Theos-Talk Archives (June 1997 Message tt00070)

Rudy:

>I have been working in the web, creating web pages mainly on theosophy for
>over 2 years. One of those pages is a page dedicated to "The Theosophical
>Society". The Society founded by the Founders. That page has been in the
>web for almost 2 years and nobody has complained about it, nobody until
>now! The Administration from Wheaton requested from me to put a disclaimer
>on that page. According to John, that page "is not connected with the
>Society". It doesn't matter that I have been an active member for 30 years.
>Still, according to him, my page on the Theosophical Society is "not
>connected to the Theosophical Society".

I think that I can explain the rationale of his request. (I'm not
speaking for him or anyone, just commenting on the general situation.)
Anyone -- member or not -- can put up web pages on the Internet. They
can write about and describe the Theosophical Society according to
their own way of thinking. Some descriptions may be more accurate than
others, but no one has the right to censor the content of another's
pages. On the other hand, the source of any information offered on the
Internet should be clearly identified. An organization has the right
to identify its web presence as its official statement, and make sure
that other web sites don't appear to be made by it. It's web pages can
give "the Theosophical Society" as author, whereas web pages by you or
I would give our own names as author.

-- Eldon