Has anyone else received an announcement of a new manifesto for the
list ACTNOW-L hosted at Brown University?  (Excerpt included below).
While such efforts to demonize those who differ with you tend to raise
my hackles, I was caught by its reference to listowners who censor under
the guise of moderating and thought it might warrant disscussion on
this list.  (I don't know how I got on the distribution list for this
announcement; this is the first time I have heard of ACTNOW-L).
 
Judith Hopkins, Listowner of [log in to unmask]
  Internet: [log in to unmask]
  Bitnet:   ulcjh@ubvm
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A New List Manifesto for <actnow-l>
 
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The <actnow-l> listserv list has a new list manager who intends
to expand the scope of the list. The list will accept messages
and promote unfettered discussion of the ideologies and practices
(many of them detrimental to both students and faculty members)
extant within the academe
     Many specialized programs in the humanities and social
sciences have become controlled by demagogues who enforce a new
type of sectarian totalitarianism. They work toward the
suppression of academic freedom and use their tenure to force
their ideologies upon others, to enrich themselves, and to
perpetuate their power. The time has come for them to accept the
responsibility for the present mediocre level of education for
which students pay exorbitant tuition. This can only come about
if those who have suffered from this type of abuse have the
courage and means to speak out about inequity and corruption.
     Many students and faculty members have genuine grievances;
nevertheless, many administrators deny them due process under
fraudulent judicial systems. These systems give the appearance
that they support fair practices; however, many have become the
weapons of corrupt provosts and their pandering ombudspersons.
These officials suppress evidence in attempts to cover up their
own malfeasance and use their power to intimidate their
adversaries. To this end they forge documents and deliberately
destroy careers through capricious blackballing and stonewalling.
     To further compound the cover-up, many listserv list
managers indulge in covert censorship of Internet information.
They manipulate the flow of information in support of the
demagogues and receive rewards of honors, degrees, promotion, and
tenure. Many others feign the moderation of lists and then censor
them to conform to their own idea of political correctness
(totalitarianism). The <actnow-l> list managers will not tolerate
these practices and will expose them at every opportunity.
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List Managers <actnow-l>
 
Paul Trummel
Department of Technical Communication
College of Engineering, University of Washington
<[log in to unmask]>
 
James Doran
Division of Student Affairs, University of South Carolina
<[log in to unmask]>
 
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