the coming year, I wouldn't be surprised if there are some "real person" casualties from the behavior of the fringe elements of the Wikimedia Foundation, especially Wales and Moller. Roger McNamee, Mitch Kapur, Larry Lessig, Richard Stallman, and countless others. I hope they bail out of this mess that *will* get only weirder and worse, before the guilt-by-association phenomena puts a taint on their otherwise stellar life's work.

they should fly in larry sanger, love that guy. I have no idea what the hell he's talking about half the time - too intellectual for my blood.

@WilliamMarkFelt: Yep, he worked with an old friend/colleague of mine at the EFF, now at the Department of Homeland Security in DC. As perhaps the only adult at the WMF, it's just too bad he doesn't tell the children there what to do more often.

That org could desperately use someone who doesn't have a spine made of dental floss.

When I donated $10 to the Wikimedia foundation I was brought in by this video:

+ Watch video

I thought I was helping kids learn, but not that fucking way.

Fuck. This organization is poisoned from the inside out.

@Bornean - can you imagine what would happen if the deputy director of MySpace said something like "Help you catch pedophiles preying on kids on our site?
Well you're being hysterical, and you believe in outdated ideas about age-of-consent. I say, if the kids want it, let adults and kids do whatever they want on MySpace."

@WilliamMarkFelt: Bravo! The best explanation of the issue I've seen!

@WilliamMarkFelt I've been following your comments on Valleywag for a little while. Who are you, really, and where the hell do you get your perspective from?

Why would anyone invite any lawyer to give a talk on ethics? Wikimedia/pedia/pediphile or otherwise?

@eze: Stalking is Rachel's gig.

@eze - can't give away the punch line in the middle of the joke, sorry.

@WilliamMarkFelt: Moreso the Foundation saw it as a PR move.

But you can cut in line for punch

@corva - dunno, cutting out on an engagement at the last minute makes for some possibly bad PR. just at the time when the PR could go from bad to nightmarish, if the mainstream press picks up on the stories here.

Troll_2.0 - sounds like a country song.