Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!mcsun!ukc!warwick!cudep
From: cudep@warwick.ac.uk (Ian Dickinson)
Newsgroups: news.misc
Subject: Re: Do you restrict your users?
Message-ID: <427@clover.warwick.ac.uk>
Date: 1 Mar 90 14:53:22 GMT
References: <90042.134648LRL@PSUVM.BITNET> <1990Feb12.052427.4143@agate.berkeley.edu> <1990Feb13.032400.4120@eng.umd.edu> <1990Feb13.103312 <49@dynasys.UUCP> <1990Feb18.092333.12242@agate.berkeley.edu>
Reply-To: cudep@warwick.ac.uk (Ian Dickinson)
Organization: Team Limpid's Delicate Blend Of Violence & Extreme Psychology
Lines: 27

In article <1990Feb18.092333.12242@agate.berkeley.edu> gsmith@garnet.berkeley.edu (Gene W. Smith) writes:
>is that Penn State's policies are counterproductive and have
>indeed been making the place a laughingstock. Or do you think
>that happend by accident?

I think that PSU had good intentions with their policy.
I also think that one batch of bad apples has spoilt their reputation.
I see a fair number of 'worthwhile' articles from PSU undergrads.

Here at Warwick University, anyone with a Unix account can post without
any restrictions.  And any person who wants an account can have one, if
they are at the University.  We don't have much trouble, and the reason
for this is (IMHO) that the net-at-large is seen as just another tool,
and most of our users only read the news.

However, at another site where I am also news admin, but not supported
by the Computing Services Centre, I see a frightening amount of rubbish,
abusive and childish articles, because (IMHO) on the whole, the undergrads
are treated badly, and denied access to resources such as the net-at-large.
This has lead to confrontation, and a lack of user education on how to
behave.  I intend limiting their distribution until the news has been in
place for a period, hopefully not too long, and then crossing fingers!
-- 
\/ato.  *NIX gives good head.  Support the FSF.  Plinth.  Sabeq.  Brick.  Log.
vato@warwick.ac.uk                        "We shall fight with the most deadly
vato@tardis.cs.ed.ac.uk                       weapon known to man - Inaction!"
gdd046@cck.cov.ac.uk           "Careful with that VAX, Eugene!" - Bill Stewart