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From: rccall@dartvax.UUCP (R. Christian Call)
Newsgroups: net.jokes.d
Subject: Re: Is net.jokes for jokes?
Message-ID: <1261@dartvax.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 16-Apr-84 16:09:54 EST
Article-I.D.: dartvax.1261
Posted: Mon Apr 16 16:09:54 1984
Date-Received: Tue, 17-Apr-84 08:35:07 EST
References: <351@opus.UUCP>
Organization: Dartmouth College
Lines: 51

Newsgroups: net.jokes.d
Subject: Re: Is net.jokes for jokes?
References: <351@opus.UUCP>

   In answer to Dick Dunn's question about whether he was right to
tell someone else not to discuss SAT scores in net.jokes I would
have to say that no, he was not right (bear with me, folks --
keep reading for a moment).
   It is, of course, the case that net.jokes is for JOKES [although
I will not attempt here to define "joke"], and that net.jokes.d
is for discussions about jokes. It can be somewhat annoying when
somebody posts an article which apparently has nothing at all to
do with jokes to this newsgroup.  However, I do NOT believe it is
the place of anyone on the net to tell other folks on the net
how to behave.  (Let me here defend myself against cries of
"Hypocrite!" by saying that I am making a suggestion, and not
commanding anyone to behave in a particular way).  We are all
aware of the purposes of the net and we each have our opinions
about what is "proper" to post to a particular newsgroup.  None
of us has the authority to act as a "net policeman."  If a
person persists in posting irrelevant drivel to a newsgroup,
then no amount of flaming can make him stop -- and generally
flaming him will only increase his ire.
   Personally, I take offense when someone sends me mail telling
me how to use [or not to use] then net, as if I were completely
without any sense of judgment about such things.  Sometimes
there are cases when I deem it necessary to post "irrelevant"
things (such as requests for something) to net.jokes so that
I can be sure to catch the eye of as many people as possible;
but I DO think about what I'm doing and I resent it when people
treat me as if I don't.
   Perhaps in the case of someone who is OBVIOUSLY (I must
emphasize that word) new to the net, a polite suggestion
about "netiquette" would be in order; but I can see no
good reason for flaming experienced netters.
   In the specific case discussed in Dick's article, the
business about SATs arose out of a joke about SAT scores,
and so DID in fact have some relevance to net.jokes.
Maybe the best thing to do in cases like that one is to
suggest, graciously and politely, and without taking on
any airs or "holier-than-thou" attitudes, that the discussion
be moved to a more appropriate net, such as net.thus-and-such .
   I hope that Dick will not be offended by this article.  I
do not mean to imply that he was impolite or nasty in his
letter to "mzp" about SAT scores; but there are folks out on
the net who tend to get nasty at times.  Let's not try
to impose our own personal guidelines about the net on
everyone else -- what do you people out in netland think?

R.C.Call
decvax!dartvax!rccall