Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!uwm.edu!rutgers!texbell!vector!telecom-gateway From: langz@asylum.sf.ca.us (Lang Zerner) Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom Subject: Re: Caller ID Saves A Life! Message-ID: Date: 16 Oct 89 00:24:55 GMT Sender: news@vector.Dallas.TX.US Organization: The Great Escape, Inc Lines: 47 Approved: telecom-request@vector.dallas.tx.us X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@vector.dallas.tx.us X-TELECOM-Digest: volume 9, issue 454, message 6 of 9 Patrick-- Unlike some who object to the idea of a moderator editorializing, I support your position that your opinion is as valuable to a discussion as is anyone else's, and that therefore you have not only the right, but a moral obligation to state your views (so long as you are cognizant of and responsibe with the added weight they carry by virtue of your position). As long as you are careful not to take action which might curtail others' expression of their (possibly opposing) views, there is little sound argument against your expressiion of your own. However, after your recent request that telecom readers refrain from posting on the merits and disadvantages of Caller ID, I opine that it was irresponsible of you to post your "Caller ID Saves A Life!" article. While it is an interesting news story, it is fairly obvious that you posted it to advocate your personal position that Caller ID is in the main a good thing. By using your authority as moderator to enable the broadcast of your personal view on a topic, after using that same authority to curtail the broadcast of others' views, you have carelessly (I hope) neglected you responsibility as moderator to maintain a realistic and honest presentation of the views of the Usenet telecom community. If you feel it beneficial (as I agree it was in the case of the Caller ID debate) to request curtailment of a discussion here, I hope that in the future you will take the pill along with the rest of us. With respect, Lang Zerner langz@asylum.sf.ca.us UUCP:bionet!asylum!langz ARPA:langz@athena.mit.edu "...and every morning we had to go and LICK the road clean with our TONGUES!" [Moderator's Note: Yes, I know I said Caller ID had occupied a huge amount of space here; and yes, I did suggest some time back it was time to move on to other things. But frankly, if the microcosm of society which makes up Digest readership is any indication, Caller ID is going to be a hot topic for the next few years. I really don't know which way to go with the discussion. It does seem a shame not to touch on 'Caller ID in the news' -- and we *will* be seeing more and more of it in the news -- yet the very real practical limitations of a Digest such as this preclude having the discussion go on and on forever. Be assured though, that for every position or posture taken here, ample space will be given to the 'loyal opposition'...whichever side of the argument that is. Thanks for writing. PT]