> I received a request this morning to delete a message from one of my lists'
> archives. The message in question was an e-oops (private embarrassing mail
> reply accidentally sent to the list. I have mixed feelings about doing this
> and would like to solicit your opinions and feedback on the matter.
> 1). Should listowners delete messages from list archives at subscriber
> requests?

Absolutely not.  The archives are the archives, edited only to resolve
technical glitches.
>
> 2). Will doing so create a bad precedent that will lead to a list management
> nightmare?

Very definitely.  If people know you will edit the archives on request
you will be doing little else "Well, I didn't phrase that quite as I would
like, please delete it."
>
> 3). Will refusing to do so create a legal/ethical dilemma for me in future
> if some unforseen thing happens where it might be necessary to do so--if I
> am ordered to do so by management, for instance.

As far as the poster of the item, no.  The poster sent the item to the
list of his own free will. That he was careless and didn't *intend* to
send it to the list is irrelevant; he DID send it to the list.

As to "management" ordering you to delete something from your archives,
I'ld just tell them no, which would be the moral, ethical thing to do.  As
to legal, don't know, what, they'ld fire you? Dump your list (their
prerogative (unless you are paying LSOFT or someone else for running the
list, in which case they better have some mighty good arguments for any
reprisals)).  And "management" can do it itself, unless you ARE the
management. It's YOUR list.

> 4). Tech note: is it even possible to do such a thing? Is it just a
matter

It's fairly simple.  Indentify the log containing the offending item.
GET that log.  Do the required editing. PUT the edited log.

We refuse to edit other than to remove technical glitches which mess up
some peoples mail systems, and only after repeated checking to be sure
the item in question truly does cause the problems specified.  Not
difficult but also not on my list of fun things to do.  In the past five
years, on two lists, there have been only three instances where an item
in the archives truly needed to be modified (NOT removed) due to
technical problems.

If the listowner refuses to edit out his own faux pas (and I've lot's
of things I wish would just go away) it's easy to say no to everyone else.

Douglas