----- Original Message -----
From: "camplate" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "brin" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Tuesday, July 31, 2001 8:36 PM
Subject: Re: Etiquette Guidelines
> If I can add my 2cp: When Charlie Bell left (loudly of course, he had to
tell us HOW HE FELT, then shut the door so we couldn't reply (Like I'm doing
now to him ;-))) he said that he felt this list should be like a pub
conversation, friendly, maybe some disagreements, but generally in a nice
way.
To be fair to Charlie, the leaving was after about a year of being vaugly
uncomfortable and saying so. He didn't mean to make it loud or permenant.
Unfortunately, offline stuff made it online with the usual "game of
telephone" mixups. He had something posted after he left becasue he didn't
want the impression that he left because of John to be the general
perception.
>
> I disagree with that. Why should I NOT say something because it MIGHT
offend someone? Yeah >I agree with the listequitte that personnal attacks
are bad and wrong, that the replies should stick >with the ideas. That
hasn't stopped people from 'perceiving ' attacks on their character or
religion or >whatever.
Well, it seems to me that one can refrain from "All Luxemburgers are Loser"
statements. It does make sense that Larry Lebowitz, posting from Luxemburg,
might take such a statement personally.
I agree that one should be able to post most ideas without great offense
being taken. There are clear exceptions to this, (e.g. blacks being
offended by ideas put forth at a Klan rally), but the exceptions are few and
far between.
I think that the diversity of viewpoints on the list is a good thing. I
think that one of the main things we can work on is actually reading what
someone wrote and the logical implications of that instead of reacting to
what we know they really meant.
Dan M.
