1 APRIL 1995, Page 27

It's a pleasure

Sir: Allow us to echo Simon Winchester's distaste for the increasing amount of lewd, offensive aild insulting information appear- ing on the rnternet and commercial on-line services (`An electronic sink of depravity', 4 February). Only a Sunday ago the police in the state of Michigan arrested a student who posted a 'fictionalised' story of rape on the 'Net — but the 'fiction' called out by name a female classmate.

At Apple, we believe that the promise of on-line information remains tremendous, but also believe that on-line institutions must take a firm, responsible stand regard- ing how the language, etiquette and culture of this new media form develops. This may be politically incorrect to say, but we don't believe that sick adolescent fantasies repre- sent appropriate public discourse. So at eWorld we have a very simple policy when our subscribers indulge in offensive on-line behaviour: we kick 'em off.

Thanks for the articulate ethical observa- tions.

Peter Friedman

General Manager, eWorld, Apple Computer, Inc., • Cupertino, California