[misc.headlines] Fascism Lives

news@rolls.UUCP (The Nutter) (02/29/88)

As a netnews administrator here and on terminus, I never suspected
that I would ever compile as a fascist.  Lately, though, postings by
a user "scrooge" from this site have forced me to do so.

scrooge@rolls will not be posting until he improves his posting style.

Based on some of the replies to his article, I'd suggest that some news
administrators extend the same courtesy to other users...

lazarus@athena.mit.edu (Michael Friedman) (03/02/88)

In article <68@rolls.UUCP> news@rolls.UUCP (The Nutter) writes:
>As a netnews administrator here and on terminus, I never suspected
>that I would ever compile as a fascist.  Lately, though, postings by
>a user "scrooge" from this site have forced me to do so.

>scrooge@rolls will not be posting until he improves his posting style.

>Based on some of the replies to his article, I'd suggest that some news
>administrators extend the same courtesy to other users...

It is, of course, your site, and you have the right to do what you
want with it. Scrooge is also something of an asshole.

Despite this I do not think it is appropriate to stop him from
posting... after all, no one has stopped Jeff Bigelow.

Your actions seems to have been taken to protect us. I would suggest
that such actions should not be taken unless a substantial proportion
of the readers of this newsgroup request it.

PS. People who seriously object to scrooge can put him in their kill files.




These are the official opinions			Mike Friedman
of my organization. So, TOUGH!!

kraut@ut-emx.UUCP (Werner Uhrig) (03/02/88)

In article <3365@bloom-beacon.MIT.EDU>, lazarus@athena.mit.edu (Michael Friedman) writes:
> In article <68@rolls.UUCP> news@rolls.UUCP (The Nutter) writes:
> >As a netnews administrator here and on terminus, I never suspected
> >that I would ever compile as a fascist.  Lately, though, postings by
> >a user "scrooge" from this site have forced me to do so.
 
> >Based on some of the replies to his article, I'd suggest that some news
> >administrators extend the same courtesy to other users...
 
> It is, of course, your site, and you have the right to do what you
> want with it. Scrooge is also something of an asshole.

I see no excuse for anyone getting down to name-calling of this sort, Michael.
 
> Despite this I do not think it is appropriate to stop him from
> posting... after all, no one has stopped Jeff Bigelow.

Huh?  what kind of an argument is that?  who is this "Jeff Bigelow", anyway?
(not that I care for an answer, really)

> Your actions seems to have been taken to protect us. I would suggest
> that such actions should not be taken unless a substantial proportion
> of the readers of this newsgroup request it.

That really is the suggestion of the century; I can just see all the votes
flying back and forth.  On the basis of the name-calling and this useless
proposal alone, Michael is a candidate for the kill-file he was suggesting
to use on others.
-- 
(prefered mailbox:)		werner%rascal@sally.utexas.edu
				....!ut-sally!rascal.ics.utexas.edu!werner
(if rascal is unreachable:)	werner@astro@sally.utexas.edu
				werner@utastro.uucp

lazarus@athena.mit.edu (Michael Friedman) (03/03/88)

In article <1048@ut-emx.UUCP> kraut@ut-emx.UUCP (Werner Uhrig) writes:
 >In article <3365@bloom-beacon.MIT.EDU >, lazarus@athena.mit.edu (Michael Friedman) writes:
 > > In article <68@rolls.UUCP > news@rolls.UUCP (The Nutter) writes:
 > >  >As a netnews administrator here and on terminus, I never suspected
 > >  >that I would ever compile as a fascist.  Lately, though, postings by
 > >  >a user "scrooge" from this site have forced me to do so.

 > >  >Based on some of the replies to his article, I'd suggest that some news
 > >  >administrators extend the same courtesy to other users...

 > > It is, of course, your site, and you have the right to do what you
 > > want with it. Scrooge is also something of an asshole.

 >I see no excuse for anyone getting down to name-calling of this sort, Michael.

I see. It is perfectly all right to cut scrooge of the net, but it is
bad to call him an asshole. I think you have your priorities mixed up.

