Path: utzoo!utgpu!utstat!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!wuarchive!cs.utexas.edu!rice!uw-beaver!Teknowledge.COM!unix!maslak
From: maslak@unix.SRI.COM (Valerie Maslak)
Newsgroups: news.groups
Subject: Re: Results of sci.aquaria vote
Message-ID: <5831@unix.SRI.COM>
Date: 18 Nov 89 00:19:37 GMT
References: <21910@gryphon.COM> <3329@watale.waterloo.edu> <10449@thorin.cs.unc.edu> <2903@viper.Lynx.MN.Org> <5805@unix.SRI.COM> <25641F75.28203@ateng.com>
Reply-To: maslak@unix.UUCP (Valerie Maslak)
Organization: SRI International, Menlo Park, CA
Lines: 24

In article <25641F75.28203@ateng.com> chip@ateng.com (Chip Salzenberg) writes:
>According to maslak@unix.SRI.COM (Valerie Maslak):
>>Um, I'm willing to bet that many SAs do not have a line in their
>>job descriptions that specifically delegates to them the authority
>>to decide which USENET groups to carry.

>Valerie would no doubt win such a bet.  However, her point is irrelevant.
>Job descriptions are often vague and general.  A simple phrase such as
>"maintain electronic communications" covers newsgroup selection.

 Does it indeed, if what we're talking about is really one person
inflicting his or her personal prejudices on an entire workspace?
If I decide that X computers are better than Y computers so I won't
carry any X groups, or that I hate children so I won't carry
misc.kids???? Or even, dare I say it, that soc.women is dominated
by a bunch of manhaters and I'm male and feel threatened by it??? 

No, at some point, what you're talking about is really a form of
censorship based on personal prejudice, if the SA is not basing his
or her decisions on clear employer-prescribed policy.  

Valerie Maslak

Valerie Maslak