🚀 go-pugleaf

The University of Georgia and The American University, which along with
Brown University, host the HELLAS mailing list, have received notes
similar to the one below. Although we do not think that the person making
this threat has any basis on which to win a lawsuit, it is our opinion
that the list has generated way too many complains over its lifetime. We
accept mailing lists here on the condition that we will not have to be
involved in their day-to-day management.

Consequently both The American University and the University of Georgia
will be closing down their HELLAS peers. If Brown University joins us in
this action we will also terminate bit.listserv.hellas and close down the
gateway.

Jim McIntosh (jim@american.edu)
The American University
Washington DC 20016-8019 USA
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From: Vasilis Georgiou - NOC <vgeor@leon.nrcps.ariadne-t.gr>
Message-Id: <9307060753.AA12955@leon.nrcps.ariadne-t.gr>
Subject: Your list hellas is out of control
To: jim@auvm.american.edu
Date: Tue, 6 Jul 93 10:53:47 EET DST
Cc: vgeor@leon.nrcps.ariadne-t.gr (Vasilis Georgiou - NOC)

Dear Sir:

Your University is supplying equipment and suport in order
to operate the mailing list Hellas (hellas@auvm.bitnet).

This list has been used in the past 25 days to mount an
attack on my person, using both obcsenities and libel
against me.

I am employed by the National Academic and Research Network
of Greece, ARIADNE. My duties include management of the
dialup service provided on an experimental basis to the
public in order to promote awarenes of  computer
networks to a wide audience. In connection with this
service, a number of students in foreign universites
obtained accounts in our service. When they became unhappy
with the restrictions that our service imposed on them,
they decided to use your list hellas as a vehicle to attack me
personally using obscenities, derogatory remarks and
outright libel.

The list hellas gave them a far reaching forum and the damage
done to my reputation is great. It has caused me severe
emotional stress and problems with my friends and my employer.

It is very irresponsible for your institution to allocate
resources meant for educational activity in support of a
forum for obscenities, derogatory comments and libel that
the list hellas is. The attack on me is not an isolated
incident. As it turns out, filth is a usual phenomenon in
this mailing list.

I am in the process of retaining an attorney to seek
restitution in the courts for the damages I suffered due to
the operation by your University of the mailing list hellas.

Meanwhile, I ask you to take immediate measures to stop any
further damaging activity.

This is a legal notice and you must act on it, to protect
your institution from further liability. In addition, you
must retain records of the messages posted to the list for the
last 25 days. To do otherwise will be destroying evidence.

A copy of this message is being sent via postal mail to the
president of your University.

Upon your request, I will provide you with any additional
information you may need in regards to this matter.

Sincerely,


Vassilios J. Georgiou, Ph.D.

ARIADNE Network Operations Center
N.R.C.P.S. DEMOKRITOS
P.O. Box 64081
GR-15710 Zografos
GREECE

e-mail : vgeor@leon.nrcps.ariadne-t.gr

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ATTACHMENT : Excerpts of some of the offending postings
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<excerpts deleted>