Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!yetti!geac!daveb From: daveb@geac.UUCP Newsgroups: misc.legal,alt.flame Subject: Re: Rosen + Wiener = Mading? Message-ID: <1871@geac.UUCP> Date: Mon, 23-Nov-87 08:41:15 EST Article-I.D.: geac.1871 Posted: Mon Nov 23 08:41:15 1987 Date-Received: Wed, 25-Nov-87 21:33:36 EST References: <19013@amdcad.AMD.COM> <1232@puff.wisc.edu> Reply-To: daveb@geac.UUCP (Dave Collier-Brown) Organization: The little blue rock next to that twinkly star. Lines: 34 Keywords: harrassment obnoxious controversial Summary: kudos for a distinction Xref: yetti misc.legal:2945 alt.flame:617 | In article <3615@bellcore.bellcore.com>, tr@wind.bellcore.com (tom reingold) writes: || There's a difference between "controversial" and "obnoxious." || People who express political or personal opinions about the world || that grate against the norm are controversial and should be protected || under first amendment rules. People who chase people around and || harrass them with stupid childish name calling are obnoxious and || shouldn't be so protected. | | In article <1877@chinet.UUCP> rhonda@chinet.UUCP (Rhonda Scribner) writes: | I think that delineation is not useless at all. | ...NO ONE has come out and said that what Eric said | had any merit whatsoever. And EVERYONE who has said anything at all has | deliberately disassociated themselves from any implication of giving their | blessing to what Eric said. Why? Because we KNOW this is something that | falls clearly on the negative side of this delineation. Some people are | claiming that, because there are cases where the delineation is blurred, we | must abandon it entirely and allow absolute free speech. But this is a | bad argument. There are times when there are very clear distinctions between | something between abusive or harrassing and it just being controversial. I'd like to interrupt the flamage (sorry, alt.flamers) to put in a strong statement of agreement with the distinction made here, and Rhonda's later clarification of the distinction as being between harrassment, obnoxious or merely controversial postings. Its something that seems to be missed a lot by members of this forum... --dave (and I don't even **like** Rhonda) c-b -- David Collier-Brown. {mnetor|yetti|utgpu}!geac!daveb Geac Computers International Inc., | Computer Science loses its 350 Steelcase Road,Markham, Ontario, | memory (if not its mind) CANADA, L3R 1B3 (416) 475-0525 x3279 | every 6 months.