On 09:13 AM 2/20/01, Cyndi Norman wrote:
> Date: Mon, 19 Feb 2001 23:35:57 -0800 (PST)
> From: "Peter Losher" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>
> That's probably the closest to my current situation, someone attacking a
> list member privately for something he/she said publicly to the list. Is
> there something in your list rules that states this (as they say, the
devil
> is in the posted list rules) or is this something you do on a case-by-case
> basis?
>
>My stated rule is "be nice" but I don't have anything specific about
>off-list attacks. I guess I ought to.
I strongly believe that anyone who posts to a list has to accept the
replies they get, public and private, good and bad. Further, netiquette
indicates that replies that are not of a nature to be interesting to the
whole list should be sent by private email, and most personal attacks fall
under this rule.
But after the poster posts and the replier replies/attacks in private email
(following netiquette), what happens next?
The simple solution is for the poster to use the "delete" function and
ignore the unpleasant reply and not reply to the attacker. This is the
adult response. I belive people need to develop their own spines, I'm not
running a list to be their surrogate mom. Now, since you run a support
list, you might feel differently. If that's the case, then you need to
consider just how much you want to be personally responsible for the
happiness of your list subscribers as their surrogate mom, which is a
somewhat different issue from list management per se, and something only
you can decide.
However, if the replier/attacker sends *another* email (not responding to a
reply from the poster since the poster is not replying (right?), or to
another post by the poster) you now have unprovoked harassment. Harassment
is something the attacker/replier's ISP should deal with. As the list
manager you can also complain to the attacker/replier's ISP along with the
poster, asking them to explain their rules about harassing emails to their
user. You can also have a rule about harassment in your list
rules. However, be sure you completely describe what you consider
harassment. For instance, I personally don't consider a single negative
personal reply sent via private email in response to a public post to be
harassment. It's a *reply*. Stifling "free speech" in the name of having
a "nice" list is heading down a slippery slope. Personally I wouldn't do it.
Whatever you decide, I hope it works out for you and your list. Good Luck!
jc
