🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <MPG.ecc1cf4529b2cea98a107@news.alt.net>, xyzzy@ponyexpress.net
(Edward Franks) wrote:

> My glass typewriter shows Andrew Gierth saying...
> [Snip]
> >   Q: Why do you allow users so much freedom?
> > 
> >   A: We believe that the more responsibilities we take away from a
> >      user, the more irresponsible they will act. By attempting to
> >      maximize freedom, we believe our users will act responsibly and
> >      not abuse that freedom.
> > 
> > That last one's a hoot. I think it's quite clear that their beliefs are
> > badly misplaced. 
> 
>         Actually, I find it quite refreshing that Altopia treats me like a 
> responsible adult.

That isn't it. 

Altopia isn't treating you like a responsible adult, they are making it
clear that they don't care whether you act like a responsible adult or
whether you act like a spoiled toddler. You are welcome to do either, and
they will not take an interest in it at all.  Being treated as a
responsible adult includes consequences when one doesn't act like a
responsible adult. Altopia is taking precisely the opposite stance,
protecting people who act like spoiled children from any consequences of
their disruptive behavior. 

I know that it annoys some people when discussion of policy issues between
providers and users starts edging towards a 'virtual parent' bent, but
there's no escaping it. If you don't like being a dependent of your
provider, or being treated by the world as one with all of your provider's
other dependents (including the ones who are incorrigible vandals), move
out on your own. 

I know the service provider->parent analogy does not work perfectly, but
there are similarities. Like a parent, a provider of net services do
things for you which you can't or won't do for yourself. Like a parent,
they provide a layer of protection from the full force of the direct
consequences of one's mistakes. They also have a responsibility to the
society at large (in this case, Usenet) to  see too it that their
dependents are not a burdensome nuisance for everyone else. I do not care
HOW Altopia assures that its users behave like responsible adults. I do
care that they refuse to recognize the need for their users to act like
responsible adults or their responsibility in seeing to it that they do
not inflict the childish behavior of some of their users on everyone else.

-- 
Bill Stewart-Cole                             bill@scconsult.com        
I'm not spam-blocked because I like playing the hardass net-fascist.