At 02:41 PM 3/17/97 -0500, Karen wrote:
>but I'm
>looking for some suggestions on how I an tell the people on the list that
>there are no First Amendment privileges on my list because it is a
>privately run and privately funded enterprise without alienating the people
>that I want to keep on the list.

     I think you hit the nail right on the head when you said it is
privately run.  It's a good idea to have some policies in place and give
them to people when they join the list.  Someone else wrote about it being
like your home, when people come to your house it makes things easier if you
tell them right from the beginning what your policies are (no smoking in the
house, no obsecene language in front of the children, no going through the
cupboards, whatever else you think a particular individual may want to do
but you won't allow, etc.) and if they break the 'rules' (depending on the
circumstance) you'd either remind them of the policy (warning) or you'd tell
them to leave (delete them).  They can't do whatever they like in your home.
     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?

>Also, I am interested in what posting policies that others have developed
>for their lists in regards to flaming, prayer, copyrighted materials, etc.
>and I'd really like to read the guidelines that others post to their lists.

     I had a recent 'copyright' thing creep up on the list I run.  It seems
that a member was forwarding list mail to a third person who was then
cutting and pasting it to a NG.  The intention was nasty, they were quoting
specific members of the list and making inflamatory comments (namecalling
and generally using nasty language) and posting it to a NG.  The third party
was not subscribed to the list and I don't know who was forwarding the mail.
I contacted the third party and communicated with them privately for a
couple of days (very civil conversation) and this particular incident has
died out for now.  What, if anything, can be done when this arises?  How
would/has others dealt with that kind of situation?  The third party was
stating that list mail is 'public' (after it has been sent to each member)
and that each person receiving it is free to do whatever they like with the
mail (including posting it to a NG, putting it up on a webpage, printing it
in a book, etc.). Do others agree that this is true?  Has anyone else dealt
with this kind of situation?  Comments?

     Chat with ya later,
     Tea
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