Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sdd.hp.com!decwrl!ucbvax!bloom-beacon!eru!hagbard!sunic!mcsun!tuvie!iiasa!wnp
From: wnp@iiasa.AT (wolf paul)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.internals
Subject: Re: c.u.wizards vs. c.u.internals
Message-ID: <887@iiasa.UUCP>
Date: 7 Sep 90 08:22:19 GMT
References: <18533@rpp386.cactus.org> <1053@lot.ACA.MCC.COM>
Reply-To: wnp@iiasa.UUCP (wolf paul)
Organization: IIASA, Laxenburg/Vienna, Austria, Europe
Lines: 37

In article <1053@lot.ACA.MCC.COM> ables@lot.ACA.MCC.COM (King Ables) writes:
)I see the point that Doug and John have made concerning the name of
)the group.  But I fail to see anything but a sematics problem here.
)
)Saying one "can't" take part in a group because of the name of the group
)is incorrect.  Saying one CHOOSES NOT to participate for fear of being
)accused of doing something incorrect because the accuser make an assumption
)based only on the name of the group is another matter.  This is sad for all
)concerned (the person who no longer participates as well as the rest of
)us for losing their insight), but at least it's a fair reason.

In a sense, your statement above is also based on semantics. But so be it.
If Doug and John were self-employed, with the UNIX source licence in their
own names, it would be their choice whether they take that risk. Since
both of them are employees, their respective employers presumably have
something to do with their inability to participate in a c.u.i
newsgroup, and they are justified in saying they "can't" participate.

In view of the recent S.S. investigation of "hackers", and the excesses
to which gov't investigators and prosecutors went in that context, the
name of the newsgroup is NOT a matter of mere semantics.

Unless one can clearly prove that the content of the newsgroup does
not bear out an unfavorable interpretation (i.e. in the case of
comp.sources.unix, all one need do is talk to the moderator), it seems
not too wise to name a newsgroup after something that is
specifically excluded from discussion by the UNIX license. If my
licence prohibits me from discussing UNIX internals, and I participate
in a newsgroup called comp.unix.internals, only the most well-meaning
investigator or prosecutor would believe that I am not violating
my licence.

-- 
Wolf N. Paul, IIASA, A - 2361 Laxenburg, Austria, Europe
PHONE: +43-2236-71521-465     FAX: +43-2236-71313      UUCP: uunet!iiasa.at!wnp
INTERNET: wnp%iiasa.at@uunet.uu.net      BITNET: tuvie!iiasa!wnp@awiuni01.BITNET
       * * * * Kurt Waldheim for President (of Mars, of course!) * * * *