At 15:58 31-1-02 -0600, Marvin Long wrote:
>Yes and no. Again, a warning is by definition a conditional threat. If
>someone's behavior isn't bad enough to provoke or justify a public debate,
>I don't think even a private warning of the "Shape up or be banned" form
>is appropriate, since decisions about banning are supposed to reflect the
>will of the group. It seems to me that the structure and principles of
>Brin-L are such that before anyone gets banned, everybody should know
>that the possibility is there so that they can express their opinions on
>the subject, like now. So, I think a warning that carries a threat of
>banishment must be public at some point before any banishing actually
>happens.
Why not settle this once and for all? Maybe we should draw up a document
that describes exactly the job description ("Rights & Responsibilities") of
the listowners, and the procedure for dealing with misbehaviour of members.
Suggestions for both content and title are welcome.
To get things started, here is a first draft:
Title: <Brin-L Constitution>
1. The Listowners are responsible for solving any technical problems
Members may have with their subscription.
2. All Members, including the Listowners, may call on an other Member if he
or she is showing undesirable conduct.
3. These calls are to be made off-list. To keep a complete record of these
calls, Members are requested to CC or BCC such a message to the Listowners.
4. If a Member continues his misbehaviour, other Members, including the
Listowners, may call on the offending Member on-list.
5. If a Member still continues his misbehaviour, he will be sanctioned by a
Temporary Ban from the List, but not before the matter is discussed on-list
and consensus has been reached.
6. This Temporary Ban will not exceed a period of four weeks.
7. The offending Member may return to the List after the period of the
Temporary Ban has passed.
8. If the offending Member still continues his misbehaviour, he will be
sanctioned by a Permanent Ban from the List, but not before the matter is
discussed on-list and consensus has been reached.
9. When the List decides to impose a sanction, it is the duty of the
Listowners to carry out the sanction.
A few notes:
1. It needs to be defined what constitutes "undesirable conduct" (point #2)
2. It needs to be defined what constitutes "misbehaviour" (points #4, #5, #8)
Please note that this is only a first draft, designed to spark a
discussion. It does not necessarily represent my views on the subject. I
invite you all to provide additions and suggestions for change. For
instance, we could ditch the Etiquette Guidelines and Administrative FAQ as
separate documents and incorporate them into this new document.
May wisdom guide you on this journey.
Jeroen
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