Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!pilchuck!ssc!mcgp1!newsadm
From: newsadm@mcgp1.UUCP (Netnews Administrator)
Newsgroups: news.admin
Subject: Re: Nuke Waterloo?
Summary: ...sound and fury, signifying nothing.
Message-ID: <1692@mcgp1.UUCP>
Date: 13 Dec 88 16:30:59 GMT
References: <10279@watdragon.waterloo.edu> <22661@watmath.waterloo.edu>
Distribution: na
Organization: McCaw Cellular Communications, Inc., Seattle, WA
Lines: 50

In article <22661@watmath.waterloo.edu>, rjwhite@watmath.waterloo.edu (RJ White) writes:
> [The only access to watmath that Brad lost was his old student account.]

Actually, this is a good political move.  Cancelling Brad's old, and presumably
not all that useful to him any more, student account is pretty much a NOP, but
it makes for good press and satisfies the great unwashed masses who now
think that he has been severely chastised.  And the agreement that Brad
may continue to transfer RHF through watmath as long as he uses a different
path for the "questionable" material seems fair to both sides.  Brad can
continue to do his thing and the University gets off the (legal) hook.

As far as the various and sundry protagonists in this little drama, all I
have to say is:

	Brad - Keep up the good work but exercise just a little more
	       caution wrt timing and encryption.

	JEDR - Like it or not, he had the right to do as he did.  I pesonally
	       feel he went quite a bit overboard and was unneccessarily
	       nasty, but that doesn't alter the fact that he was within
	       his rights.  If any legal action is taken, that is for Brad
	       to pursue.  We should just keep out of it and let Brad handle
	       it as he sees fit.  In some ways, JEDR may have harmed
	       himself more than any lawsuit could.  He has branded himself
	       a troublemaker and a reactionary, and has lost credibility in
	       the eyes of his peers.  He may have a bit of difficulty living
	       this one down.

	The Waterloo newspaper - Most likely, simply a case of a reporter
			trying to write a story, under deadline pressure,
			about a subject (s)he is unfamiliar with, for an
			audience probably even less familiar.

	The Boston newspaper - Consider the source.


All in all, I don't feel that USENET is in danger.  Sites are not pulling
out en masse, that I am aware of.  If we just let this whole ugly business
drop, the controversy will die out and be forgotten.


These are my own personal opinions; my employer probably doesn't even know
what USENET is, etc., etc.


					John Opalko

					Netnews Administrator
					mcgp1.UUCP
					Seattle, WA, USA