Last week, TidBITS publisher Adam C. Engst, and TidBITS staff members Geoff Duncan and Tonya Engst were cited for the use of the phrase, "damn tootin'" in a TidBITS issue. The citation came after concerns that the phrase violated the indecency clauses in the recently passed Communications Decency Act.

The ACLU has already offered to pay all legal fees associated with the court case, and is optimistic of a successful verdict that will exonerate the TidBITS staff. Senator Exon, sponsor of the Communications Decency Act stated that he's never read TidBITS, but said "the title alone leads me to believe that the publication should be banned. It's only one character off from a lewd, lascivious, and titillating word, and that's only the title. I can only imagine what filth may reside within."

Allegedly, a group of 12 and 13-year old Girl Scouts had gathered for their weekly fix of "90210," the popular prime time television soap opera, but started reading TidBITS-320 during the advertisements. The group began to speculate as to the various meanings of the phrase "damn tootin'" and reportedly went downhill fast from there, falling into an Internet-induced frenzy involving heavy intravenous drug use that almost led the girls to lives of prostitution.

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