gmp@rayssd.ray.com (Gregory M. Paris) (02/06/89)
In article <2714@looking.UUCP> brad@looking.UUCP (Brad Templeton) writes: > So I decided to affirm that the group is mine, and that I control it, > and that if somebody wanted to charge money for reading it, I have it in > my authority to control that, too. So I have affirmed my compilation > copyright(*) in the group, and said all free usenet sites can carry it, and > that other sites have to ask. I have also said that just about anybody This has got to be one of the most outrageous things I have ever read on USENET. I do not read rec.humor.funny, but apparently people find it a valuable resource. That's great. What's not great is that people are now being held hostage by the perceived value of the group. I'm sure it is true that Mr. Templeton has put much time and effort into moderating rec.humor.funny, but so have other moderators with their respective groups. It's no excuse for him to suddenly claim ownership of the group and dictate who can and cannot receive it. Brad Templeton may have done a bang-up job moderating the newsgroup in the past, but he seems to be losing touch now. For his sake and for the sake of the group, I believe that he should be relieved of the responsibility as soon as possible. I'm convinced that there are many people that are ready, willing and able to do as good a job as Brad has done, with much less controversy and emotional trauma. -- Greg Paris <gmp@rayssd.ray.com> {decuac,garp,gatech,necntc,spdcc,sun,uiucdcs,ukma}!rayssd!gmp "Existence -- survival -- must cancel out programming!"
brad@looking.UUCP (Brad Templeton) (02/06/89)
"Hostage?" and in other people's postings "penalize," "censor", "sue" and "restrict" Where do you people get off using these words? I'm really sorry about how misconstrued my words have been in this affair. I never expected such gross misrepresentations. "hostage?" "censor?" Do you people know what these terms mean? I have sweated blood to give people a group they enjoy. My name is now recorded forever in newspaper databases as linked with heavy-duty racism because of it. And all you people can talk about is the kind service you have done me by propagating the group out to other net sites. And in the next breath you ask me how I DARE suggest that I might refuse the use of this kind service to certain sites. Well, thanks for all the kind service, folks, but don't do me any favours. If you don't want to propagate this group to other netters because you don't like the rules for it then don't propagate it. I'm not forcing you. If you're really upset, start your own moderated group. This has always been possible. ------ Now, for the rest of you who have expressed legitimate concerns, let me assure you that I will do all that I can to counter any fears you have of problems. For one, let me assure you that nobody will ever be capable of unknowing infringement of this copyright on the net. IF I ever excercise the right of control, it would only be on somebody who was explicitly asked not to feed the group, and refused (or refused to answer). If I ever do ask! Let me also assure that I have no intention of bothering any site over money that is what we would call a USENET site, even Portal, based on descriptions I have received of it. Let me assure you that my current intention is that as far as USENET is concerned, the group isn't going to be run one *whit* differently from the way it is now. So what's all the attacking? Some of you feel that the compilation copyright concept can't apply to a moderated group. If this is you, PLEASE stop the complaining. If it doesn't apply, then *I'm* the one who has to test it, and I'm the one who would lose big bucks doing so, if I ever did. And I don't see why I should have to test it. I'll put all this in the monthly posting, if you want it to get longer! -- Brad Templeton, Looking Glass Software Ltd. -- Waterloo, Ontario 519/884-7473