Though I may be one of the very few who care, I'd continue to
dissent on the list settings, at least since the issue is rearing its
head again. At the risk of repeating what's already been said:
1. While it is in theory easy to avoid accidentally replying to
the list, it seems to happen not infrequently. Some of this is
inevitable -- on lists that are set differently, members sometimes hit
"reply all" by accident, too -- but I'd wager it could be reduced by
changing the setting. I'm not sure why this hasn't been done, save for
the supposed benefit of watching others make mistakes. Perhaps Dan can
speak to this.
2. As to that, I agree that it is occasionally fun to see what
results, and it probably even outweighs the spam effect for me -- so
far. But I would just caution that it is sometimes not so fun for those
screwing up. I have had students humiliate themselves in the eyes of
their peers by accidentally posting to class lists when those were set
incorrectly, and I have been on professional and academic lists in which
members accidentally distributed posts that contained very embarrassing
content (among those that come to mind are one involving what appeared
to be an assignation, and another in which an attorney spoke
disparagingly, and obscenely, of a judge in front of whom he was
appearing, who was supposedly also a list subscriber). I doubt I'm the
only one who's seen a message that the sender fervently wishes had not
been mistakenly sent to everyone.
As a courtesy, I will leave it to Frank to describe the limerick
about the Lemon test that he accidentally sent to a conlaw listserve.
3. As to the privacy issue Peter raises, it seems to me this
concern is in tension with the lack of concern about list mechanics.
For better or for worse, list messages distributed as email are out in
the world -- information wants to be free! -- independent of the archive
altogether. Indeed, I suspect that the more personal or inadvertently
amusing messages are the more likely to be saved (and forwarded),
without any guarantee of deletion or security. So I'd rather heed what
gets sent to the list than harbor any illusions about security
afterward.
Best,
[log in to unmask]
-----Original Message-----
From: Academy of Legal Studies in Business (ALSB) Talk
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Peter Bowal
Sent: Tuesday, May 10, 2005 3:11 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: List Technology
I am one of the many who really appreciates the consistent hard
work of
Dan Herron in maintaining the ALSB website and ALSBtalk list.
Dan, you
are doing a fantastic job. I hope you never retire; I can't
imagine
trying to find a replacement ExSec from the pool of lesser
mortals.
The ALSBtalk reply-button gives us all one good chance to make a
fool of
ourselves in public. Agreed, some people savor the opportunity
several
times. Having made my gaffe in 2002 (I remember the precise
minute),
I'm fine with the current settings - although one expects
virtually
everyone will eventually take a turn or two. Think of how it
contributes to our humility and sensitivity for the mistakes of
others.
Perhaps the ALSBtalk reply-button is why so many others continue
to lurk
- possessed of a prurient fascination to behold the sucker who
next
falls into that trap. And how embarassing will it be? No
scandalous
betrayals or unfiltered "what I really think" public "oops" to
titter
about yet.
May I raise a related point? I think the major technology and
privacy
concern of ALSBtalk is that all of our messages are organized and
archived (by Miami University's listserve?) on the web. They are
open
and searchable by month/year and thread.
While ALSBtalk is by subscription of members, and a clubby town
hall of
280 may be getting close to a notion of "public", one should
still know
that anyone in the world can read what we write on ALSBtalk
through
eternity.
My own ALSBtalk postings are found on the links below, back to
1994.
Google yourself to find your message trail.
http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?A1=ind9405&L=alsbtalk
http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?A1=ind9407&L=alsbtalk
http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?A1=ind9408&L=alsbtalk
http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?A1=ind9409&L=alsbtalk
http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?A1=ind9410&L=alsbtalk
http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?A1=ind9501&L=alsbtalk
http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?A1=ind9505&L=alsbtalk
http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?A1=ind9506&L=alsbtalk
http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?A1=ind9509&L=alsbtalk
http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?A1=ind9510&L=alsbtalk
http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?A1=ind9511&L=alsbtalk
http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?A1=ind9512&L=alsbtalk
http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?A2=ind9602&L=alsbtalk
http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?A1=ind9603&L=alsbtalk
http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?A1=ind9610&L=alsbtalk
http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?A1=ind9705&L=alsbtalk
http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?A1=ind9706&L=alsbtalk
http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?A1=ind9710&L=alsbtalk
http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?A1=ind9711&L=alsbtalk
http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?A1=ind0207&L=alsbtalk
http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?A1=ind0210&L=alsbtalk
http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?A1=ind0211&L=alsbtalk
http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?A1=ind0301&L=alsbtalk
http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?A1=ind0304&L=alsbtalk
Dan, this might be ultra-efficient storage and backup systems
operating,
but I wonder if we should try to get the ALSBtalk archives
deleted or at
least accessible only to list subscribers (password protected).
Cheers,
Peter Bowal
University of Calgary
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