 > > Despite this I do not think it is appropriate to stop him from
 > > posting... after all, no one has stopped Jeff Bigelow.

 >Huh?  what kind of an argument is that?  who is this "Jeff Bigelow", anyway?
 >(not that I care for an answer, really)

Jeff Bigelow is the person who suggested that if I found out that my
dead wife had been a liberal I would piss into her empty eye-sockets.
The point I was making was that some people on the net are much more
offensive than scrooge.

 > > Your actions seems to have been taken to protect us. I would suggest
 > > that such actions should not be taken unless a substantial proportion
 > > of the readers of this newsgroup request it.

 >That really is the suggestion of the century; I can just see all the votes
 >flying back and forth.  On the basis of the name-calling and this useless
 >proposal alone, Michael is a candidate for the kill-file he was suggesting
 >to use on others.

My, my, we are touchy. As kicking people off the net is very rarely
necessary I don't think it will really be all that bad if we make it
difficult to do. 


PS. I am rather disappointed. Am I the only person on the net who does
not think scrooge should have been booted?

These are the official opinions			Mike Friedman
of my organization. So, TOUGH!!

tbrakitz@phoenix.Princeton.EDU (Triantaphyllos Byron Rakitzis) (03/04/88)

In article <3429@bloom-beacon.MIT.EDU> lazarus@athena.mit.edu (Michael Friedman) writes:
>In article <1048@ut-emx.UUCP> kraut@ut-emx.UUCP (Werner Uhrig) writes:
> >In article <3365@bloom-beacon.MIT.EDU >, lazarus@athena.mit.edu (Michael Friedman) writes:
> > > In article <68@rolls.UUCP > news@rolls.UUCP (The Nutter) writes:
> > >  >As a netnews administrator here and on terminus, I never suspected
> > >  >that I would ever compile as a fascist.  Lately, though, postings by
> > >  >a user "scrooge" from this site have forced me to do so.
>
> > >  >Based on some of the replies to his article, I'd suggest that some news
> > >  >administrators extend the same courtesy to other users...

Scrooge breathes a breath of fresh air into this group. Can't you see
he writes with his tongue firmly in his cheek? Rather than getting upset,
why don't you smile? Shees, people, take it easy....



Byron Rakitzis.

perseus@nvuxk.UUCP (A D Domaratius) (03/04/88)

In article <68@rolls.UUCP>, news@rolls.UUCP writes:
> As a netnews administrator here and on terminus, I never suspected
> that I would ever compile as a fascist.  Lately, though, postings by
> a user "scrooge" from this site have forced me to do so.
> 
> scrooge@rolls will not be posting until he improves his posting style.
> 
> Based on some of the replies to his article, I'd suggest that some news
> administrators extend the same courtesy to other users...

I guess I haven't read many articles from scrooge@rolls.  What is
wrong with his style.?  Is he a fascist?  If that is the reason that
you disagree with his style, isn't that censorship.  Don't get me
wrong, I don't want fascists to be able to send their lies out to
the world, but the fact remains that this cannot be a reason for
failing to give access to this person.  

I am replying this way because, as I have stated earlier, I have
never (to my memory) read anything by this poster -  scrooge@rolls.
If am missreading what you said then let me know exactly what you
mean by improve his style.

Al Domaratius
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
..
.

nyssa@terminus.UUCP (The Prime Minister) (03/05/88)

In article <3429@bloom-beacon.MIT.EDU> lazarus@athena.mit.edu (Michael Friedman) writes:
>I see. It is perfectly all right to cut scrooge of the net, but it is
>bad to call him an asshole. I think you have your priorities mixed up.

Yes, it is perfectly all right to remove net access from a person
who is abusing it.

Yes, it is bad to insult people over the net.

No, the person you are criticising did not have his priorities mixed up.

