Posted by Scott L. Schofield on April 14, 2000, at 16:46:18
In reply to Re: Apologies, posted by saint james on April 14, 2000, at 14:48:40
> > Hi, everyone,
> > Some of you may have noticed some unsupportive posts here recently. Sorry about that. I'm trying to block them, but it's not a simple thing. Sometimes it turns into cat-and-mouse, and sometimes the mouse is determined, and resourceful. Also, the more blocking I do, the more innocent people get blocked. I'm especially sorry about that, but in my opinion it might be the lesser of two evils.
> > The bottom line is making the board as supportive as possible for as many people as possible. Unfortunately, I don't think it's possible to be supportive of everyone. If you have any ideas on how to handle this better, I'm open to suggestions!
> >
> > Bob
> James here....
>
> The best lists have a pro-active owner who will take action when these things happen. This plus a good group of list members keep the discussion on topic with few distractions.
>
> james
I guess it makes sense to do something when things get out of hand. Some people are obviously very caustic and post things that go well beyond the threshold of tolerance. But who's tolerance?Someone has to make a judgment call. This is a pretty big responsibility. Where do you draw the line?
"I don't know how to define obscenity, but I know it when I see it."
Creating guidelines would probably be difficult.
I have seen posts that have been attacked for more or less obvious reasons, where it seemed that the author had genuinely good intentions.
> > Also, the more blocking I do, the more innocent people get blocked. I'm especially sorry about that, but in my opinion it might be the lesser of two evils.
I usually tend to think along these lines. "I would rather allow nine guilty men go free than to allow one innocent man be convicted" - or something like that. You never know when an asshole is going to have something profoundly brilliant and helpful to say. But obscenity laws do exist. They are supposed to protect the health of the community. How and where do you strike a balance?
This is pretty tough. I'm glad that I'm not the one to have to make any of these decisions.
In the meantime, the most effective strategy might be to not clutter the board with so many responses to each toxic post. I know this is easier said than done. We may be pleasantly surprised.
I'm sure the offenders are just loving to see this thread continue. It shows that they can effect change in their environment.
- Scott
poster:Scott L. Schofield
thread:29978
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20000411/msgs/30020.html