Re: Sandy and I will run a cypherpunks "moderation" experiment in Jan

[Sandy Sandfort <sandfort@crl.com>]

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                          SANDY SANDFORT
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C'punks,

On Sun, 5 Jan 1997, Black Unicorn wrote:

> How will borderline posts be dealt with?  Posts that contain a great deal
> of content and thoughful discussion and still manage to contain flames?
> 
> Will flames be an automatic boot for a post (zero tolerance), or will they
> be balanced against post content?

Zero tolerance will be my first approximation.  I may modify 
that as I see how things really work out.  So far, though, I
don't recall see any of those "high content with flames" animals.
Most posts are one or the other.
 
> What is the threshold which, for example, constitutes an "insult" ?
> 
> "Louis Freeh couldn't identify a directed well managed crypto policy if it
> bit him on his pimple speckled ass."

Truth (and relevance) are a defense.  :-)
 
> "You are so turned around on this issue one is prompted to wonder if you
> have any background in higher education at all."
> 
> "For the new members of the list, [insert list member here] has a history
> of posting idiotic and useless posts, and generally wasting the list's
> time like an asshole."
> 
> All of the above?  None of the above?

Sorry Black Unicorn, no declaratory judgments.  Everything gets
posted one way or another.  Let's see how it works in the real
world.
 
> I believe the "flames" list should be maintained as long as possible.
> Continuing checks on the moderator (whoever it may be) are necessary and
> appropriate.  What better way than to directly provide a means to identify
> what the moderator has excluded?

This is my opinion as well.  However, John makes the very good
point that the unedited list has one very important advantage--
timeliness.  The other two lists (polite and flames) have a 
build in delay time because of the moderation.  I don't see it
as a problem, but John feels that quick turnaround is an 
advantage that some list members would prefer.
 
> A diversity of moderators makes a detailed stated policy on moderation an
> absolute must.

I agree.  We are not at that stage yet, however.  We are still
finding our sea legs for now.
 

 S a n d y

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