Freedom of What?

Ask Netscape chair Jim Clark his position on Internet censorship and his reply may vary depending on what hemisphere he's in. Clark mentioned freedom of the press at a Hong Kong news conference during his tour of Southeast Asia in February. "It's in my Constitution in the US," he said. "I don't know if I have an opinion regarding legislation outside the US."

Clark visited five countries on his trip, seeking a regional office site. By 1998, Netscape expects Asian sales to account for up to 25 percent of its revenue ­ a prodigious estimate that may have downgraded Clark's scruples. When asked if a state-controlled Internet were feasible, he told reporters: "Look at our company. We have firewalls built internally that won't let you access things ­ say, playboy.com."

Despite Clark's waffling, Netscape's international marketing director Danny Shader says the company has no plans to modify its browser to appease the Chinese government. "Besides," he said, "we sell software, not content."