From: Lee Corbin (lcorbin@tsoft.com)
Date: Fri Jun 20 2003 - 11:17:28 MDT
Natasha writes
> [Lee wrote]
>
> > It's certain that some people recently felt as though they
> > had been instructed *not* to reply to certain posts or
> > posters. But the list rules are clear:
> > If someone attacks your character, insults you,
> > or otherwise violates the above rule, do NOT
> > retaliate in like manner. Instead, send us a
> > complaint (to info@extropy.org) and take the
> > matter off-list.
> >
> > You see that it makes no mention whatsoever of not *replying*.
>
> The few people who were asked not to reply to certain posts
> or posters were giving a warning, as per the list rules.
Warnings should be, according to the list rules, about
personal attacks, and, as I have shown above, should
not be an attempt to prevent people from replying.
If this is clear, then we can all proceed.
> This was issued because there were more than 2 complaints
> about their language and their posts. "...do not retaliate
> in like manner." means do not send a "post" in like manner.
Ah yes, exactly! This was the problem! They should perhaps
have been warned not to "retaliate [or reply] in like manner",
which is quite different from not replying at all.
So we see exactly the problem that has occurred.
> Free speech is a given on the list, however list rules explicitly
> state that ad hominem attacks are not allowed.
Absolutely.
> Also stated is "This is a private forum. We reserve the right
> to unsubscribe anyone at any time." It seems far better to be
> asked to please refrain from continued posting to a person or
> post that has caused a red flag than to be removed.
Yes indeed. But I see your paragraph here contains the same
error. It asks people to refrain from posting to a person
or a post. It fails to include the words "in like manner".
Thus people were rightly made to think that an injunction
against posting to people or posts *at all* had been made,
which I do not believe to have been the intent.
My apologies for my clumsy attempts to resolve this offline,
and for which I will offer (offline) further regrets.
Lee Corbin
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.5 : Fri Jun 20 2003 - 11:27:50 MDT