In the process of trying to solve a problem affecting my lists
and communication with the vm.temple.edu system I got involved
in a *private* correspondence with a member of this list. He
came up with the diagnosis that the problem was limited to my
university system; I disagreed because I had received numerous
posts from listmembers whose mail had also stopped. At some
point he told me to consult my systems administrators who he
was sure would agree with him.  I *foolishly* wrote back that
as far as listserv I was concerned I was the one-eyed man in
the kingdom of the blind--which is at least partially true because
we don't run listserv in our system and I am the only person on
campus who has listowner experience.  Well, my correspondent
(definitely NOT Stan Horwitz!) then forwarded my note to our
list administrators, as I just discovered when I received a
note from the woman who heads computer services. She is deeply
hurt and I feel like a rat.  She is a friend, and I hope she will
eventually understand that I reacted to being treated like a
novice.  At the same time I am deeply disturbed that my
correspondent violated an essential principle of netiquette,
NOT to forward private messages!  Surely all of us have at
times said something concerning another which we would rather
not have that other see.  Granted, in an ideal world this
shouldn't be, BUT . . .
 
Especially as listowners we should surely be sensitive to that
dimension of cyber-communication.
 
Ingrid Shafer
[log in to unmask] & [log in to unmask]
http://astro.temple.edu/arcc