[Publib] permission to report on postings

[K.G. Schneider]

I know that on another listserv I belong to, it was decided that nothing
from the list should be re-published or forwarded outside the list without
the permission of the original poster. One of the examples in support of
this policy given was a harsh "review" of a recent book that a list member
posted. That post was then forwarded by another list member to the author of
the book. While the original poster would undoubtedly stand by his opinion
of the work, he probably would express that opinion differently if he were
addressing the author of the work.
 
———-

Unfortunately, it's unrealistic to expect that email WON'T get forwarded,
particularly list email—but I'm even careful about personal email. I submit
that the primary function of library conferences is to say face to face in a
clean room what you have been waiting to unload on distant colleagues for
six months. The good ol' telephone can be a decent stand-in, if you trust
that you're not on speakerphone. 

I learned this in library school, oh yes, young'uns, back in 1991, when we
had to build our modems from twigs and thatching and we had horse-powered
computers. We had a student bulletin board (electronic, not cork) where we
shared our opinions among ourselves in a discussion supposedly Just For
Students. Darned if some little brown-nosing dweeb didn't show some of the
traffic to a couple of faculty members. 

Rules are nice, but if you put it in movable bytes, do not be surprised
where it goes next. Period. 

Karen G. Schneider
kgs at bluehighways.com