[Vision2020] the rantings
Bill London
london@moscow.com
Tue, 24 Jun 2003 09:47:01 -0700
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Ellen Roskovich suggests deleting Stambler from the V2020 list and says
that 5 years ago the precedent was established in a similar series of
libelous postings.
That is not correct. Five years ago, two women did bombard the V2020
list with postings attacking a local attorney and a local judge.
A similar outcry from V2020 subscribers occured.
In response, those two women stopped posting voluntarily. They were NOT
purged from the list. The postings to V2020 have never been moderated
or controlled in any way and nobody has ever been purged from this list.
However, she was correct that in response, that attorney requested that
one especially disgusting post be deleted from the archives. And yes,
that did happen.
BL
Ellen Roskovich wrote:
>
>
> Dear Mr. Wilson:
>
> You should not have to put up with this. Your family should not be
> made to suffer. First Step Research CAN and HAS pulled the plug in
> the past. Those new to the list don't realize this because everything
> was purged from the archives. Let's not make a mockery of free
> speech.....this is TRASH.
>
> E.A. Roskovich, Moscow, ID
> >From: Bill London
> >Reply-To: london@moscow.com
> >To: Douglas , Vision2020
> >Subject: [Vision2020] the rantings
> >Date: Mon, 23 Jun 2003 17:28:31 -0700
> >
> >Open letter to Doug Wilson:
> >
> >I want to apologize for the rantings you have endured as postings to
> the
> >Vision 2020 list. I am truly sorry that your name and reputation is
> >being attacked in this reprehensible manner.
> >
> >A number of V2020 members have suggested that the author of those
> >messages be dropped from the V2020 list. While I certainly understand
>
> >why they want to eliminate those postings, I disagree with that
> tactic.
> >
> >I am writing you to explain why, in hopes that you will agree that
> >allowing such postings is not evidence of agreement or support by
> Vision
> >2020 or any of the list's subscribers. And I want to make it clear
> that
> >I totally reject the vile and malicious nature of those messages. I
> >just feel that the values of open discussion, free speech and an
> >unmoderated list are paramount.
> >
> >Vision 2020 is ten years old. Throughout that decade, at least four
> or
> >five times, the list was bombarded with some variety of
> >potentially-libelous postings by some disgruntled person who saw the
> >list as an opportunity to rant. In each case, the V2020
> >subscriber/members were polled with the question: should this list
> stop
> >being an open vehicle for free speech and become a moderated
> >discussion? Every time the answer has been "no--let's just use our
> >delete keys."
> >
> >Plenty of related issues were discussed each time. Most dealt with
> the
> >question of who would become the moderator, and what would be the
> >criteria for elimination of a posting or a poster. Nobody wanted that
>
> >responsibility.
> >
> >And I think legally, there is plenty of reason for everyone to reject
>
> >that responsibility. My understanding is that any public
> communication
> >system (Daily News, ISP list manager, etc) that manages the
> information
> >in any way (allows some and not others, etc) can be held responsible
> for
> >libelous material. However, if that system does not manage the
> >information in any way (much like the soap box in Hyde Park), then
> there
> >is no legal responsibility for the libelous material.
> >I don't think that is just a legalese distinction. I think it is the
> >essence of our right of free speech.
> >
> >I guess I just think that the V2020 subscribers are able to recognize
>
> >the source of the rantings and reject them. While those posted
> >accusations are certainly uncomfortable for you, I do not think
> anyone
> >believes the source of those accusations.
> >
> >BL
> >
> >_____________________________________________________
> > List services made available by First Step Internet,
> > serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.
> > http://www.fsr.net
> > mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com
> >ŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻ
>
>
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------
> MSN 8 with e-mail virus protection service: 2 months FREE*
> _____________________________________________________ List services
> made available by First Step Internet, serving the communities of the
> Palouse since 1994. http://www.fsr.net mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com
> ŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻ
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Ellen Roskovich suggests deleting Stambler from the V2020 list and says
that 5 years ago the precedent was established in a similar series of libelous
postings.
<br>That is not correct. Five years ago, two women did bombard the
V2020 list with postings attacking a local attorney and a local judge.
<br>A similar outcry from V2020 subscribers occured.
