Newsgroups: comp.admin.policy
Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!batcomputer!geology.tn.cornell.edu!eric
From: eric@geology.tn.cornell.edu (Eric Fielding)
Subject: harassing mail
Message-ID: <1991May21.232534.17880@batcomputer.tn.cornell.edu>
Sender: news@batcomputer.tn.cornell.edu
Nntp-Posting-Host: geology.tn.cornell.edu
Reply-To: eric@geology.tn.cornell.edu
Organization: Dept. Geological Sciences, Cornell University
Date: Tue, 21 May 1991 23:25:34 GMT

   Are sysadmins or departments or universities responsible for
"harrassing mail"?

   I am a part-time sysadmin, and got some complaints a while ago from
someone who received rude mail messages from one of the users of our
system. My attitude was that I didn't think that it was any of my
business to tell people what they could write in their mail messages.
This particular situation seemed to be two people arguing with one
another, one using ruder language than the other. 
 
   The post office doesn't check what kind of mail they get in the mail
boxes. They only investigate in cases of mail fraud as far as I know.
What is supposed to be the situation on computer networks? Do we shut
down "alt.flame"?

				++Eric Fielding
eric@geology.tn.cornell.edu