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Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!mark
From: mark@cbosgd.UUCP (Mark Horton)
Newsgroups: net.news,net.news.group
Subject: Re: Net censorship (PLEASE READ)
Message-ID: <1593@cbosgd.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 10-Nov-85 16:56:11 EST
Article-I.D.: cbosgd.1593
Posted: Sun Nov 10 16:56:11 1985
Date-Received: Mon, 11-Nov-85 06:07:00 EST
References: <530@aero.ARPA>
Reply-To: mark@cbpavo.UUCP (Mark Horton)
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Columbus, Oh
Lines: 37
Keywords: censor, censorship, usenet, mod.computers.ibm-pc
Xref: watmath net.news:4318 net.news.group:4438

If there is going to be a Usenet policy on what moderators do, it
should be that the moderators are accountable to the readers and
are expected to act in the best interests of the readers.

Telling a moderator that they are only allowed to act as a secretary
will never work.  There are so many things that a moderator might
do that do not fall into the categories listed.  At the top of the
list is the outright refusal of an article.  I reject about half
of the submissions to net.announce, on the grounds that the message
is too commercial, too long, a duplicate posting, not of worldwide
interest, and so on.  If I were to just correct spelling errors and
pass everything through, we'd have another net.general and most of
the net would unsubscribe.  A poll taken of the readers has confirmed
that this is exactly what the readers want.

In the case of refusing to pass information about copy protection
methods, the moderator may be protecting him/herself from possible
criminal charges.  An even better example is a credit card number - suppose
someone sent a Visa number to net.announce along with the message
"have fun!"  According to your policy, it would have to be posted.
Such posting would quickly land the moderator in jail.

Your example, INFO-IBM-PC, is moot anyway.  INFO-IBM-PC is an ARPANET
mailing list, not a Usenet newsgroup.  It's just gatewayed into Usenet
after it gets moderated on the ARPANET.  Insisting that it is subject
to a Usenet policy on moderation is like typing in the letters-to-the-
editor from your local newspaper (substitute "Dear Abby" or "Miss Manners"
or any other moderated newspaper column if you prefer) into a Usenet
newsgroup, then telling the newspaper they have to print everything
that is sent to them because of a Usenet policy.

Each moderated newsgroup does need to have a policy, and that policy
probably should be stated up front.  Many groups will pass everything
through.  Others have high standards.  But the policies should be
determined separately for each newsgroup.

	Mark Horton