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Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!allegra!mit-eddie!genrad!decvax!decwrl!sun!qubix!lab
From: lab@qubix.UUCP (Larry Bickford)
Newsgroups: net.news,net.news.group
Subject: Re: Removing net.flame
Message-ID: <1624@qubix.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 28-Jun-85 22:02:43 EDT
Article-I.D.: qubix.1624
Posted: Fri Jun 28 22:02:43 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 30-Jun-85 03:08:07 EDT
References: <3892@alice.UUCP> <1913@ut-ngp.UTEXAS> <476@umcp-cs.UUCP>
Organization: Quadratix ... Quartix
Lines: 33
Xref: watmath net.news:3530 net.news.group:3202

As the man said:

	"Self-government won't work - without self-discipline."

Wherein Usenet will not discpline itself and will not allow itself to be
disciplined, it does not deserve to be. [Editorial - this also applies
to the news media.]

Abuse requires three things: abuser, victim (not necessarily a specific
person), and channel for abuse.  Ending abuse can thus be done by
removing the victim from any possible channel, removing the channel, or
removing the abuser. The middle implies nuking net.flame; but abusers
will find other places to dump on. The first implies a strictly
technical and/or moderated net. [Yes, I hear those raspberries! I want
to keep {ba,ca}.general.] The last is illegal unless:
	the abuser's company does something
	the abuser's news feed(s) do(es) something

News feeds don't have to account for no longer servicing an abuser's
site. In the case of a multi-site place such as UCLA, though, this may
not be easy.

But if a site thinks that an abuser is costing them something, they then
have reason to take action.... may take some creativity in the case of
UCLA, but it's the only sure way without endangering Usenet's current
anarchy.

Or you can settle for the other alternatives... your choice.
-- 
		The Ice Floe of Larry Bickford
		{amd,decwrl,sun,idi,ittvax}!qubix!lab

You can't settle the issue until you've settled how to settle the issue.