From: Dale Thorn <dthorn@gte.net>
Date: Mon, 17 Feb 1997 17:44:56 -0800 (PST)
To: Adam Back <aba@dcs.ex.ac.uk>
Subject: Re: Moderation experiment and moderator liability
Message-ID: <199702180144.RAA19245@toad.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


Adam Back wrote:
> Dale Thorn <dthorn@gte.net> writes:
> > Adam Back wrote:
> > > [summary of events]
> > I believe your summary is very accurate except:
> > I would add after the paragraph about Dimitri posting the warning
> > about C2, that C2's lawyers sent an immediate threatening letter
> > to Dimitri.

> Agree, that should be added:
> 15a. Dimitri received a legal notice from C2Net's lawyers about
> Dimitri's allegations

I know this could sound really nitpicky, but proofreading etc. is a
big thing for me, so, I personally would not say "legal notice"
alone, as it doesn't convey the sense of threat that was very real
in the letter to Dimitri.  Perhaps "terse legal notice" or words to
that effect...

> > I would change the paragraph about Tim May receiving a warning from
> > C2's lawyers to say that Tim May received a warning second-hand that
> > anything Tim would say to support or reiterate Dimitri's claims
> > would be actionable by C2 as well.

> Let's see I wrote:
> > 21. Tim received a warning from C2Net's lawyers that if he did not
> > desist from mentioning that Dimitri had posted an article criticising
> > a C2Net product that he would be sued!

> Tim explained the situation in fair detail in his recent post,
> explaining, after Sandy's "Absolutely false." retort to my above
> claim.  Perhaps my wording could be more accurately changed in the
> light of the further explanation from Tim to:
> 21. Tim was told by a C2Net employee that if he did not desist from
> discussing Dimitri's claims about C2Net's StrongHold product, C2Net
> would take legal action against him!

Again, at the risk of nitpicking, I'd say "might take legal action...".

Just an opinion, I think you've done a really good job summarizing
these events.