Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!uwm.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!wuarchive!decwrl!hplabs!hp-sdd!ucsdhub!ucsd!usc!samsung!uakari.primate.wisc.edu!ames!krypton.arc.nasa.gov!hettinger
From: hettinger@krypton.arc.nasa.gov (Lawrence J. Hettinger)
Newsgroups: news.newusers.questions
Subject: What constitutes abuse of the net?
Message-ID: <379ur-@ames.arc.nasa.gov>
Date: 12 Dec 89 15:39:51 GMT
Sender: usenet@ames.arc.nasa.gov
Reply-To: hettinger@krypton.arc.nasa.gov
Organization: Aeroflightdynamics Directorate
Lines: 26


	I have an issue that I've been dealing with for the past
couple days that may merit discussion.  My apologies if this is
an old, tired topic.

	In rec.humor I read a particularly brutal series of
sadistic jokes dealing with child abuse and pedophilia posted
by an individual who will go unnamed.  I have spent a little
bit of time yesterday and today blasting this person via e-mail, 
and I wrote to the system administrator at the University where
the posting originated.  I basically just lodged a protest with
the sysad, but also asked that consideration be made of terminating
this individual's access to the net.

	Am I right or wrong?  What constitutes abuse of the net?
I have no wish to infringe an individual's rights but on the 
other hand I feel compelled to take action, particularly when
dealing with sexual abuse of children.

	What would you do?  Any opinions, guidance, discussion, etc.
would be most appreciated.


Larry Hettinger  NASA Ames Research Center   Moffett Field, CA

hettinger@krypton.arc.nasa.gov