Xref: utzoo news.admin:3410 alt.flame:2671
Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!att!osu-cis!killer!pollux!dalsqnt!rpp386!jfh@rpp386.Dallas.TX.US
From: jfh@rpp386.Dallas.TX.US (John F. Haugh II)
Newsgroups: news.admin,alt.flame
Subject: A Serious Dilemma for the Net
Summary: Something MUST be done about Portal
Message-ID: <6817@rpp386.Dallas.TX.US>
Date: 19 Sep 88 01:35:00 GMT
Sender: jfh@rpp386.Dallas.TX.US
Followup-To: alt.flame
Organization: River Parishes Programming, Dallas, TX
Lines: 34

to all you USENETTER's -

greetings.  a very large problem has emerged on the net.  for several
weeks, the net has been beseiged with postings from many users at the
portal system in california.  these postings are made from pseudo-
accounts with names such as "spartan", "hijacker", "publisher", and
so on without bound.  it is my considered opinion that the site
administrator's decision to allow users to use these "c.b. handles"
(and to apparently change them on a moments notice) encourages them
to post irresponsibly.  as an example, let us not forget the ta-do
with jj@cup.portal.com [ not to be confused with the real jj@alice ]
who posted a plea for money across most of the newsgroups on the
net.

this problem might be solved if the management at portal replaced the
portal-id field with the user's real name.  the users might then
consider acting with more discretion prior to posting, knowing that
their name would be attached for all to see.

if the administrators at portal remain uncertain as to the need for
this action, perhaps we could help them out by compiling a compendium
of articles showing the content of the articles emanating from that
system.

perhaps neighboring sites could be persuaded to disassociate themselves
with portal until such time as portal ceases to be a negative factor
in the usenet community.  to aid other site administrators in removing
portal system postings, i have created a shell script which will cancel
all postings coming from that system.

I thank you, and Usenet thanks you...

Sincerly,
John F. Haugh II