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From: sob@watson.bcm.tmc.edu (Stan Barber)
Newsgroups: news.admin,news.misc
Subject: Re: Opinion on a "problem"
Message-ID: <1301@gazette.bcm.tmc.edu>
Date: 2 Oct 88 08:18:29 GMT
References: <1169@nmtsun.nmt.edu>
Sender: usenet@bcm.tmc.edu
Reply-To: sob@watson.UUCP (Stan Barber)
Organization: Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
Lines: 40

In article <1169@nmtsun.nmt.edu> caasnsr@nmtsun.nmt.edu (Clifford Adams) writes:
>	I definitely favor KILL files for individuals, to "remove" a
>troublesome person.  KILLing a group of people based on a few is
>counter to many of the dreams of USENET.  Wasn't the Net supposed to
>be the "great electronic anarchy", where everyone could speak, without
>censorship or repression (at least in alt. groups)?  A community where
>all can share ideas, speaking the same language (ASCII), without
>arbitrary differences like race or gender.
>
>-- 
> Clifford A. Adams  ---  "I understand only inasmuch as I become."
> ForthLisp Project Programmer   (Goal: LISP interpreter in Forth)
> caasnsr@nmtsun.nmt.edu     ...cmcl2!lanl!unm-la!unmvax!nmtsun!caasnsr
> (505) 835-6104 | US Mail: Box 2439 Campus Station / Socorro, NM 87801


I have always saw USENET as a great electronic community, not an anarchy.
Anarchy implies no control. This is not the case. Newsadmins can impose
whatever restrictions they choose. Some restrictions affect only the
local site. Some can actually affect the net. Within this concept of
community is the idea of citizenship. By this, I mean that there is
implied responsibility for one's own actions. USENET has attempted to
encourage everyone to use this resource responsibly. Some choose to abuse
it. Others attempt to deal with this abuse either locally or by encouraging
joint actions of a large group of newsadmins. Defining abuse and dealing
with it are always sensitive issues, but they must be done for the 
community to continue to exist. Otherwise, more sites will exit this
community for another.

I don't disagree with your basic ideas regarding the alt-net. However,
USENET remains a product of people and will continue to show all that is
good and bad (racism and sexism) about people. To expect otherwise defeats
the idea of USENET as a community. I applaude any who continue to encourage
people to follow the guidelines that are defined. This encourges responsible
usage of this resource. This resonsible use should be the hallmark of USENET.


Stan           internet: sob@bcm.tmc.edu         Baylor College of Medicine
Olan           uucp: {rice,killer,hoptoad}!academ!sob
Barber         Opinions expressed are only mine.