From: Toto <toto@sk.sympatico.ca>
Date: Mon, 27 Jan 1997 06:41:04 -0800 (PST)
To: Jim Choate <ravage@EINSTEIN.ssz.com>
Subject: Re: Fantasy quotes & libel
Message-ID: <199701271441.GAA24082@toad.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


Jim,
 I enjoyed the 250,000 legalese-spams that you posted to the cypherpunks
list. You are certainly handy with a search-engine.
 You have certainly shown that the shotgun-approach to legal issues is
a valid one, as one of your posts actually came close to being relevant.

Jim Choate wrote:
> With the current 'editorial control' as provided by the cypherpunks mailing
> list the mailing list operator/censor may also be held in some situations
> accountable as well. This occurs because the relationship between list
> operator and the quoter is similar to that of editor and reporter in a
> newspaper. For the quoter to get his quote distributed the list operator
> must ok it. The reasoning used is that the editor 'should have known' the
> boundaries and applied them.

  Well, I'm certainly glad to hear that you feel you have the legal 
standing to sue the pants off of Sandy and John. When you're done with
them, you might want to check out Canadian law and think about suing
myself, as well.
  Of course, I realize that, given your strong position in regard to
the need not to interfere in the rights of others to exert dicatatorial
control over the content which passes through systems that they have
paid for with their own money, you would not be so hypocritical as to
attempt to interfere with those rights.
  An intelligent fellow such as yourself certainly wouldn't be so
ignorant as to stand up in court and declare that the right to exert
dicatatorial power by virtue of money and position should be negated
only when it affects you personally.

  I am sincerely in your debt for pointing out to me that the purchase
of my hardware and software, and the money I spend in maintaining it,
give me license to exert total control over anything that passes 
through it.
  It was only the knowledge that you are a man who stands behind his
statements that enabled me to recognize your post expressing whining
outrage that the principles you espouse should apply equally to all
were meant as humor, despite your failure to add the little happy-face
grin :).

Toto
 
> Not only is ignorance not an excuse but neither is negligence.