> I received a request this morning to delete a message from one of my lists' > archives. The message in question was an e-oops (private embarrassing mail > reply accidentally sent to the list. I have mixed feelings about doing this > and would like to solicit your opinions and feedback on the matter. > 1). Should listowners delete messages from list archives at subscriber > requests? Absolutely not. The archives are the archives, edited only to resolve technical glitches. > > 2). Will doing so create a bad precedent that will lead to a list management > nightmare? Very definitely. If people know you will edit the archives on request you will be doing little else "Well, I didn't phrase that quite as I would like, please delete it." > > 3). Will refusing to do so create a legal/ethical dilemma for me in future > if some unforseen thing happens where it might be necessary to do so--if I > am ordered to do so by management, for instance. As far as the poster of the item, no. The poster sent the item to the list of his own free will. That he was careless and didn't *intend* to send it to the list is irrelevant; he DID send it to the list. As to "management" ordering you to delete something from your archives, I'ld just tell them no, which would be the moral, ethical thing to do. As to legal, don't know, what, they'ld fire you? Dump your list (their prerogative (unless you are paying LSOFT or someone else for running the list, in which case they better have some mighty good arguments for any reprisals)). And "management" can do it itself, unless you ARE the management. It's YOUR list. > 4). Tech note: is it even possible to do such a thing? Is it just a matter It's fairly simple. Indentify the log containing the offending item. GET that log. Do the required editing. PUT the edited log. We refuse to edit other than to remove technical glitches which mess up some peoples mail systems, and only after repeated checking to be sure the item in question truly does cause the problems specified. Not difficult but also not on my list of fun things to do. In the past five years, on two lists, there have been only three instances where an item in the archives truly needed to be modified (NOT removed) due to technical problems. If the listowner refuses to edit out his own faux pas (and I've lot's of things I wish would just go away) it's easy to say no to everyone else. Douglas