Xref: utzoo news.admin:4691 news.groups:7240
Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!ncar!ames!killer!dcs!wnp
From: wnp@dcs.UUCP (Wolf N. Paul)
Newsgroups: news.admin,news.groups
Subject: Re: rec.humor.funny - A Peace Proposal
Summary: Why it won't work
Message-ID: <319@dcs.UUCP>
Date: 7 Feb 89 12:59:51 GMT
References: <1241@xn.LL.MIT.EDU>
Reply-To: wnp@dcs.UUCP (Wolf N. Paul)
Organization: DCS, Dallas, Texas
Lines: 48

In article <1241@xn.LL.MIT.EDU> olsen@xn.ll.mit.edu (Jim Olsen) writes:
>
>The recent unpleasantness over rec.humor.funny is getting out of hand.  I
>would like to suggest a way to preserve r.h.f with Brad as moderator.
>
>Brad claims a legal right to restrict distribution of r.h.f over USENET.
>Others consider this claim of dubious validity, and a bad idea even if
>valid.  Here is my suggestion:
>
>	- r.h.f continues with Brad as moderator.
>
>	- Brad acts as if his claim were valid.
>
>	- Those who disagree with Brad act as if the claim were invalid.
>
>The beauty of it is that, for now, the two courses of action are identical.
>As far as I understand it, Brad currently has no objection to distributing
>r.h.f to any of the sites on USENET that want it.
>
>Let's call a truce, valid unless and until Brad actually wants to exclude
>r.h.f from a site that wants it (and that time may never come). Then, and
>only then, would the sh-t hit the fan.

Here are a few reasons why that won't work:

(a) Some of those who flamed Brad **LIKE** to flame others, and they won't
    be deprived of an opportunity to do so just for the sake of peace.

(b) Some of those who flamed Brad feel **THEIR** concept of the USENET is
    sacred dogma, and the very fact that Brad expressed a different concept
    (regardless of what he actually DOES about it) is heretical in their eyes.
    One can no longer burn heretics at the stake, but one can still flame them.

(c) The perennial doomsayers ("this incident means the end of the net") need
    occasional reasons and justifications for their predictions, and this one
    is very handy for that purpose.

(d) Similar reasons apply to those who would like to restructure the net into
    something less anarchic than it is now, with more formal democracy, a more
    formal structure for cost sharing, and (most recently) salaries for those 
    who contribute work to the USENET (i.e. moderators).

All of these varied groups of NET people don't need the sh.t hitting the fan,
the aroma reaching their noses is quite enough to spur them into flamage.
-- 
Wolf N. Paul * 3387 Sam Rayburn Run * Carrollton TX 75007 * (214) 306-9101
UUCP:     killer!dcs!wnp                 ESL: 62832882
DOMAIN:   dcs!wnp@killer.dallas.tx.us    TLX: 910-380-0585 EES PLANO UD