I'm facing a serious problem and I need some advice.
   I started a list on education policy analysis three years ago and it
 has grown steadily to the point where it has maybe 500 subscribers and
 a dozen or so postings per day. Perhaps it is falling victim to its own
 success, because in the last few months a tiny group of unrelated persons
 has shown up who are dominating the discussion in a most obnoxious way.
 They have no credentials or experience in the subject under discussion,
 and they bait other contributors and attract discussion towards themselves.
 Some of their stuff is vaguely fascist and and much of it is ill-mannered.
 I am losing many of my long-standing and most valued participants who
 simply do not want to be a part of such a scene.
    I confronted one of these problem persons via private mail and told him
 he was out of line and that he should shut up. He thanked me for the "feed-
 back" (it was calumny pure and simple) and said he would be quiet.
 But of course, now he is back demanding his "freedom of speech."
    I am seriously considering taking the List private to keep it from
 collapsing under the intrusion of these prolific and unwanted characters.
 
    My questions:
 
      Has this happened ever, or often? Is it inevitable?
 
      Does anyone have Constitutionally guaranteed free speech on this
  medium? Whose Constitution applies, since the medium exists in many
  "jurisdictions," so to speak?
 
      As a practical matter, if I decide to turn the List private, how do
 I go about it? I suppose I could change the keyword from PUBLIC to PRIVATE
 then unsub everyone after having posted an invite to all old subscribers to
 sub again if they wish to be included. When the Vandals show up to resub,
 I can thow their letter in the wastebasket.
      If I want to unsub everyone will DEL LISTNAME *@* do the fatal deed?
 
      What if a "newsreader" wants to sub to the PRIVATE list? Wouldn't that
 give all readers at that site the capability of posting? I don't want to go
 to an edited list since something good would be lost, I feel.
 
     Thanks for your help. It's been a rough couple of weeks.
 
-------**********======================================**********-------
GENE V GLASS                                    ATGVG at ASUACAD.BITNET
College of Education
Arizona State University       Internet Address:[log in to unmask]
Tempe, AZ 85287-2411                            [log in to unmask]
602-965-2692