The following is an email I sent in mid May 00 to the chairman of a group who serve consumers and users of information technology. Our communications was about ethical behaviours in the Internet world.

Dear Simon,

Thanks a lot for your response. Your suggestions surely deserve IT and non-IT people's attention and action.

For the creation of databases of crimes and Internet ethics, immediate actions can be taken by the relevant government departments (Justice, Police, ICAC, etc.). Data can be shared with/transferred to an NGO if set up later. And if set up, I believe that tens or even hundreds of virtual and real links can be made, considering the number of researchers, academics and politicians who are also concerned about the situation.

Getting funding from the private sector and individuals will reduce Government bureaucracy and speed things up. I am hopeful that it can be done, since in the production of our teaching package for secondary schools, the Telecom Association also donated a significant amount. What about your organisation if you are also concerned?

For codes of practice, we have seen that only some of them are successful. The big question is: for whose behaviour?

We need talks and seminars in public places and schools, mass media coverage and other actions to obtain the community's resonance. We need counselling resources for change of hearts and spirits at a deeper level. We need good co-ordination with concerned people and organisations all over the world, as unethical and criminal behaviours cross national boundaries.

I hope that sharing similar to this will grow and lead to the setting up of an NGO for steering and promoting good behaviours in the information society.

Best regards,

Charles