From: jeffy@cray.com (Jeffrey Neau)
Subject: Re: why don't all you star wars fans get a life
Organization: Cray Research, Inc.
Date: 11 Dec 92 14:17:18 CST

In article <10DEC92162659@oolong.hacks.arizona.edu> dkemper@oolong.hacks.arizona.edu writes:
>First came the article insulting Star Wars.

...Insulting the people in this group...

>Let's examine this for a minute.  The poster of that article obviously 
>wasn't going to change anyone's mind by posting it.  

...That's wise.  I don't think he was trying to make anybody realize that
   they really were geeks.  He just wanted to insult people....

>make anyone on this goup throw up their hands and say "You're right!  What 
>a stupid movie!  I can't believe I've wasted my life like this!" and then 
>sell every Kenner toy they own.  Plus, by posting it on the Star Wars 
>newsgroup, he knew that the reaction he'd get would be massive flaming.  
>That, quite obviously, was his goal.

...His goal was to insult people...

>Then people of this group responded by flaming, which serves ONLY to make 
>this type of behavior more likely in the future.  It's obvious to everyone 
>on this group that the guy was a jerk; what's the point of following up the 
>article to make that point?  

...I agree with that...

>In article <SS.92Dec10165835@bigwpi.WPI.EDU>, ss@bigwpi.WPI.EDU (Scott Streeter) writes...
>> 
>> )Just thought people would enjoy knowing that Mr. Kopacz has been
>> )locked out of his account and will be talked to by the management of
>> )Lehigh University about his actions.
>> 
>>sfd> This sucks.  Sure, it was on obnoxious message, but don't you think
>>sfd> turning off his account is just a *little* bit fascist?
>
>No, it's a lot fascist.  I don't really like to flame people, but in my 
>opinion Scott has shown himself to be a bigger jerk than the original 
>poster.  Maybe you don't agree with his views, but is that any reason to 
>violate his freedom of speech?

...Speech smeech.  Chances are the account was given to him for the sole purpose
   of classwork.  Reading news, playing games or doing any non-class activities
   are supposed to be against the rules...

...Not that I want to be a net cop, but the Constitution got thrown out the
   window the minute he signed his little account contract...

>Disagreeing with someone is one thing.  Punishing them for expressing 
>unpopular views is quite another.

...The jerk posts to a newsgroup with the sole intent of pissing people off.
   He uses lots of four letter words (and bad grammar).  

>>I don't think so. This kind of attitude does not belong on any news
>>group.
>
>Agreed that it's a poor attitude.  I disagree that that means we should 
>censor it.

...Censor shmensor.  His sys-admin is the one censoring him.  Not Mr.
   Streeter.  If I call up the record company and complain about a 2 Live
   Crew album, I'm not the censor.  If the record company pulls the album,
   then THEY are the censor...

>Besdies, do you think this is going to change his attitude?  Even if he 
>never posts to any newsgroup again, he's undoubtedly going to be ticked off 
>for quite some time towards Scott and towards the administarion at Lehigh 
>University for spoiling his fun.  And that doesn't do ANYONE any good.

...Actually he may have learned a very important lesson.  Many people have
   the mindset that people they correspond with via email, news or whatever
   aren't "really there"  They have to realize that you should act as you
   would if you were in the same room with the person...
   
>>Besides, he will probably just get a slap on the risk, and then
>>have his access regained. If I had a $1 for every time a user lost
>>his/her account for a day or two for doing something stupid, i'd be
>>rich.
>
>If I had $1 for every time someone's freedom of speech rights were violated, 
>I'd be thousands of times richer than you.
>
>--Gallandro
>
>    "Take it easy, kid.  It's only a movie."   --Ham Salad, "Hardware Wars"

I agree that's it is only a movie, and that some people in this newsgroup
go a little overboard, but I don't think that they are geeks for it.  If they 
enjoy the movie and it makes them happy, then they have the right to post.

I also agree that if I'm paying for my own internet connection, I have the
right to say anything I want.  If someone else is paying for my internet
connection, they have the right to tell me what is and what isn't considered
appropriate.

Since I work at Cray, and they are paying for my internet connection, I don't
have the right to post anything that they don't want me to.


Jeff
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.starwars