Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site amdahl.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!ihnp4!zehntel!hplabs!amdahl!ems
From: ems@amdahl.UUCP (ems)
Newsgroups: net.followup
Subject: Re: Re: Gary Perlman leaves the net in disgust
Message-ID: <1213@amdahl.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 1-Mar-85 17:50:43 EST
Article-I.D.: amdahl.1213
Posted: Fri Mar  1 17:50:43 1985
Date-Received: Mon, 4-Mar-85 04:21:59 EST
References: <156@wanginst.UUCP> <356@scc.UUCP> <437@down.FUN> <44@daisy.UUCP> <1444@dalcs.UUCP>
Distribution: net
Organization: Circle C Shellfish Ranch, Shores of the Pacific, Ca
Lines: 48

> 
> 	 I was saddened to hear of Gary's leaving the net. The net as a
>     social entity has it's share of abusers and criminals and although
>     I do not know Gary personally or the exact nature of the "HATE
>     MAIL" I feel it must be of a particularly vile and offensive nature
>     to cause this reaction in Gary.

I don't know any of the players, and not much of the incident.  But it is
fun to watch...

>                                     It is unfortunate that the net is
>     so illequipped to deal with this kind of offence, unlike other
>     social groups we have no disciplinary body to deal with crimes
>     against the net and

I'VE GOT IT!  net.peoples.court!!!

>                         in most(all?) cases it would be impossible to
>     prove an offence against someone by someone in particular due to
>     the inherent insecurity of the net. Because of this I have two
>     fears:
> 
> 	 1) That a vigilante movement will start where individuals or
>     even whole sites would be ostracized or inundated with hate mail,
>     this would be unacceptable as it would be very easy to arrange for
>     such vigilante groups attention to be focused on an innocent user.
> 
> 	 2) That as things are now it is very likely that these
>     criminal acts will become more and more common.
> 
> 	 It's cold outside and the wolves are at the door, I wish I had
>     a useful suggestion but I can't think of anything to correct this,
>     I do know however that the ostrich act is not a solution.

You see, it works like this:   A trial *by* your peers in
net.peoples.court where all can present their evidence
(and refute false evidence) with the convicted party subject to
such social punishments as are deemed fitting.  These could include
ostracisim (sp?), hate mail, ridicule, why, we could even taunt them
until they relented!  I'm sure you can think of others...

E. Michael Smith  ...!{hplabs,ihnp4,amd,nsc}!amdahl!ems

Computo ergo sum

The opinions expressed by me are not representative of those of any
other person - natural, unnatural, or fictional - and only marginally
reflect my opinions as strained by the language.