We discussed this problem among ourselves, and with individuals from the offices of the Provost, the Dean for Student Affairs, and the Ombudsman. Out of these discussions grew a recognition that averting and stopping antisocial and unethical behavior was sometimes more important than punishing offenders. And out of this recognition grew a simple set of mechanisms designed to stop harassment and improper use quickly, while keeping options for more traditional sanctions open. The first stopit mechanism is the poster I described above. The poster is displayed prominently in all Athena clusters.
Facsimiles appear in printed and online documents.
The advantage is, users need not worry about who should receive their complaints. As stopit precedents have accumulated, so have standard responses to typical offenses. Moreover, field staff have become better attuned to standard responses, and often are able to handle complaints completely on the spot. This was very difficult before stopit gathered enough data to develop, test, and implement response policies. Standard responses and field-staff skills gradually have reduced the senior administrative overhead associated with stopit.