🚀 go-pugleaf

In <1991May29.025740.499@midway.uchicago.edu> wag5@quads.uchicago.edu (john peter wagner) writes:

>If a person yells in open air a harrasing statement, is the medium, the
>air, to blame? Or is the person who is harassing? The net is in this
>case merely the medium of communication.  If there are problems, let the
>offended party use the E-Mailed message as evidence in normal vocal or
>phone harassment disciplinary avenues.  You are assuming a judicious
>stance on a personal matter, one better suited for 'personal' policy
>rather than 'system' policy. 

Where do people get these strange analogies?  You can't compare open air
to E-Mail.  I don't think I should have to explain this one, but anyone
who would make such a ridiculuous statement obviously need it explained.

Open air is a free and absolutely necessary element that is
ever-present.  It is assumed, in fact has been proven to be required
for human survival.  Humans (most anyway) are capable of vibrating
it through the use of their own personal vocal chords, thus causing this
"yelling" phenomenon you discussed, without the use of corporate
resources.  This makes it imparctical, at best to regulate and the
privilige is nearly impossible to revoke.  Therefore, it must be covered
by other policies (which I'm sure it is in many places).

E-Mail on the other hand, is a resource that is not an absolutely
necessary resource to 99% of all corporations or organizations.  It is
normally paid for by the transport supplier, as well as the equipment
used to generate, store, and access it.  Since the PRIVILEGE to use it
may be revoked at any time if its use results in problems that detract
from the organizational goal, the use of it should be treated as a
PRIVILEGE and not a RIGHT. 

In virtually any organization I would think that if the wrong person is
annoyed by the E-Mail system (or users thereof) and the problem is not
resolved to the users satisfaction, the system could be disabled and all
of the other users would suffer.

I have seen some outrageous comparisons drawn in this thread, but this
takes the cake.  Speaking of which, E-Mail is like fruit-cake.  If
someone beats you with a fruit-cake we can't just outlaw fruit-cake, so
why pursue those nasty fruit-cake muggers?
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Charles "Chip" Yamasaki| The opinions expressed here are my own and are not
chip@oshcomm.osha.gov  | supported or even generally accepted by OSHA. :-)
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