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Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!bonnie!akgua!gatech!spaf
From: spaf@gatech.CSNET (Gene Spafford)
Newsgroups: net.news.group,net.flame
Subject: Re: Fear and Loathing on the Clouds
Message-ID: <1743@gatech.CSNET>
Date: Sun, 27-Oct-85 11:12:55 EST
Article-I.D.: gatech.1743
Posted: Sun Oct 27 11:12:55 1985
Date-Received: Mon, 28-Oct-85 03:51:06 EST
References: <614@h-sc1.UUCP> <756@inset.UUCP>
Reply-To: spaf@gatech.UUCP (Gene Spafford)
Followup-To: net.flame
Distribution: net
Organization: The Clouds Project, School of ICS, Georgia Tech
Lines: 66
Keywords: internat, newgroups, spafford, dictatorship
Xref: watmath net.news.group:4020 net.flame:12520

In article <756@inset.UUCP> jr@inset.UUCP (Jim R Oldroyd) writes:
>[various blather deleted]
>...- although EUNET/USENET was founded on the basis
>that there was NO central administration, some attention is necessary.

Usenet sprang up from a few sites exchanging mailing lists.  It had no
charter, and effectively still doesn't.  It needs a lot more than "some"
attention if it is to continue in anything like its current form.

>I beleive that this the NET does not want a centralised network as
>this will completely kill the spirit of the thing.  I have NEVER sent
>an article to a moderator, and probably never will.  What attracts me
>to this network is EXACTLY that which Spafford has decided to remove from us
>all - the freedom of speech and the right to communicate without
>a censor.
You, sir, are full of shit.  I have no no intention of removing anyone's
right to communicate or freedom of speech.  I have done nothing to
remove either of those rights, and any claims to the contrary are
obviously exaggerations.  Whether or not you decide to participate
in the moderated news groups is up to you. You have complete freedom
of choice as to what newsgroups you post to and what you care to
say in your postings.

>Do his actions not seem somewhat DICTATORY to you?  If not, just look
>what I received this morning:
>
>	a newgroup for MOD.POLITICS.
>
>MOD.POLITICS?????   MOD.POLITICS?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?   EH?!?!  WHAT!!

You just received it today?  Gee, you have a pretty slow news link.
That group has been around for at leat 6 months.  Admittedly, nobody
every used it, but it has been around.  Perhaps you just saw it appear
again because Erik Fair is switching all the "fa" newsgroups to "mod"
newsgroups at ucbvax this week.  The Arpa poli-sci newsgroup will
be gatewayed into mod.politics.

Now, please explain to me how providing you with a newsgroup is
"dictatory"?  

>It's about time, Spafford, that you pay some attention to all the
>personal flames directed at you and stop playing GOD.

I do pay attention to all the flames directed at me.  Most of them are
ravings such as yours or Mr. Thau's which seem to exhibit a distinct
lack of awareness about what is actually going on.  That's why I ignore
them.  It also makes a difference when my private mail vastly
outnumbers this nonsense cross-posted to net.flame, and which supports
what I've done.  Odd, most of those letters are from site
administrators who have a little better idea of what is going on.

I'm not playing GOD (or God or god).  First off, I seldom play at
*anything*.  Secondly, I don't imagine being a supernatural being is
much fun since people probably would be more reluctant to invite me to
parties.  If I did have divine powers, I would have the compassion to
try to improve the level of understanding and tolerance of such ravers
as yourself and Mr.  Thau, and cure your paranoia.  But that would deny
so many people a good chuckle.  See? Being a GOD wouldn't be any fun.
So rest assured, I won't bother with it.

Followups to net.flame.
-- 
Gene "sometime in 1986" Spafford
The Clouds Project, School of ICS, Georgia Tech, Atlanta GA 30332
CSNet:	Spaf @ GATech		ARPA:	Spaf%GATech.CSNet @ CSNet-Relay.ARPA
uucp:	...!{akgua,decvax,hplabs,ihnp4,linus,seismo,ulysses}!gatech!spaf