Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!att!osu-cis!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!ukma!ukecc!wes
From: wes@engr.uky.edu (Wes Morgan)
Newsgroups: news.admin
Subject: Re: "cup.portal.com" removal (was: The phone number for Portal)
Message-ID: <2368@ukecc.engr.uky.edu>
Date: 27 May 88 13:24:54 GMT
References: <776@fig.bbn.com> <317@comdesign.UUCP>
Organization: Ennui Rampant @ UKentucky/Lexington
Lines: 51

In article <317@comdesign.UUCP>, pst@comdesign.uucp (Paul Traina) writes:
> 
> Perhaps the neighbors of portal -- sun, hoptoad, and atari -- will consider
> cutting service temporarily.  The owners of Portal make a profit from users
> who dial into their computer.  They seem to enjoy the fireworks that emit
> from their machine -- their users call in more and more to respond to
> the flames that emit from the net.  If Portal lost net access for a while,
> some of their customers might stop calling in (or at least avoid spending
> hours each day reading news).  This would hit Portal management in the
> pocket-book.
> 

I think that quite enough has been accomplished in this matter.  The individual
in question has lost his access <according to a recent posting>, and the post-
master of portal has been severely taken to task via both email and the open
net.  I even shipped out a quick message. 8)

I do not think that cutting the news links is a proper action.  If this is
done once, it sets a dangerous precedent.  What happens if I post some un-
believeably obnoxious/commercial/obscene drivel?  Does my site have its links
chopped?  Is this fair to the other users of my site?  I don't think so.  The
guy has lost his access, and the management of portal has been given some 
quick lessons in responsibility 8).  Let it go.


> Perhaps if a concerned effort to black-ball portal for 2-4 weeks if this
> random lossage continues is worth considering?

I don't agree with a black-ball; how about "read only" access as a punishment?
That way, those people who read groups such as misc.jobs.offered can still 
respond via telephone or USMail.  

I don't think that either of these options is necessary; however, if you 
*must* discipline a site for offensive postings, I suggest read-only as 
the way to go.


> -- 
> Paul Traina, Systems Software Engineer	 | Suddenly my feet are feet of mud,
> ComDesign / Network Equipment Technologies |   It all goes slow-mo.
> pst!comdesign@pyramid.com		             | I don't know why I'm crying,
> ucbvax!pyramid!comdesign!pst		         |   Am I suspended in gaffa? --Kate


Wes Morgan


-- 
     wes@engr.uky.edu OR wes%ukecc.uucp@ukma OR ...cbosgd!ukma!ukecc!wes
	"Some days you just can't get rid of a bomb!" - Batman
	    "Some days you just can't blow up Batman" - The Penguin