>     I'd like to ask other listowners how they handle 'warnings', do you do
>it privately or publically?  I find that I want to lean towards 'private'
>warnings but that 'public' has its advantages as well such as letting all
>the other list members know that the infraction was noticed and being dealt
>with.  Comments?

My list is probably easier to run in this respect because it's a writing
list.  99% of it is submitting what you've written or critiquing what
someone else wrote, according to the exercises I make available to the
list.  We have a Talk: topic and the guidelines restrict its use to
housekeeping matters and to subjects directly related to the exercises.  To
join the list, members must submit a bio and an application agreeing in
advance to the list rules.  Anyone who infringes Talk: is given a polite
public warning.  Anyone seriously infringing it is kicked off the list.
I've only had to do that once.

On another list in which I had an unrestricted Talk: topic, the messages
quickly deteriorated to a low level.  Live and learn.  Now I think every
list should have guidelines which support its purpose and discourage
everything else.

Jilla