anon@drux.UUCP (11/08/83)
Netnews is being blindly hacked away at Denver AT&T Information Systems Labs, the "communications company". First, here is a recently posted article (posted by the supervisor of the UNIX support group). The letter he is posting was written by a department head. From drux3!druxy!ken Wed Dec 31 17:00:00 1969 From: ken@druxy.UUCP (Ken Herman) Newsgroups: dr.general Subject: NET.NEWS and ARG logins at DR Organization: AT&T Information Systems Laboratories, Denver I have received the following statement concerning recent NET.NEWS and ARG activity. Ken Herman ____________________________________________________________________ Although we recognize the value of open and uninhibited communications in our work environment such as can be provided by NET.NEWS, we continue to experience abuses with NET.NEWS and with the anonymous login for ARG.NEWS. In order to cope with these problems in the short term, and until long term solutions are found, the following actions have been taken: Effective Friday Nov 4, non-project related news groups have been turned off. Effective Monday Nov 7, the anonymous login for ARG.NEWS has been eliminated. In the near future we will be exploring new policies and ways to implement improved communication mechanisms. The above subjects will be discussed at the 11/15 ARG meeting. A. Mizrahi Things to note: management doesn't even know the name of the system ("NET.NEWS"?) "ARG" stands for "Action Research Group" - it is the official gripe system. For several months, there has been a "dr.arg" newsgroup which could be posted to annonomously (via a public login). Their definition of "non-project related news groups" includes all netnews from outside of our Denver location: att.all, btl.all, bell.all, and net.all. The "abuses" referred to include (I suppose) several complaints about the recent elimination of net.jokes from our machines (because of the unusually offensive joke from Shell Oil Co). Some of these complaints were anonomyous and expressed the sentiment "Affirmative Action, get off my back!". The most recent "offenses" were two articles which objected to the fact that the local United Way campaign says you can designate that your contribution go to a designated agency, but if you do so the total amount given to that agency does not change, because other "non-designated" funds are channeled away from that agency. TWO EMPLOYEES HAVE BEEN SEVERLY REPRIMANDED for those United Way articles (which were signed). THIS IS FRIGHTENING! FOR THE FIRST TIME I'M WORRIED ABOUT SIGNING MY NAME!
sdyer@bbncca.ARPA (Steve Dyer) (11/09/83)
It might be helpful to remember that places of employment are, at best, benevolent tyrannies, and not democracies. While I think it's sad that AT&T Denver removed all netnews, I also feel that it's their prerogative to follow any policy they like. I think that 'net.general' is an inappropriate place to discuss, um, corporate dirty linen. Talk to your boss, send a message to your management, talk to someone who can make a difference. But don't try to make a public issue out of it. This will only polarize the situation, and it won't change a thing. /Steve Dyer decvax!bbncca!sdyer
rjk@mgweed.UUCP (11/12/83)
It's too bad that computer system managers have to become police units. The immediate supervisor is to blame if he cannot control his people, not the provided means of communication. As far as "free speech" - think again. I've found that free speech occurs at that point where you pay your own salary. Randy King
faunt@hplabsc.UUCP (Doug Faunt) (11/16/83)
I disagree. We are all, to some degree or other, potential employees of that site, and this type of attitude is something I would like to know about. Also, it is an object lesson in what can happen at a site and will give other sites incentive to keep up a certain level of responsiblity, and perhaps prevent this from happening elsewhere.