allen@sulaco.UUCP (Allen Gwinn) (09/22/88)
To the users and admins of Usenet: For those of you who are interested, Portal Communications Co. has decided to implement new policies regarding their customer's access to Usenet. I realize that many of you have been following the situation closely and tolerating all of the traffic generated by the discussion. To those of you who have been inconvenienced or offended, please accept my appology. Hopefully, this will close the matter. Please direct any follow-up comments to news.misc. By the way... there should only be *one* copy of this posted :-) Thanks, Allen Gwinn ...sulaco!allen =============================================================================== [ From the management at Portal to their users: ] +9/19/88 23:12 +Over the past few months, we have received an increasing number of +complaints from other Usenet users about postings coming from Portal. +Portal is getting a bad reputation on the net. Apparently there are a few +net users who don't like Portal, and a few Portal users who, intentionally +or not, goad them on. + +To try to defuse the situation, we are instituting the following guidelines +for posting to the net, effective immediately. Except for the first rule, +these generally conform to the rules for using the Usenet that we have had +all along. + + 1 - No flames + +Please do not post any flames or attacks on other users. We are +interpreting this statement generally, and include the following: + + * rude personal statements. + + * factual style statements that are still attacks (e.g. You are not + nice). + + * obscenities. + +If your article is not directly related to the subject of the newsgroup, +don't post it. The fact that you, a friend, or Portal has been maligned, +insulted, or attacked is not relevant. We are no longer allowing posting +to alt.flame, since flames are no longer permitted. + + 2 - Don't change your pseudonym + +When posting to the net, use your permanent pseudonym. Under no +circumstances should you change your pseudonym, post something, then +change it back. If you don't want people to know who you are, then don't +post. + +3 - Use the correct newsgroup + +Make sure you are posting your article to the correct group. If you have +any doubts, don't post. Send mail to CS, and we will help you find the +right topic. There are articles that should not be posted to *any* group, +like appeals for money. + +4 - Avoid prohibited commercial postings + +In general, the Usenet is noncommercial. There are only a few groups to +which commercial postings are permitted. For example, announcements of new +computer products may be posted *once* to comp.newprod. There is no place +to post general interest advertisements like "save money on your phone +bills" or "earn money via the mail." Under rule 3, this means that you must +not post them. Again, if you have questions, don't post -- ask CS. + + 5 - Avoid making waves + +If you think your article will excite, offend, or annoy other users, don't +post it. If you are about to ask that people don't flame you, then don't +post. If you think you have found a loophole in these guidelines, then +don't post. + + +We take these new guidelines very seriously. If you violate these rules, +you can lose your Usenet access or your account altogether. If this +doesn't clear up the situation, we will consider stricter measures, like +screening all outgoing postings and disabling postings for new users. =============================================================================== -- Allen Gwinn ...sulaco!allen Disclaimer: The facts stated are my own. |Olympic Trivia: In 1960, East German pole-vaulter Hans Zimmer set a new world| |record with his 17'9" vault. Today, he's West German pole-vaulter Hans Zimmer|