[news.sysadmin] The state of the Net

skyler@violet.berkeley.edu (10/24/87)

Larry Lippman has described one of the problems with the net.  People make
false claims and present them as facts; people threaten one another;
the government spends money on sending harassing articles.  The results
of this kind of behavior is, quite obviously, that the net is potentially
threatened should lawsuits ever become involved, the quality of postings
on the net is immediately lowered, all substantial issues deteriorate.
What one would expect from his postings, therefore, (since he seems to
be aware of the problems) is that he would not engage in this kind of
behavior.

However, in addition to saying that his job provides him with ties to the
government which gives him access to a lot of information, he says:
[In Message-ID: <2133@kitty.UUCP>]
>(You're wrong, friend.  I am serious.  And I do have a "presence" in the
>state of California, even though I am in Buffalo, NY.  And I'm no person
>you want to tangle with, so cool your threatening email.)

There is something very strange going on with his postings.  One would
expect, as I said, that he would not engage in the kind of behavior he
so heavily criticises.  Yet, in addition to insisting (unsubstantiated)
that Mark Ethan Smith is a pseudonym, he seems to be threatening to use
government funds to research his attacks on Mark Smith, and he is
threatening other users.  Hypocrisy on the net is perfectly commonplace--
that is not actually the strange part.  What I think is strange is that
Mr. Lippman clearly has a vendetta against Mr. Smith and when he abandons
that vendetta in one group, simply picks it up in another.  Why is he so
interested in trying to get Mark off the net?   And what is this tie to
the government?

-skyler

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larry@kitty.UUCP (Larry Lippman) (10/25/87)

In article <5618@jade.BERKELEY.EDU>, skyler@violet.berkeley.edu writes:
> However, in addition to saying that his job provides him with ties to the
> government which gives him access to a lot of information, he says:

	Would you please enlighten the Net with the article number and
quoted text where I make such a statement?  If you can't produce that
reference, would you like to retract your statement?

> Yet, in addition to insisting (unsubstantiated)
> that Mark Ethan Smith is a pseudonym, he seems to be threatening to use
> government funds to research his attacks on Mark Smith

	Again, please give your reference concerning "government funds" - or
retract your statement.

> And what is this tie to
> the government?

	Perhaps, since you make the claim, you could tell me.

<>  Larry Lippman @ Recognition Research Corp., Clarence, New York
<>  UUCP:  {allegra|ames|boulder|decvax|rutgers|watmath}!sunybcs!kitty!larry
<>  VOICE: 716/688-1231       {hplabs|ihnp4|mtune|seismo|utzoo}!/
<>  FAX:   716/741-9635 {G1,G2,G3 modes}   "Have you hugged your cat todaya ml

skyler@violet.berkeley.edu (10/25/87)

In article <2154@kitty.UUCP> larry@kitty.UUCP (Larry Lippman) writes:
[in the keywords line "more false statements"]

Mr. Lippman, please announce, in public, exactly what was false.
Exactly what are you denying?  Are you claiming that you never implied
you worked for something closely connected to the government?  Are you
denying that you claimed you had close ties to the government?  Are you
denying that you claimed your job provided you with access to governmental
information?

You also say:
>	Would you please enlighten the Net with the article number and
>quoted text where I make such a statement?  If you can't produce that
>reference, would you like to retract your statement?

Please be consistent.  Either the person who makes a claim must provide
all necessary substantiation (and retract the statement if that evidence
cannot be provided) or the person can reiterate that claim until it is
proven wrong.

In other words, either retract, fully and completely, the claim that
Mark Ethan Smith is a pseudonym or do not request that anyone else retract
claims unless _you_ prove them wrong.

Whatever standards are set for what is conveyed over the net should be
consistent.  

-skyler
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