Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!world!decwrl!hayes.ims.alaska.edu!bionet!turbo.bio.net!lear From: lear@turbo.bio.net (Eliot) Newsgroups: comp.org.eff.talk Subject: Re: Len Rose and problems in Illinois Message-ID: Date: 3 Nov 90 07:04:11 GMT References: <4576@rsiatl.UUCP> <1990Oct31.170242.17893@murdoch.acc.Virginia.EDU> <4583@rsiatl.UUCP> <1990Nov1.124525.15730@eff.org> <18667@rpp386.cactus.org> Organization: GenBank Computing Resource for Mol. Biology Lines: 48 jfh@rpp386.cactus.org (John F. Haugh II) writes: >I'd also like to remind everyone that not only was the article >cancelled shortly after it appeared, but a retraction of many >of the statements was made as well, in both this group and >alt.sources.d. You are all encouraged to cancel your articles >and retract any statements concerning either Len or myself. In >fact, it would be best if you simply didn't post anything which >didn't directly concern you. I canceled my article at your behest once, and I now think it was a mistake. At the time, I was somewhat concerned that you would do something rash and attempt to sue me for whatever reason, and I also took into account that you would have your hands full without a reply from me. While both may be true, my overriding concern is that you will have legally bullied people, suppressing discussion that has no better forum than this group. It is certainly not unreasonable for one to be held accountable for what one says or writes. However, I take exception to you attempting to decide for this group what does and does not concern us. Whether you like it or not, the actions you are alleged to have taken have struck a nerve in this community. For example, when has one gone too far on USENET, both legally and ethically? Where does one draw the line? Did the person who posted those messages consider the ramifications of his actions beforehand? System and site administrators have to deal with legal and ethical issues regarding questionable messages passing through their sites. For example, in California would a netnews message containing sexual references become ensnared in sexual harassment laws? To top it off, at least conceptually, we all will run into a freedom of speech argument. None of these topics are new, as they have all been discussed in many different forums. That they have been brought to the forefront by this incident, and again by your legal threats, indicates just how important they are to our community, and how important it is that we not only see some of the issues resolved but actually take part in the effort to resolve them. After all, is that not the purpose of EFF? Who better to explore the ethics of computers than those who use and manage them? If not us, then some congressman or law enforcement agency. -- Eliot Lear [lear@turbo.bio.net]