John,

You and I are going to have to agree to disagree on the issue of 
private, off list emails.   You write that "I would hope that you would 
be even more uneasy with being sent off-list abusive email."  No, that 
would not make me more uneasy than the forwarding private messages to 
the List.  If I choose to put my opinions out there, on the List, then 
I should be prepared to handle whatever response they elicit.   
Actually I haven't received many abusive messages, fortunately.  But I 
never would forward one to the List.  People say things in private 
correspondence that they might word differently in a public forum.  
They might also display more emotion.  I would take that into account.

I understand why you believe that no email is private, but I disagree.  
In its intent, email might contain what one might have said in a 
letter.  Yes, once sent, you never know to whom an email will be 
forwarded.  But I think there is an intent in private exchanges that is 
worth honoring.  If nothing else, you lack the consent of the sending 
party to share the information.  I guess in the old days, if you 
handwrote or typed a letter to someone, it too could be copied.  Or 
referenced.  And its content shared somehow.  But it admittedly would 
have been much harder to share than electronic mail.

As archivists, in screening collections, we consider what information 
warrants restriction and what is appropriate for disclosure.  So, one 
can argue that the way we handle messages related to the List has some 
relevance.  I say, why not err on the side of privacy in the case of 
List generated private exchanges?  Consider it good practice for when 
you may work in the future for a governmental or private sector 
employer who will trust you not to circulate internal institutional or 
corporate email outside the employing body!

I would hope that in such a situation you would not believe that 
"emails are NEVER private.  Once you hit send, that's it.  It's out 
into the world forever and could end up anywhere."  Because your 
employer will be counting on you and everyone else handling the 
institution's email to live up to the trust they place in you.  Believe 
me, in any workplace, there will be plenty of messages where someone 
hits send and the note never should end up "anywhere" except in the 
in-box of the recipient.  Freedom of Information Act specialists and 
lawyers screen government emails that are responsive to FOIA requests 
received by the public.  If you are their colleague, they, not you, 
will be deciding what is disclosable.  They are trained to consider 
case law and precedents, etc.  As an employee, you could never just 
share internal emails with the public.

Maybe I'm not going to convince you.  Nor do I have to persuade you or 
anyone of anything on this List, of course.  If nothing else, this 
shows that you and I have differing perspectives on this issues.  Just 
as you and Dana have differing perspectives on archival education.  
That's the way it goes, sometimes.  Can't we just leave it at that?

Maarja
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