<br>In response, those two women stopped posting voluntarily. They
were NOT purged from the list. The postings to V2020 have never been
moderated or controlled in any way and nobody has ever been purged from
this list.
<br>However, she was correct that in response, that attorney requested
that one especially disgusting post be deleted from the archives.
And yes, that did happen.
<br>BL
<p>Ellen Roskovich wrote:
<blockquote TYPE=CITE>
<div style='background-color:'>
<p><font color="#0000CC"><font size=+1>Dear Mr. Wilson:</font></font>
<p><font color="#0000CC"><font size=+1>You should not have to put up with
this. Your family should not be made to suffer. First Step
Research CAN and HAS pulled the plug in the past. Those new to the
list don't realize this because everything was purged from the archives.
Let's not make a mockery of free speech.....this is TRASH.</font></font>
<p><font color="#0000CC"><font size=+1>E.A. Roskovich, Moscow, ID</font></font>
<br> >From: Bill London <LONDON@MOSCOW.COM>
<br>>Reply-To: london@moscow.com
<br>>To: Douglas <DOUGWILS@MOSCOW.COM>, Vision2020 <VISION2020@MOSCOW.COM>
<br>>Subject: [Vision2020] the rantings
<br>>Date: Mon, 23 Jun 2003 17:28:31 -0700
<br>>
<br>>Open letter to Doug Wilson:
<br>>
<br>>I want to apologize for the rantings you have endured as postings
to the
<br>>Vision 2020 list. I am truly sorry that your name and reputation is
<br>>being attacked in this reprehensible manner.
<br>>
<br>>A number of V2020 members have suggested that the author of those
<br>>messages be dropped from the V2020 list. While I certainly understand
<br>>why they want to eliminate those postings, I disagree with that tactic.
<br>>
<br>>I am writing you to explain why, in hopes that you will agree that
<br>>allowing such postings is not evidence of agreement or support by
Vision
<br>>2020 or any of the list's subscribers. And I want to make it clear
that
<br>>I totally reject the vile and malicious nature of those messages.
I
<br>>just feel that the values of open discussion, free speech and an
<br>>unmoderated list are paramount.
<br>>
<br>>Vision 2020 is ten years old. Throughout that decade, at least four
or
<br>>five times, the list was bombarded with some variety of
<br>>potentially-libelous postings by some disgruntled person who saw the
<br>>list as an opportunity to rant. In each case, the V2020
<br>>subscriber/members were polled with the question: should this list
stop
<br>>being an open vehicle for free speech and become a moderated
<br>>discussion? Every time the answer has been "no--let's just use our
<br>>delete keys."
<br>>
<br>>Plenty of related issues were discussed each time. Most dealt with
the
<br>>question of who would become the moderator, and what would be the
<br>>criteria for elimination of a posting or a poster. Nobody wanted that
<br>>responsibility.
<br>>
<br>>And I think legally, there is plenty of reason for everyone to reject
<br>>that responsibility. My understanding is that any public communication
<br>>system (Daily News, ISP list manager, etc) that manages the information
<br>>in any way (allows some and not others, etc) can be held responsible
for
<br>>libelous material. However, if that system does not manage the
<br>>information in any way (much like the soap box in Hyde Park), then
there
<br>>is no legal responsibility for the libelous material.
<br>>I don't think that is just a legalese distinction. I think it is the
<br>>essence of our right of free speech.
<br>>
<br>>I guess I just think that the V2020 subscribers are able to recognize
<br>>the source of the rantings and reject them. While those posted
<br>>accusations are certainly uncomfortable for you, I do not think anyone
<br>>believes the source of those accusations.
<br>>
<br>>BL
<br>>
<br>>_____________________________________________________
<br>> List services made available by First Step Internet,
<br>> serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.
<br>> <A HREF="http://www.fsr.net">http://www.fsr.net</A>
<br>> <A HREF="mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com">mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com</A>
<br>>¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯</div>
<p><br>
<hr>MSN 8 with <a href="http://g.msn.com/8HMMENUS/2740??PS=">e-mail virus
protection service: </a>2 months FREE* _____________________________________________________
List services made available by First Step Internet, serving the communities
of the Palouse since 1994. <A HREF="http://www.fsr.net">http://www.fsr.net</A> <A HREF="mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com">mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com</A>
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯</blockquote>
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