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From: jgd@convex.csd.uwm.edu (John G Dobnick)
Newsgroups: comp.admin.policy
Subject: Re: Canceling someone else's article
Message-ID: <12569@uwm.edu>
Date: 29 May 91 01:38:16 GMT
References: <1991May28.203704.5535@mp.cs.niu.edu>
Sender: news@uwm.edu
Reply-To: jgd@convex.csd.uwm.edu
Lines: 91
Originator: jgd@convex.csd.uwm.edu

From article <1991May28.203704.5535@mp.cs.niu.edu>, by rickert@mp.cs.niu.edu (Neil Rickert):
> In article <1991May28.200304.25371@solbourne.com> imp@solbourne.com (Warner Losh) writes:
>>
>>Take a look in rec.games.trivial.<12520@uwm.edu>.
>  For that matter, take a look at a bunch of other articles with message-id
> ending in 'uwm.edu>'.  The same jerk posted to multiple groups.
> 
>>I really wanted to cancel this article, but I didn't.  So this brought
>>to mind the following question:

I wouldn't have minded if you did.

>   So did I.  But I wrote an email complaint to {usenet,Postmaster}@uwm.edu
> instead.  I haven't seen any action or response though.

Hey, Neil!  Give us a break, eh?  :-)   Your message came in over
lunch break -- and it _does_ take a _little_ time to process these
things.  (Your e-mail message arrived here at 1759 GMT, I answered it
at 1843 GMT.)
  
>>When, if ever, is it ethically OK to cancel an article posted	by someone else?
> 
>  Not wanting to destroy the evidence of a possible illegality, I just made
> the local copies I could find publically unreadable.

Anyway, here's the story.  A "newbie" user posted the article.  He
has been 'instructed' that this is Not Good.  He has also learned
how to cancel his own articles!   In addition to having a simmering
(nay, boiling) mailbox, he has had the Fear of the Lord put into him
by all you kind people who sent him gentle missives.  :-)

["Put him behind bars!"   "Deep fry him!"  My, my, my... such gentle
persuasions you folks suggest.  :-)]

It took a little while for the cancels to be sent out as he had a)
to learn how to do it, and b) do it from the two machines the articles
were posted from.  (Seems like rn [or whatever] is a little picky about
ensuring the cancel is being done by the original poster.  We don't
want people _forging_ cancel messages now, do we?  :-) )

On our local systems, all the offending messages are gone -- as far
as I can tell.  The cancel messages are on their way to the outside
world, so stay calm.

Here is the list of groups the person told me he sent the message to:

	   general
	   uwm.general
	   milw.general
	   wi.general
	 * news.annouce.important
	   news.misc
	   news.newsites
	   news.stargate
	 * comp.archives
	   comp.mail.misc
	   comp.mail.elm
	   rec.gambling
	 # alt.cult.movies
	   rec.aviation
	   sci.electronics
	   sci.misc
	   rec.music.misc
	   comp.terminals
	   comp.periphs
	 * news.lists
	   rec.games.trivia
	   rec.games.misc
	   rec.misc
	   soc.misc
	   soc.college

	* - moderated groups -- presumably the moderator will
	    kill the posting.
	     
	# - This may or may not be his spelling.  Anyway, no
	    offending message in this group (alt.cult-movies) either.

If there are any we missed, feel free to zap them on sight -- but
please send me a note indicating what the additional group is.


Thanks, and sorry for the annoyance.
-- 
John G Dobnick  (JGD2) -- News Janitor
Computing Services Division @ University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee
INTERNET: jgd@uwm.edu                      ATTnet: (414) 229-5727
UUCP: uunet!uwm!jgd

"Knowing how things work is the basis for appreciation,
and is thus a source of civilized delight."  -- William Safire