Howard & listers:

I think the boorish behavior you describe goes back beyond E-mail lists
to the advent of Usenet, first on dial-up networks using, say, the UUCP
protocol, then on the Internet.  Usenet was more-or-less invented by
students and its original denizens were students.  Thus, a rather
no-holds-barred philosophy if discussion style held sway.  Eventually,
of course, things got out-of-hand and thus Usenet etiquette was born.
In all but the "alt ...." hierarchy, it is rigidly enforced.  For some
reason, such rigid enforcement mechanisms have not become popular on
listservs.

Mike Freeman < K 7 U I J >

----- Original Message -----
From: "Howard Kaufman" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Saturday, October 05, 2002 2:09 AM
Subject: virus warning


Even more annoying than the false virus warning, is the piling on and
pillorying of the person that sent it.  For some reason, public flaming
through the use of I-mail, is a tradition as old as viruses and hoaxes.
We
say things in public in front of hundreds of list members that we would
not
say to a person over a cup of coffee.

What's with that???

We can make the same points while treating each other with dignity and
respect.  Bashing will only push people away, while teaching will
encourage
new users to join us.