From: dlb@sunloaf.dazixco.ingr.com (Dave Buehmann)
Subject: Re: Permission to repost? (was Re: S-VHS connections)
Reply-To: dlb@sunloaf.dazixco.ingr.com
Organization: Dazix-Intergraph
Date: Mon, 16 Nov 1992 20:01:55 GMT

In article <9211131118.aa18819@cbda7.apgea.army.mil>,         Bill Jones <wejones@CBDA7.APGEA.ARMY.MIL> writes:
|> >
|> > In the past, Bob Hoffman sent me an explanation about the signal conversion
|> > process.  With your permission Bob (if you're reading this), I could post it.
|> >
|> >
|> This is completely off the subject of the post, but this is somthing
|> that has confused me about "net etiquette".  Why is it that everyone
|> feels obliged to get permission to re-post an E-mail message?  I
|> could understand it if the writer started it with "for your eyes only",
|> or something like that, but otherwise it seems to me that if someone
|> sends me a message, that the message is now mine to do with what I want,
|> provided that the original writer is given credit for any original
|> ideas.  It is not necessary to get permission to include a non exact
|> exerpt of the ideas in a book or other work in a publication, it is only
|> necessary to properly reference the source of the info, and a letter
|> should be even less restrictive since it isn't copywrited.  No-one
|> would have second thoughts about xeroxing an electric bill they got
|> in the mail.
|>    I know that it's probably not so much a legal matter as much as just
|> trying to be polite (although I have seen people on other groups
|> threatening to take legal action because someone posted his personal
|> E-mail), but I can't understand why anyone would object, unless there
|> was something personal in the letter or unless there were embarassing
|> mistakes in the content (this has happened to me).
|>    Anyway, is it really considered poor etiquette to post a personal
|> E-mail message without permission, or are people just being overly
|> polite?
|> 
|> Sorry for wasting the bandwidth(length?) with this, but I often find
|> myself in the position of being able to quickly answer someones
|> question by sending them a copy of something someone else sent me,
|> but am nervous about it after seeing how some people react.
|> 
|> B.J.

In this case, it was just for politeness.  I didn't know if Bob wanted
this information posted which might result in people sending him 
bunches of email for more information.

I assume that all email sent to me is intended for my eyes only.  It is
sometimes difficult to know if information is intended only for a
limited audience or not.

Many people do consider it inappropriate to post personal email.  I usually
don't care, though I can easily imagine situations where I would choose
different wording in personal email than I would in a world-wide post.

Certain brands of humor, for example, can be taken wrong if read by the
wrong person or out of context (or even in-context).  Look at some of the
flame wars that erupt (usually on other groups) because of misinterpretation
or failure to insert explicit smileys.

BTW, you didn't attribute me in your inclusion of my text above.
Lookin' for a lawsuit?  :)


Dave Buehmann         Voice:    (303) 581-2318
Intergraph (Dazix)    Fax:      (303) 581-9972
5101 Spine Road       Internet: dlb@sunloaf.dazixco.ingr.com
Boulder, CO  80301

Newsgroups: rec.video.satellite