On Sun, 22 Nov 1992 18:09:11 -0500 <[log in to unmask]> said:
>On Sun, 22 Nov 92 16:21:46 -0500 [log in to unmask] said:
>>    In summary, there is no battle here between LISTSERVs.  To suggest
>> that there is implies some equality of competition between two or more
>> legitimate software packages fighting for a market.  There is only one
>> LISTSERV, and to suggest otherwise is an attempt to lend credibility
>> to software which I hope more and more sites are realizing is unethical
>> to use on purely professional grounds.  In short, if you want to
>> provide LISTSERV-like services, ask permission to use the name LISTSERV,
>> if the author says 'no, use another name', be professional, respect
>> the answer, and get another name.  Finally, I replied here because I
>> have seen this issue come up a few times over the years and I am still
>> amazed by the lack of professionalism on the part of the developers who
>> not only use the name 'listserv' when asked not to, but who also flaunt
>> it by posting to this list.   My opinion, my perspective.
>
>Trish, in the interests of professionalism and ethics... may I please
>share, borrow and use your opinion and perspective? I agree with it!
>I would add that if people took 2 minutes to see how users see the world, they
>would see users have no idea there is a difference between the listservs and
>frankly don't care... I find it to be a gross error in judgement for someone
>to develop something and call it listserv, and, in the specific case of the
>one developed at Boston University, I am kind of annoyed that the University
>from which I graduated allowed this to happen. Ethics never were a big
>topic at BU, in my opinion. Ethics and professionalism should be part of the
>computer science curriculum (and all others as well).
>
>/mrg
 
For what it's worth, I would agree as well. I also observe
that the Coalition for Networked Information (CNI) has now
also advertized its own "listserv" which is (mostly) of the
non-Eric Thomas kind.  So now a large number of individuals
in that coaltion are equally confused by the meaning of
"listserv."  That's particularly alarming to me since something
called the CNI should be making these distinctions clear and
should be educating the coalition partners likewise.
 
*GO*   Always cordially,
*!!*   A. Ralph Papakhian, Music Library (Co-Listowner for MLA-L@IUBVM)
*IU*   Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405
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