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Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!seismo!ut-sally!jsq
From: jsq@ut-sally.UUCP (John Quarterman)
Newsgroups: net.movies,net.nlang.india
Subject: Re: Re: A Passage to India (worst movie), FLAME
Message-ID: <1669@ut-sally.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 21-Apr-85 10:18:29 EST
Article-I.D.: ut-sally.1669
Posted: Sun Apr 21 10:18:29 1985
Date-Received: Tue, 23-Apr-85 00:48:19 EST
References: <1610@ut-ngp.UUCP> <322@olivee.UUCP>
Reply-To: jsq@ut-sally.UUCP (John Quarterman)
Organization: U. Texas CS Dept., Austin, Texas
Lines: 45
Xref: linus net.movies:4406 net.nlang.india:356
Summary: Think about the effects of what you post before you post.

>	If you disagree with something, fine - post your argument.
>Just remember that preserving your right and freedom to post your
>feelings, however wrong, offensive, racist, stupid, or whatever
>they might be to someone else, is only done by allowing the other
>guy the same right.

While everyone *can* post just about anything to USENET, there are
several other things to be considered when posting:

	USENET is a voluntary association of people, machines,
	companies, and schools.  The distribution of your postings
	is paid for by lots of other people.

	Net.nlang.india is an international newsgroup.  Some countries
	(such as Canada) have laws against the public advocation or
	even public expression of hatred or racism.  This could cause
	problems for people in those countries whose machines carry
	such articles.  This was mentioned in the recent European
	decision to no longer receive net.politics (yes, I know
	that wasn't the reason cited for the discontinuance, so
	don't flame me about it).

	Some of the readers of your articles may turn out to be
	potential employers.  Or to have been potential employers.

	USENET news is not as ephemeral as it might appear:  several
	sites save *everything* *forever*, and anyone who wants to
	can save a copy of anything anyone posts.

	USENET and more traditional media are not unrelated.  There
	is at least one television station on USENET whose people
	follow USENET and read net.nlang.india, in particular.

	And flames beget flames.

So, when posting something, it is worthwhile to think not only of
what *can* be done, but what *should* be done, and what the possible
effects of a given article might be.

Note that I am not advocating that some participants suppress what
others might want to post:  I am advocating that each poster consider
the context and possible effects of their own postings beforehand.
-- 

John Quarterman, jsq@ut-sally.ARPA, {ihnp4,seismo,ctvax}!ut-sally!jsq