Mike, (and others)
  I really feel that we are beating a dead horse here, but I think that I need
to correct a few incorrect assumptions.
  Mr. Johnson was not filtered because of his "attitude" or because what he
was saying upset a few people. He was filtered because he continously broke
the Net rules (reposting private email without permission), refused to stay on
topic (historical archaeology), and refused to moderate his posts when I
pointed out that this sort of behavior was unacceptable to the group as a
whole.
 
I spent most of November of 1994 attempting to keep Mr. Johnson on track. By
the end of the month, most of the people on the list were tired of the whole
thing, and we were losing subscribers. In order to keep the list going, and
preserve the salon atmosphere, I served Mr. Johnson's node off.
 
Believe it or not, Mr. Johnson is the only person I have ever filtered. I will
use such a method only in extreme cases, and only after much provocation.
 
It is a hell of a lot of work to keep this list going. As your factorum (thank
you, Kenneth), and as the person who protects the list from mail bounces and
other Net demons, I think that I have a right to act as a bouncer,
occasionally. The matter of censorship does NOT enter into this discussion,
because RJ was filtered due to his inappropriate use of the Internet, not the
content of his posts.
 
Anita Cohen-Williams; Reference Services; Hayden Library
Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ  85287-1006
PHONE: (602) 965-4579              FAX: (602) 965-9169
[log in to unmask]  Owner: HISTARCH, SPANBORD, SUB-ARCH