🚀 go-pugleaf

Sequence of a typical dialogue:

	A:    <posts offensive or putatively offensive article, probably
	      a joke in net.jokes>

	B:    Has anybody noticed that offensive joke by A?  Look, it's
	      offensive for the following reasons: _____.  Really, A, please
              think about it, and try to clean up your act.  Now that I've
              pointed out the offensive subtext in your joke, you might want
              to really examine your attitudes, and see if you really
              mean to imply these things about <women, men, blacks, Poles,
              prostitutes, astronauts ...>

        C:   Hey, B, you ***hole!  Who the hell are you to censor A?!!  I
             thought the joke was funny, but anyway the real issue is 
             censorship.  When will all you ****heads learn that net.jokes
             is A TOTALLY OPEN NEWSGROUP???!

        B:   But I wasn't censoring or trying to.  I didn't write to A's
             administrator, etc.  I was just pointing out the offensive
             content, for two purposes: to ask A to think about whether
             he/she really means those offensive implications, and if so
             to try to change his/her mind.  And to point it out to
             other readers.

         D:  Calm down, B.  No reason to get so excited.  Just for the
             record, I <do, don't> think the joke was funny, and also
             I <do, don't > think it was offensive.  But don't you know
             that if a topic offends you all you have to do is use your
             n key?  Or in extreme cases, set your kill file to ignore
             postings from A.

         B:  But my purpose in objecting was not just to get A to stop
             posting these, in order to spare myself the offensive jokes.
             There was something else at stake, educating other readers
             and perhaps A him/herself.  This is distinct from both
             censorship and merely sparing myself offensive jokes.

         E,F,G,H etc in an endless chorus:  (1) Egad! Censorship! (2)
             Learn to use your 'n' key.

         K:  Actually, B, let's discuss whether the subtext you saw
             was really there.  On your reading ____.

         L:  I think the subtext B pointed out was really there, but it
             needn't be taken as offensive.  It depends on where you
             stand on the following issue: ______.

         B:  Ah, some intelligent discussion from K and L.  But you're
             both wrong, because the subtext and implied attitude really
             were there, since <reply to K>, and it is reasonable to regard
             that as offensive, since <reply to L>.

         K,L:  <more discussion>

        C,D,E,F,G,H --  Oh, this is so boring.  When will you learn to
            use the 'n' key?  When will you learn that net.jokes, net.flame,
            etc is a totally open newsgroup?  When will you stop repeating
            your pointless discussion over whether A's joke was really
            offensive?  Oh, this is so boring.  When will you learn to
            use your 'n' key?    Censorship!  As bad as Russia!  Oh, this 
            discussion of whether a joke is offensive is getting so
            boring.  Can't B,K, and L stop repeating themselves.  When
            will you learn to use the 'n' key?  Censorship!

	B,K,L : <trying to carry on the discussion rationally, can't be
            heard over the static>

-- 

            -- Mitch Marks @ UChicago 
               ...ihnp4!gargoyle!sphinx!mmar