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List decorum



Since (unfortunately) we've been forced into discussion list 'rules',
etiquette, etc., I'd like to get some feelings from this one list about
something that bothers me.

We have seen a lot of cross posting between lists. This often involves
pulling comments that may have been made in the middle of a prolonged
thread on one list and then (without proper context) spreading them across
several lists. At least two arguments have been made to defend this
technique--one that posting to lists puts your comments in the public domain
and second that anyone, on any list, can access the archives of the list
where the comments were originally made and catch up on the thread. I think
most of us recognize that VERY few people have the time (or desire) to do
the latter. My concern is more to the first--if not legally, then in terms
of proper 'decorum'. I guess the archives of these lists ARE public domain,
so posts are public, however the lists themselves are privately owned. So,
is there any 'legal' problem with pulling mid-thread comments from one list
and introducing them onto others, is it just bad-manners to do so, or am I
all wet and this is just fine to do and part of the 'list-serve game'?

Rick

*********************************************************
Richard W. Tarara
Professor of Physics
Saint Mary's College
Notre Dame, Indiana
rtarara@saintmarys.edu
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Free Physics Educational Software (Win & Mac)
www.saintmarys.edu/~rtarara/software.html
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