(1996)
Some of you may have come across my previous incarnation on the Web, called Johnny's Modern Life. This was hosted on the computers run by Edinburgh University's Tardis Project. It included, amongst other strange delights, an HTML mark-up of "The Terrorist's Handbook." Immediately this came to the attention of the University authorities, my account was suspended. In addition, I was interviewed by two officers from the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Lothian and Borders Police Department in connection with this material. They stated that I had not infringed any British Laws by posting up this material. The body of the text, and material like it, is available via the Internet from various sources. I pulled the original text file off the 'net many years ago. A search using Alta Vista will bring up copies. For that matter, such material is available in reference works in any good public library. Indeed, I was instructed (including particularly interesting instruction by Royal Engineers Bomb Squad personnel) in the fabrication and use of explosives and explosive devices during my time in Britain's Territorial Army.
You can be sure that material on the Web is censored quite effectively. Even where no actual law could prevent the publication of certain materials, most Web resources are under the arbitrary control of institutions that will immediately respond to any request by authority to censor material, for whatever reason.
I suppose in general people, never mind authority, are not in favour of freedom of information. Some ideas are seen as too dangerous to let "other people" have.
In the specific case of "The Terrorist's Handbook," quite apart from demonstrating the futility of law enforcement methods for tackling the problem of terrorism (as if history wasn't a good enough indicator) the information is valuable for another reason. If you are aware of what a terrorist needs to carry about his/her business and the methods they use, you will be more likely to spot such activity before it becomes all too obvious.
Personally, I feel the way the governments of the "free" world have embraced the machinery of the Police State may well make the protestations of the Militias in the US seem rather more reasonable than most people believe now.
Can "society" control people by controlling information? Can the 'net work out a way to disallow this, and ensure real freedom of expression? Does anyone really care?