Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!clyde.concordia.ca!uunet!cs.utexas.edu!wuarchive!texbell!ficc!gardosik
From: gardosik@ficc.uu.net (tom gardosik)
Newsgroups: news.misc
Subject: Re: What constitutes abuse of the net?
Message-ID: <7290@ficc.uu.net>
Date: 13 Dec 89 18:56:51 GMT
References: <37942@ames.arc.nasa.gov> <1989Dec13.105316.17987@twwells.com>
Organization: Ferranti International Controls
Lines: 52

In article <1989Dec13.105316.17987@twwells.com>, bill@twwells.com (T. William Wells) writes:
> In article <37942@ames.arc.nasa.gov> hettinger@krypton.arc.nasa.gov writes:
> :       In rec.humor I read a particularly brutal series of
> : sadistic jokes dealing with child abuse and pedophilia posted
> 
> :...
> 
> :       Am I right or wrong?  What constitutes abuse of the net?
> 
> Free speech includes the right to say things offensive. If it did
> not, free speech would be a travesty.

I'm not sure where the idea came from that you can be as abusive 
and/or childish as you please simply because you are protected
by the relative anonymity of the network.

Anything that is offensive said face to face is just as offensive
posted. I am not not concerned with abuse of the net, that is
really irrelevant to the problem that started this discussion. My 
concern is letting people believe that they can say whatever they
feel like saying as long as they post to the "correct group" or
add a smiley face. 

Sure you can say anything, but be prepared to accept whatever
criticism or adverse reaction that results from what you say. 

Not everything goes! There are some things beyond the pale to
some people. It is no defense to simply mutter the incantation
"First Amendment Rights" as an excuse to say whatever you please.
With all rights come responsibilities. You are responsible for
your words, and if you believe that they will not bear repeating
to your superiors, don't post them for the world to see.


> You were wrong.

I disagree. He was right.

> Let's be real. Those were jokes. J-O-K-E-S. Words in a computer.
> Nothing more. To confuse words with their denoted actions is a
> sign of a serious psychological problem. You should see someone
> about that.

See what I mean? Because of the privacy afforded by the computer
(I don't know you, you don't know me), instead of just making 
whatever contribution you have to make, you add on a 
gratuitous insult. You cannot do this in real life for very
long.
-- 
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I'm always right, and I never lie.