> "Fella was in the market to buy some acreage...."
> This started out acceptably, and I forwarded it to a family
> member. Hours later I realized what REALLY had been said here...
> Surely there is some form of editing which takes place?  The List
> Server??? What do others think?
 
Generally the members of this list exercise good taste and judgement,
however what is considered good taste and appropriate varies from person
to person.
 
In the case of the 'fable' in question, it was pretty subtle.  I can guess
just what you eventually got out of it, but I might be wrong.  Like many
other things you encounter every day in the world, there are many meanings
you can read into them, and what you get from them may say more about you
than what you are observing. Obviously your initial understanding was
innocent and favourable.  I wonder what caused you to search for another
interpretation?
 
If you examine many everyday sayings -- ones you likely use
regularly yourself -- you may discover they have very vulgar possible
interpretations and likely origins. Now maybe you will find me a pain in
the backside (Hmmmm) when I say this, however no one can protect you from
your own mind.
 
And at any rate --  fortunately for personal liberty -- most adults in the
free world are far more worried about the proponents of censorship that
they are about some off colour (possibly) joke -- and rightly so.  The
question of censorship has come up on this list from time to time and has
not received much support.  Most of us will not exchange our freedom for
protection from spams, bad jokes, etc.  Besides no one has volunteered to
be 'God".
 
I may have a slightly unique perspective on this, since I am regarded
(not entirely unjustly) *by some* as a censor due to the fact that I do
 moderate and edit (read censor) articles for the Best of Bee list.  Best
of Bee incidently did not see fit the repeat the article in question (for
other reasons than the possible meanings to some).  As editor, I am
constantly aware how impossible and arrogant it is for some one person or
a group to try to decide what is fit for any other person or group, or
what has merit. Often a trivial or naive comment on BEE-L stimulates a
very worthwhile discussion -- one I would not have forseen.  I regret
every piece I omit, excepting only the trolls, and even they sometimes are
fruitful.
 
The unfettered interaction of a large number of free and diverse
individuals is the basis of the power of the Internet, power that leads
to huge productivity gains.  It was the inability of centrally planned
(censored) economies to function in the Information Age that lead to the
dissolution and abdiction to free markets of the old Soviet Union and
which will ultimately open up China and other repressed societies.  The
pen is truly mightier than the sword.
 
Although it is not my purpose in the Best of Bee list to filter on the
basis of anyone's taste in jokes, or pictures for that matter (a picture
of some ladies with bare breasts appeared on sci.agriculture.beekeeping
the other day), you might appreciate that such irrelevance is not repeated
on Best of Bee.  I'll repost the info about Best of Bee separately.
 
Allen