Two out of three ain't bad.

hamilton@mit-caf.UUCP (David P. Hamilton) (03/05/88)

In article <3429@bloom-beacon.MIT.EDU> (Michael Friedman) writes:

>Jeff Bigelow is the person who suggested that if I found out that my
>dead wife had been a liberal I would piss into her empty eye-sockets.
>The point I was making was that some people on the net are much more
>offensive than scrooge.

It's *Joe* Bigelow, Mike.  (Try a "f bigelow@caf" to see for yourself.)
And no, I have no idea who he is.  Caf is a heavily-used machine.

Personally, I think Joe has a great future in alt.flame, if nowhere else....

>PS. I am rather disappointed. Am I the only person on the net who does
>not think scrooge should have been booted?

No, I have to agree with you.  (Although I'm probably one of the
people his system administrator wants to ban as well, since he posted
a private flame I sent him after a particularly obnoxious article.)  I
had already decided to ignore scrooge's postings, having discovered
how counterproductive either answering or flaming at them could be,
but everyone else should be able to make that choice themselves.  I
don't think people should be "kicked off" the net for whatever reason,
since rude and offensive people seem to learn the error of their ways
eventually.  (At the very least, they vanish.)  Any stance short of
full deregulation opens up controversies such as the Wiener/Maroney
business, and those the net does not need.

-- 
David P. Hamilton
hamilton@caf.mit.edu			"Markets test *popularity*, not truth."
...!mit-eddie!mit-amt!mit-caf!hamilton

jstehma@hubcap.UUCP (Jeff Stehman) (03/06/88)

>>PS. I am rather disappointed. Am I the only person on the net who does
>>not think scrooge should have been booted?
> 
> I don't think people should be "kicked off" the net for whatever reason,
> since rude and offensive people seem to learn the error of their ways
> eventually.  (At the very least, they vanish.) 
> 
> David P. Hamilton



	Are you kidding?  Rude and offensive people are what generate
most of the fun around here.  The responces to them are often delightful
(and rude and offensive).  And occasionally there is a true gem;
something that Jonathan Swift would be proud of.
	But then, I go to cockroach races only to see the little fellers
crash.

							Jeff Stehman




-- 
Disclaimer:  My opinions are those of God.  They are absolutely correct
	     and infallible.  (Send flames on signature to...)
				UUCP: ...gatech!hubcap!jstehma
			    Internet: jstehma@hubcap.clemson.edu

webber@athos.rutgers.edu (Bob Webber) (03/06/88)

In article <3429@bloom-beacon.MIT.EDU>, lazarus@athena.mit.edu (Michael Friedman) writes:
> ...
> PS. I am rather disappointed. Am I the only person on the net who does
> not think scrooge should have been booted?

Of course you aren't the only one who finds it disgusting that some admin
has decided to deprive the net of one of its more unique voices.  But what
is there to say.  The commitment to free speech in this country is rather
thin.  You will find people who say that free speech is only appropriate 
where absolutely required by the Constitution.  You will find others that
say that free speech is only appropriate when it doesn't cost anything.
You will find others who say that free speech is only appropriate when
it doesn't inconvenience or annoy them.  

The sad thing is the way it gets presented.   People argue over
whether or not so and so has a right to post (or any less right than
anyone else) whereas the real issue is whether the rest of the net,
with all of its investment of time and effort, has not yet earned the
right to have these postings available to it.

--- BOB (webber@athos.rutgers.edu ; rutgers!athos.rutgers.edu!webber)

myke@stratus.UUCP (Myke Reynolds) (03/07/88)

In article <1120@athos.rutgers.edu> webber@athos.rutgers.edu (Bob Webber) writes:
>In article <3429@bloom-beacon.MIT.EDU>, lazarus@athena.mit.edu (Michael Friedman) writes:
>> ...
>> PS. I am rather disappointed. Am I the only person on the net who does
>> not think scrooge should have been booted?
>
>Of course you aren't the only one who finds it disgusting that some admin
>has decided to deprive the net of one of its more unique voices.

I keep hearing about this guy, but I still haven't gotten the story.
-- 
Myke Reynolds				{ gatech!stratus!myke }