censoring negative comments?(Really rip your face off)

[Peter Giordano]

Before I comment on the below I need to correct something -
In a previous message I referred to being threatened with having
my face ripped off - This was in a private email from the ifc - 
Later, in a bogus apology to me on the list he or she re-printed
the private message - However, in an interesting editorial
decision the ifc decided not to share the first paragraph of that
message with the list - This editorial decision speaks volumes
about the ethics of the ifc - I am reproducing the paragraph 
below - Keep in mind that this message, like all internet
messages should be archived both at my server and the
ifc's so if he or she trys to deny this it the veracity can
be proven:

On Wed, 30 Apr 97 18:19:35 CDT the ifc said to
me in a private email message:

>The only reason I am answering your latest stupid message is that I am
>in a bad mood and I feel like dumping on someone.  You're elected , Giordano.
>Just be happy I don't do it in public where I'd be showing off and really
>rip your face off.

I say:
Regarding the above - I am indifferent to personal insults from people
on the internet (Who has time for that?) but I am not indifferent to
some ethical issues - The ifc has every right to publish whatever he
or she wants - But I also have the right to my opinions too

Jester said:
>Give it a break.
>Peter has a right to air his comments, opinions, suspicions, accusastions,
>whatever you decide to call them.  [****] used this list as source material
>for his book.  Furthermore, returning to this list and telling us all about
>it has sparked more controversy than it deserves -- thus assuring press
>coverage and free marketing to some degree, as well as review where it might
>not have been reviewed.  

I say:
Exactly my point - [****] needs to flame people in order to generate
interest in the book - Watch what happens if anybody dares to say
anything negative about the content of the book 

Jester said:
>Furthermore, [****] is a frequent poster to this
>list who is not quiet about HIS opinions, comments, etc... but extremely
>vocal and extremely personal in his method (flames and responses to flames
>make up a majority of the posts -- fine, I find many of them amusing and
>witty, very entertaining).  Therefore, [***] opens himself (and his book) up
>to this sort of thing, and that's perhaps as it should be.  He should also
>come to his own defense.  What errupts from this sort of thing is DISCUSSION
>-- sometimes heated, but nevertheless helpful.
>
>Also, we have no censors on this list.  If YOU wish to censor Peter's (or
>[***'s]) comments, please use your delete key.  

I say:
I agree - I would never want to see a situation where people, including
the ifc were not allowed to speak out - My only interest is in the issues
raised by an effort to cash in on TRP and the publicity around M&D - I
have found the best way to deal with the ifc is as non-entity - Which is
one way of explaining the posting below

Jester said:
>And another thing, since you're new to this list, it's probably a good thing
>to sit back and read the posts for awhile (especially if you're going to
>comment on a thread), get to know the people you're writing to (and about),
>that way you won't be so clueless.
>
>(oh, I tried sending this to "e" personally, but it kept bouncing... I
>wonder why ;-)

I say:
If what Jester said above is true (that he couldn't send
his reply to a personal box) then there might be a simple
solution - As most people on this list know it is very easy
to set up a bogus email identity and address - Perhaps somebody
who realizes that I am sending mail from specific addresses
directly to my trash decided to try to trick my filter - Or
perhaps somebody was feeling picked on and unloved
so decided to send a bogus message from a fictious fan
(that might explain the strange attempt to disguise the
identity through odd errors in spelling and
punctuation) - Or maybe I decided to pick on
myself - The possible paranoid scenarios are endless -
(What would TRP say!) - More likely the author of
the above is a wonderful human being who's server
got shut down for some reason - Anyway, I take the
criticism for what it's worth

Jester quotes:
>At 10:16 AM 05/11/1997 -0400, e sommer wrote:
>>Let me say, as a recently added lurker on this list, who
>>knows not what the fuck the ruckus is about, that i am
>>saddened this Sunday morn to read Mr. Siegel´s evenhanded
>>rebuttal to somebody who refers to everybody else as 
>>"Somebody". 
><snip>
>>Now i wdnt normally burden an overactive list with
>>my nubile cluelessness, but was saddened (did i say that already?)
>>to see Mr. Siegel have to rise to his own defence.
>
>

Peter Giordano
Williams College
Williamstown, MA