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Path: utzoo!mnetor!yetti!geac!john
From: john@geac.UUCP (John Henshaw)
Newsgroups: soc.women,news.admin
Subject: Re: I ain't afraid of no Batwoman
Message-ID: <1248@geac.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 26-Aug-87 12:15:57 EDT
Article-I.D.: geac.1248
Posted: Wed Aug 26 12:15:57 1987
Date-Received: Thu, 27-Aug-87 06:54:32 EDT
References: <2073@batcomputer.tn.cornell.edu> <0@novax.nowhere.nodom> <6138@sri-unix.ARPA>
Organization: GEAC Computers, Toronto, CANADA
Lines: 35
Summary: judge and jury - who?
Xref: mnetor soc.women:6652 news.admin:905

In article <6138@sri-unix.ARPA>, maslak@sri-unix.ARPA (Valerie Maslak) writes:
> No, it's that it was cowardly (anonymous) terrorism, ENCOURAGING and
> FACILITATING, not merely advocating, action that could cripple the
> net. By posting that command line, Mr. Nobody made it possible for a
> lot of people to be a lot closer to silencing anyone on the net they
> don't agree with. I call that terrorism, and I say it has to be 
> CONDEMNED and punished.

> Valerie Maslak

That it was cowardly, I certainly agree. That it was "terrorism" I don't.
Mr. [coward] Nobody has certainly pointed out how to "silence" or
restrict postings. This is akin to people suggesting various ways to
kill or maim others. Are *they* guilty or are the people who actually
*do* the dirty deed guilty? In our society we punish those who actually
*do* bad things. (Yes, I know what "conspiracy" is...) Mr. [jerk] Nobody
has pointed out how to "silence anyone on the net", but he isn't the one
who made it possible. That was designed into the facility that forwards
news. If a site administrator actually goes ahead and implements Mr.
[clown] Nobody's suggestion, then I suggest that he/she/it *are* guilty
of terrorism.

I agree that condemnation is advisable. But *who* has the right to
punish? The mature response is to find out who this person is and
explain the realities of the use of the net. We should *help* people
with social problems - not punish them.

Please don't take the above statements as support for Mr. [*ssh*le] 
Nobody. I'm more concerned in our reaction to this particular issue.

-john-
-- 
John Henshaw,			(mnetor, yetti, utgpu !geac!john)
Geac Computers Ltd.		"Try to fit the social norm... and be a
Markham, Ontario			 good man in a storm..."