On Wed, 1 Mar 2000, Bill Southerly wrote:
>
> Mr. Davis is no longer with us on the list.
While I can't say I was distraught by this announcement, I am
surprised at the alacrity with which our normally reticent listowner
acted. My curiosity is piqued. Did Dr. (as he designated himself, but
with the anonymity that made this claim suspect) Davis go gentle of
his own choosing into that good night? Or was there a sequence of
unpleasant exchanges between listowner and subscriber, punctuated by
accusations of political correctness and attacks on free speech, that
precipitated the action? For once, perhaps our esteemed listowner
could allow us some insight into the shadowy underworld of list
management. Perhaps there's a lesson for us all here. Please Bill,
inquiring minds want to know.
For myself, what offended me most was not his attacks but that they
were made anonymously, with no identification other than his name and
e-mail address. However, I was surprised to discover that the right to
send anonymous messages is protected in the U.S. by the first
amendment. This is illustrated by a bizarre report in a recent
Chronicle of Higher Education. The court considered the case of a
faculty member fired for sending anonymous letters critical of the
university president. They decided that the faculty member could not
make use of the first amendment protection of anonymous communications
unless she owned up to being the author of them!
However, knowing that the standards of TIPS exceed even those of the
U.S. constitution, I was sure that our guidelines required appropriate
identification. It occurred to me that this might be an effective way
to require that Dr. Davis either identify himself or leave. I was
wrong. Our guidelines merely require an e-mail address and a name. So,
unfortunately, it's just a good idea, it's not the law.
But fortunately, Dr. Davis has nevertheless left us, although the
circumstances remain murky. I'm hoping our listowner will help us to
clarify them.
-Stephen
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Stephen Black, Ph.D. tel: (819) 822-9600 ext 2470
Department of Psychology fax: (819) 822-9661
Bishop's University e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Lennoxville, QC
J1M 1Z7
Canada Department web page at http://www.ubishops.ca/ccc/div/soc/psy
Check out TIPS listserv for teachers of psychology at:
http://www.frostburg.edu/dept/psyc/southerly/tips/
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