Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84 SMI; site sun.uucp Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!allegra!mit-eddie!genrad!decvax!decwrl!sun!rdh From: rdh@sun.uucp (Robert Hartman) Newsgroups: net.news,net.flame Subject: Re: Is anyone else offended..... Message-ID: <2383@sun.uucp> Date: Wed, 3-Jul-85 01:39:58 EDT Article-I.D.: sun.2383 Posted: Wed Jul 3 01:39:58 1985 Date-Received: Thu, 4-Jul-85 04:16:45 EDT References: <266@timeinc.UUCP> <2908@nsc.UUCP> Organization: Sun Microsystems, Inc. Lines: 45 Xref: watmath net.news:3565 net.flame:10955 > In article <266@timeinc.UUCP> greenber@timeinc.UUCP (Ross M. Greenberg) writes: > >Is anyone else offended at the idea of a site administrator taking it > >upon themselves to pull the plug on a popular newsgroup, such as net.flame? > > Oh, probably. But they also don't pay the phone bills. > > >I feel that a SA should only control their machine. They shouldn't > >try to control what *I* read. > > I'll translate this -- an SA can do anything he wants, as long as he > doesn't do anything. > > Let me make three points, and then expound from there: > > o Usenet is not a right, it is a priviledge. > > o Usenet exists because a group of systems got together and > cooperated on developing the programs and share information > with each other. > > o Usenet is an anarchy. > [ A very long and coherent flame about irresponsible flamers. ] Anarchy won't work unless open access is coupled with INDIVIDUAL accountability. I hate to say it, but I completely agree that a mechanism for containing rogue postings is in order. I think that sites who don't contain their rogues fairly promptly should be *temporarily* shut off, to give them time to do what they have to to correct their problems with the rogue. SA's who value the net can, and should, take up net.mischief with the offender's boss, dean, or whoever authorizes his/her computer access. Admittedly, this won't stop someone whose aim in life is to trash the net, but it WILL give them time to figure out the rules before they trash their reputation in the Unix community along with it. I wouldn't hire the guy who drew the pig for *anything*. ;-) If you crap in the nest, you can't stay in the nest. -bob.