---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Wed, 5 Jun 1996 17:01:47 -0400 (EDT)
From: Erich Schulman (KTN4CA) Team OS/2 <acme_at_use.usit.net>
To: sonic_at_lists.mv.net
Subject: Re: The Termination of This List
Seeing how this poster has publically dragged me through the mud (again), my
response is necessitated. As Ratman has written his own responses, I am
not responding to points not aimed against me unless I am asked by him to
do otherwise.
On Mon, 3 Jun 1996, Joseph Delacroix wrote:
> The first event that turned me toward dislike of the management of
> this list is one that could probably be concieved as a nearly inflammatory
> move on the part of Eric, which was to utilize a posting of mine in order
> to set down a new `list rule'. What transpired was that in the beginning
> of my fanfic-writing career, I made it a habit to publish my stories
> on the mailing list directly, and then have Bookshire grep them from his
> mailspool and HTMLize it for fanfic-page consumption. I had not seen a
> single post on said list about anyone disliking my practice of doing this,
> and had, in fact, recieved a few positive comments. This not only
> encouragedme to continue my writings, but it also gave me a mandate to
> continue this practice further. Well, after I had sent one of my stories
> to the list on one fateful afternoon, Eric decided to take the opportunity
> to put down a new list rule. Can anyone tell me what it is? No?
> Well, it was that no further stories were to be sent to the list. He used
> the header of my posting, deleted all of the content of the message (even
> the `On such-and-such day, X said:' line), and said in no uncertain terms that
> no further fanfic was to be sent to the list. That's all. No `good
> story, Joe', no `awful story, Joe', no `nice paragraphing, Joe', but
> instead a subtle incrimination that it was -MY- fault that this new
> policy was being instituted. Real fucking nice, man. Yet, I kept
> my mouth closed, and instead did what I was instructed to. The deep-rooted
> indignation that I possess now was absent in me then, so I meekly shut up
> and obeyed.
It was not my decision to disallow posting of stories.
Last summer, Ratman firmly decided against posting binary files. I had
no problem with this and implemented the policy accordingly right away.
My interpretation of "no binaries" was that story postings would be
allowed as they were text postings whereas a .JPG or .GIF is
unquestionably binary. November 1995 is when Ratman expanded the policy
to disallow posting of stories. I did argue my interpretation to him in
direct mail, but as this is his server, I ultimately had to implement his
wishes promptly.
I saw you say on Sociopolitical Ramifications that I posted my
administrative message to you to the list. This is absolutely false. I
immediately double-checked my message and confirmed that it was sent to
you directly. You didn't know I was in the same room because I was
Guest1 at that time.
You never saw my discussions of this issue with Ratman because it was in
private mail with him. Did you ever try to correspond with me in private
mail? No; not one message. I keep everything in my sent-mail folder for
3 weeks so I could have forwarded these messages to you upon request, and
you could have authenticated them with Ratman.
But instead of using e-mail, you chose to make threats against me on
FurToonia. Very few people know who my FT character is, so I bet you
never knew I was in the same room with you. Ever since then, I knew I
made the right decision to abandon my former character Toby in late
October 1995 and be secretive about my character.
The decision was made before you posted your story, and was temporarily
mired in differences in interpretation not resolved until just prior to
your posting. Call it bad luck, call it bad timing, but do not call it a
conspiracy against you. Had you asked me or Ratman about it in a
civilized private message, you would have known that over 6 months ago.
As for not commenting on your story, I did not do so because I sent my
non-public message to you before reading it. My modus operandi has always
been to tend to administrative needs first, and then respond to posts and
write new ones. I would read short posts online, and save the long posts
for reading offline. Though I do have SLIP and PPP accounts, I still
prefer to handle my mail with my shell account. I could not possibly have
offered you an opinion of your story at that point in time because, again,
I had not yet read it. Had you asked me about it in a civilized private
message, you would have known that over 6 months ago.
> However, my ire was rose when people CONTINUED, -TOTALLY- unflamed,
> to post fanfic to the list (and multi-part fanfic, I might add) and were,
> in fact, APPLAUDED by the admins!
I very seldom posted administrative warnings to the list. I feel there
is no need to embarrass someone with a public scolding and no one else on
the list wants to read such a thing anyway. I have posted warnings when
the situation warranted, but the list archives prove that was
infrequent. I did send warnings just like the one you got to other list
subscribers, but you didn't see them because I sent them in private
mail. Had you asked me or Ratman about it in a civilized private
message, you would have known that over 6 months ago.
I don't recall what Ratman posted that allegedly applauded others' story
postings, but I never did any such thing. The list archives prove it.
Erich Schulman (KTN4CA) [Team OS/2] A net.freedom-fighter for Mobius!
"Freedom Fighters are #1!" -- Sonic the Hedgehog
StH JJ1 Son+ Sal++ Tal++++t Nic+i Rot+i Lup+ P++ Dopw $+++ E25 Ay68
Mail: acme_at_use.usit.net | WWW: temporarily unavailable
Received on Wed Jun 05 1996 - 18:18:29 PDT