William, and all others who continue to respond to this sort of silliness:
When someone gets continuing pattern of obscene telephone calls, they are
faced with trying to decide how to get the calls to stop. This is made
difficult by the psychology of the people who make such calls. The caller
is sufficiently starved for any sense of control over their life that they
find it necessary to try to use the telephone as a means of claiming some
control over others.
If the target handles the call incorrectly, the caller will feel that they
have upset the person and, of course, that is the goal. For most people,
simply hanging up is the best course of action, but some callers even take
that as an indication that the target is upset.
At base, the requirement is to withhold any feedback -- any and all
feedback -- from the caller. Only when they are fully and completely
deprived of any "reinforcement" will they stop calling.
We are now experiencing this sort of aberrant psychology in Internet
mailing lists. In the current case, it includes full-blown and persistent
delusions that even permit claims of friendship with the recently deceased.
With this sort of illness, there is no reasoning. Nothing that is said or
done will get the person to become a constructive participant. There is
only quietly shunning.
In case none of you has noticed, these aberrant behaviors have not reduced
over the last couple of years. They have, if anything, gotten worse.
This will only change when such contributions are ignored, thoroughly and
permanently.
d/
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Dave Crocker Tel: +1 408 246 8253
Brandenburg Consulting Fax: +1 408 273 6464
675 Spruce Drive <http://www.brandenburg.com>
Sunnyvale, CA 94086 USA <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
